Putting your car in long-term storage could be a decision based on a number of different factors. You may be going out of town for an extended period of time and need a safe place to keep your car. You may not plan on using it during a certain season, so feel it would be best to store it. The car could be an antique that took a lot of sweat, blood and tears to restore. Or maybe you just got a killer deal and want to store the car for the next sixteen years till your newborn gets her license. Whatever your reasons, car storage is not quite as easy as putting it in park and walking away. There are some steps you should consider before putting your car in storage.
Firstly, a clean car is much nicer to come back to after an extended period of time than a dirty car. You will want to thoroughly clean both the interior and the exterior of the car. Leave nothing behind when you clean the interior. Something you may not expect to mold, melt, or be eaten by insects can definitely do any one of those things if left untouched for a long time. With car storage, you’ll want to make sure that no bugs or rodents can take up residence, so make sure all the windows, doors, air vents, exhaust pipes, engine and any other nook or cranny is sealed tightly shut. You may also want to consider putting all new fresh fluids in the car– from gas to oil to windshield washer fluid– as old fluids may disable the car from working as well once you try to restart it (however, don’t store it with a full tank of gas, as that can be a fire hazard—just make sure the tank isn’t completely empty). Disconnecting the battery will stop fluid from leaking and causing corrosion in the engine. Protect the tires by covering them, so moisture won’t weaken them.
The final thing you want to consider with car storage is the location. You will want to feel secure with the location you have chosen. At Port City Movers, we offer car storage you can trust and feel confident in. You do the preparations, and we’ll take care of the rest. Call today for more details.