There are many reasons to want to store your car indoors. For example, some insurance companies will offer a more affordable policy if you store it indoors opposed to outdoors. Some may just need to free up space at their home. You may even want to keep your car safe from weather and pests if it sits most of the time. Here are some helpful tips to ensure your vehicle is properly prepped for long-term storage. These tips will ensure that you receive your security deposit back when you move out.
First, always make sure to clean the interior of the vehicle to avoid attracting unwanted pests. Vacuum all the crumbs and wipe down the interior as best as you can. Also, make sure to clean the exterior of the car to avoid harmful substances from damaging the paint, wheels, or engine.
High ranking mechanics advise that you top off all of your fluids as well as changing your oil and oil filter. Doing this will help prevent damage to your seals and valves. You will want to give it a thorough check and address any possible fluid leaks. Mechanics also advise you keep at least a quarter tank of fuel in your vehicle to assure it will start after sitting. Keep in mind, we do not allow vehicle maintenance at our facilities, so please plan to do this elsewhere.
At this point, you should be ready to put your vehicle into long-term storage. If you feel it’s necessary, you may purchase a car cover to keep moisture and dust off the vehicle. It is also a good idea to plug up the air intake and exhaust to prevent pests from making possible nests. After it is stored you will want to disconnect the battery. This helps to prevent corrosion as well as helping the battery to maintain its charge.
Once it is in storage, we recommend that you place a drip pan under your car opposed to laying cardboard down. A drip pan will catch all the fluids that may leak, however cardboard will only hold so much before it starts to damage the storage floor. We also recommend that you check on your vehicle at least once a month. This will help to prevent leaks. When a car sits for too long the oil and fluids sit against the seals and over time will begin to leak, regardless of how nice the car is. It would be beneficial to start the car and drive it around the facility a bit to keep the fluids from settling against these seals.
If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask one of us. We love to help and ensure your storage experience is as easy as possible. The following is a quick check list that you should refer to when storing your car indoors.
- Change oil/filter
- Top off all fluids
- Keep the interior and exterior clean
- Plug up any entry points
- Disconnect battery
- Start it/ drive it around the facility about once a month
- Use drip pan for possible leaks