In recent years ,the country’s large population have acquired vehicles. As much as it is a fact, most of them rarely drive their cars due to one reason or another. Some of them don’t know that leaving a car in storage for a long duration of time could have serious adverse effects, so here are 8 things you should do to minimize any potential damage
- Clean it inside and out, because the last thing you want is to pull a car cover on a dirty car and risk scratching the paint finish. Give the exterior paint a good wax, and polish any chrome parts.
- Inflate all your tires to the maximum allowed air pressure. However, they will lose pressure over time.
- Mice like to make their homes in vehicles parked for a long time, so use good prevention scheme to keep them away.
- Most ethanol-blended fuels have a shelf life of only about three months. If you’re storing a car for longer than that, put a fuel stabilizer in the gas tank to help prevent corrosion in the fuel lines and engine.
- Remove and store the car battery, or connect it to a trickle charger. If removed, place it in a heated location off the floor.
- Change its oil and oil filter, and check and top-up all other fluid levels. Afterwards, take it out for one last ride to circulate the new fluids and to minimize the chance of contamination.
- Don’t engage the parking brake because it will put the cable under tension for a long period of time.
- If storing the car outside, invest in a quality cover, preferably one that is waterproof and can be securely attached. You don’t want the wind blowing it off.
Implementing all 8 safeguards may seem like a hassle, but the last thing you need is a damaged car that costs too much to fix and end up selling it cheaply.