How To Prepare Your Car For Long-Time Storage

Many times people do not need to use their cars for a continuous stretch of time. Mostly this happens if you are out of the station on a vacation using public transport. In that case, you would most likely store your car in a garage. But as a car owner, you must be knowing the very basic fact that if you just leave your vehicle in a garage for a long period of time, say. 30 days, you might find a dead battery or a damaged engine inside, when you come back. There could be ruined tires or a rat’s nest under the hood of your car.

To save you from such unprecedented situations, here are some useful tips we have collected from the experts of Chevrolet dealer Decatur that will preserve the engine and battery life of your vehicle.

Keep It Covered

Though the ideal place where you should store your vehicle is a covered garage, even then, covering your car with its own sheet would provide it an extra layer of protection, as, even inside the garage there can be elements that can damage your car, like temperature, dust, dampness and rodents.  If you have to leave the car somewhere outdoors, in that case this weatherproof car cover would be the best way to protect it from damages keeping the car dry and clean.

Store it Clean

If you are thinking that getting the car washed before you are going it to store for months would be self-damaging, you are wrong. Rather it would be one of the best steps one can take to store the car better. If there are any bird droppings or water stains left on the car, they can start creating damage to the paint. Start with cleaning the wheels and the undercarriage parts of the fenders to fend the abuses of grease, mud, or tar.

Avoid Using the Parking Brake

Using the parking brake is a good idea and the right way to park your vehicle. But that works best, when you park the vehicle for the day, but doing it while leaving your car in storage, would bring a counter result. When you leave the car without supervision for many days, and by any chance the brake pads come in contact with the rotors for a longer period of time, chance is there that they may fuse. Instead, make use of a tire stopper or a chock, to prevent your car from moving.

Prevent Flat Spots

Tires must be inflated to its recommended amount of pressure. If you leave your vehicle stationary for long, emergence of flat spots on the tires become a natural possibility. It happens as the weight of the vehicle keeps pressing down on the footprints of the tires. This can take place faster especially in colder temperatures on low-profile tires.

The Bottom Line

To sum up, all these above-said tips suggested by the Chevrolet Decatur dealership experts, are indeed important to follow, in order to avoid experiencing troubles with your car, when you return home and need to take out your car for its usual commutes.