Long term car storage

  • patk
    Nisswa, MN
    Posts: 1997
    #1979317

    Anything I need to do besides fuel stabilizer and maintaining the battery?

    With 100% work from home we took the insurance off my wife’s car in April. Never had a car sit this long and looks like it might be until spring when we need it again. We’ve rolled it in and out of the garage a couple times but not sure if that’s necessary.

    Dutchboy
    Central Mn.
    Posts: 16656
    #1979320

    I wouldn’t think so. Vacuum it out so there is no food crumbs to attract mice. Treating the gas is the big thing. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to go in the garage a couple times a month start it and let it run 10 minutes.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22456
    #1979330

    Start it and drive/move it some, to prevent flat spots.

    crappie55369
    Mound, MN
    Posts: 5757
    #1979332

    No advice on the question but I can relate. We sold my commuter to go down to 2 vehicles. If I didn’t need a tow vehicle I might consider going down to one

    jwellsy
    Posts: 1557
    #1979334

    Consider adding a battery switch. Leaving the battery connected can drain the battery quicker than expected. A battery switch is much easier than disconnecting/reconnecting the battery. Plus if the switch is a bit hidden, it makes a good theft deterrent.

    Coletrain27
    Posts: 4789
    #1979404

    Add seafoam to the gas and I would drive it around the block once a month and let it run until it’s good and warm

    Ripjiggen
    Posts: 11592
    #1979416

    Start it and drive/move it some, to prevent flat spots.

    Yeah don’t over think it lots of people with summer time cars.
    I only drive my Ferrari in June and July. Sits in the garage getting waxed by a super model the other 10 months.
    Fires right up!!! whistling

    The_Bladepuller
    South end
    Posts: 745
    #1979418

    Change the oil & treat the gas & make sure you run it enough to get treated gas into the carb or FI system.
    I use Battery Tenders from Northern on stored batterys / vehicles. I have a 09 Dyna that still has the OEM battery and it spends winter in unheated storage.
    I’ve never seen tires as an issue.

    riverruns
    Inactive
    Posts: 2218
    #1979422

    Just put it up on blocks. That should take care of most of the issues.

    patk
    Nisswa, MN
    Posts: 1997
    #1979532

    Yeah don’t over think it lots of people with summer time cars.
    I only drive my Ferrari in June and July. Sits in the garage getting waxed by a super model the other 10 months.
    Fires right up!!!

    How did you know it was a ferrari rotflol I won’t admit to the supermodel wax job, my wife might read this.

    Thanks guys, I’m pretty much doing everything suggested. Seafoam, battery tender, rolling it around about every 6 weeks, repeat.

    gimruis
    Plymouth, MN
    Posts: 17420
    #1979537

    drive/move it some

    If the insurance was removed, then driving it would be illegal. ?

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22456
    #1979609

    OK, down the driveway and back into the garage. The jest is to have it sit on another area of the tire, hence the “move it some”. Also good to spin the serpentine belt periodically.

    grubson
    Harris, Somewhere in VNP
    Posts: 1614
    #1979612

    Two things I would recommend on top of the many other good suggestions.
    If you are going to start the engine periodically you need to let it run for a while. You want it to get up to operating temp. Starting it and shutting it off too many times without properly warming up can cause condensation issues inside the engine. Running it long enough to properly warm up will evaporate the excess moisture.

    The other issue I see regularly with cars that sit is the brakes. They are like an old man. A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. In other words your brakes could rust up and cause issues when you start driving it again. There is no way to prevent that other than but driving the car regularly.

    Ripjiggen
    Posts: 11592
    #1979613

    <div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
    drive/move it some

    If the insurance was removed, then driving it would be illegal. ?

    Really? Who knew.
    Apparently not the last two people who have hit my truck.
    Pretty sure driving in your driveway or down the block and back would be just fine.

    Ripjiggen
    Posts: 11592
    #1979614

    <div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
    Yeah don’t over think it lots of people with summer time cars.
    I only drive my Ferrari in June and July. Sits in the garage getting waxed by a super model the other 10 months.
    Fires right up!!!

    How did you know it was a ferrari rotflol I won’t admit to the supermodel wax job, my wife might read this.

    Thanks guys, I’m pretty much doing everything suggested. Seafoam, battery tender, rolling it around about every 6 weeks, repeat.

    That’s the reason my wife has to park her car outside. Would hate to see the look on her face if she actually went into the garage and saw what was in there.

    gimruis
    Plymouth, MN
    Posts: 17420
    #1979621

    Apparently not the last two people who have hit my truck.
    Pretty sure driving in your driveway or down the block and back would be just fine.

    Well that sucks for sure.

    Down the driveway, yes. Around the block…I think I’ll let big_g make that decision, he knows.

    haleysgold
    SE MN
    Posts: 1465
    #1979633

    It’s been a few years so it probably changed or it was just State Farm but…
    I cancelled my insurance off 1 vehicle for the winter. When I went to reinstate it they said no. If it didn’t have “continuous” coverage they wouldn’t insure it again.
    I cancelled every policy with them and switched companies on the spot.

    joneser
    Inactive
    Posts: 172
    #1979758

    If it’s an older car or a beater this doesn’t apply, but if there’s a fair amount of value to the car….

    I would check and see what it costs to insure it with only comprehensive coverage on it. It might only run you $6 or $7 a month. The liability and collision portions of auto insurance are what make up most of the premium.

    If your house burns down, the car is stolen, or while horsing around in the garage you or your kids (if you have them) have a hammer slip out of your hands and smash a window, or your wife hits it while parking, or you park it in the driveway and a hail storm rolls through—everything I listed would still be covered.

    In addition there would be no lapse of insurance which more and more effects your insurance score. Just make sure your insurance company understands that you intend to reinstate coverage on the vehicle and don’t want to cancel the policy. Avoid canceling a policy unless it’s on a vehicle you sold or got rid of that you’re never going to insure again.

    Tell them you want to suspend coverage on your policy for future reinstatement.

    There’s a big difference between suspending coverage and canceling coverage. Insurance scores or like credit; you want a long uninterrupted history of doing the right thing. Most companies allow your to earn discounts over time that you’d lose by canceling the policy. When you cancel that means they’ll have to rewrite you a new policy when you want coverage on it. This means you’ll be rated again for this new policy. If your credit score is slightly less than what it was when the other policy was written, or even something as minor as there now being a lapse of coverage on the vehicle, could cause you to get a rating less than your other policy and wind up paying more for the same exact coverage. Insurance companies value “continuous coverage.” They view you as a better insured and a lower risk if you have continuous coverage.

    So just make sure that it’ll be the same policy being reinstated when you want it covered again. Having to write a new policy doesn’t benefit you or the company. Avoid it if at all possible.

    Other than that I’ll reiterate what others have said; run it once a month and let it fully warm up. Your lines, seals, all that stuff can break down and crack if it isn’t used for a long period of time. Make sure you don’t fill it up with anything that’s got ethanol in it before storing. When you’re driving it regularly you go through gas fast enough where it isn’t a concern but the ethanol absorbs moisture into your gas over time. Basically it puts water in your gas. I’d leave a quarter tank or less of non-oxygenated, non-ethanol gasoline in it for storing it. I’d rather have too little gas in it to where I’d have to dump a little fresh gas in every so often in order to run it once a month versus having it sit with a full tank of aging gas.

    It’s probably not a huge deal since it doesn’t sound like it will be in storage real long but you never know…..

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