Question: Jim L. Ask’s ” How do I prepare my collector car for winter storage”?

Hello Jim!

There are many things to consider when storing your vehicle for winter, and a lot depends on where you are storing the vehicle. Ideally you want to store your car inside and if you can, jack the vehicle off the ground at put it on jack stands. This will eliminate the possibility of getting flat spots on your tires that might cause a vibration when you get it back on the road in the spring.

People will say it is best to start a vehicle from time to time and get it up to running temperature but few actually ever remember to do it. If the vehicle is stored in a heated building you can leave the battery in the car, but you might want to purchase a battery maintainer that will automatically keep the battery in a good state of charge. If the vehicle is left in an unheated building you can use a battery maintainer, but it is best in this situation to remove the battery and bring it into a warm environment and use a battery maintainer. If your vehicle is a newer vehicle you definitely want to use a battery maintainer and not remove the battery. Why? If you remove your battery in a newer vehicle you stand a good chance to lose the vehicles memory and you may have to perform a relearn procedure.

Fuel

Today it is especially important to stabilize your fuel when your vehicle is stored as 10 to 15% ethanol is added to gas today. You see ethanol attracts moisture as it sits, and can wreak havoc on your vehicles fuel system especially if you do not drive the vehicle much. There are many fuel additives available today to treat your fuel as ethanol is beginning to cause problems in fuel systems in newer vehicles as well as older ones. It is not a bad idea to treat your fuel on a regular basis, especially if you do not drive the car to often.

Rodents!

Ah yes those pesky little buggers, Mice! There are more problems caused by rodent infestation when you store your vehicle than anything else. Chewed wiring, and don’t forget the odor from the urine and feces or when they die inside your car. If there is a chance that mice will be an issue in the building you plan to store your vehicle I suggest that you eliminate the source. Set some mice traps up in the building, or garage before and after you store the vehicle. If you feed the birds in the winter do not keep the bird seed, or any food for that matter in the same building you plan to store your vehicle! Some people will use moth balls to deter mice from taking up residence in their car. But who wants their car to smell like mothballs? Here is an alternative for you, lavender dryer sheets, I am told work great, and they make your car smell good to! Simply place them throughout the interior of your car. Well Jim I hope that I have helped you, and thank you for the question!

Joe Boulay

 

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