Winter Car Storage Tips To Keep Your Summer Ride Lookin’ Good

It might only be November, but we’re already having flashbacks to that horror-show pileup on I-95 that stranded drivers right after New Year’s. Temperatures are dropping, and Mother Nature is cracking her knuckles in preparation of a winter beat down. So, if you have yet to that prized ride prepped for the season, now’s the time.

Thankfully, getting the old girl bundled up before the frost won’t take more than an afternoon’s work.

You Really, Really Love Your Car. Treat Her Right.

You love that car. You care for it, washing and waxing and detailing it. And, you almost certainly named it. Its beauty is a product of your time and hard-earned coin.

But you simply do not have a garage where she can hide out while Old Man Winter trashes the place for the next 180 days or so. Good thing a few time-honored winter car storage tips, and a few very useful products can make all the difference.

With some preparation, your ride can wake from its long hibernation feeling fresh as a daisy. But you need to get on it now before winter’s worst has a chance to make a meal out of it.

Location, Location, Location

If there’s one thing that needs to be known about winter car storage, it’s that letting your car sit is bad, so care must be taken to ensure that it’s done the right way. Few factors are as important as where your car will be parked for the long haul. Of course, indoors would be best. A garage or a rented storage unit will do just fine, and it doesn’t need to be heated. Some plastic sheeting beneath the ride will help stop any moisture resting below from working its way up and damaging things from underneath.

No such luck? We can make it work outside if we have to. But never, NEVER settle into a spot on grass or dirt. That’s practically asking Mother Nature, in all her frigid glory, to corrode everything from below with all that trapped, damp air. Gravel is much better; pavement or blacktop are better still.

Cleanliness Really Is Next To Godliness

When storing your car for the winter, washing and waxing can go a long way. Don’t let it slide just because you won’t be parading through town with the top down for a while. Water, dirt, and other nastiness (i.e., bird crap) are all thumbs down for your paint job, especially over an extended period of time. Be sure to use special care on your wheels, wheel wells, the undersides of fenders, and anywhere else that may get especially filthy.

Prepping your undercarriage is another often-overlooked step in winter car storage. A Fluid Film brand undercoating kit can go a long way in preventing rust and corrosion that the elements bring. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… because an inch of rust under there will bring a mile of headaches.

Always Mind Your Fluids

There are a number of fluids that are essential to keeping your car running smoothly, and any one of them can cause problems if your winter car storage checklist doesn’t make time for them.

First, be sure to change your oil before parking. Old oil can cause internal havoc for your engine. Adding an oil stabilizer like Lucas Oil Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer is good idea, as it eliminates heat and friction. This keeps your oil doing what it is designed to do in cold weather.

When doing a fluid check, it is also a good idea to top off your gas tank. This will prevent moisture from accumulating above your fuel and keep seals from drying out. It’s a good idea to check brake and transmission fluid while you’re at it, too.

And another important note: take extra good care of your radiator. Make sure you’re using antifreeze. Some radiators may simply be full of water and cold weather can cause freezing—which causes expansion… which causes things to break… which causes expensive nightmares. On that note, you should also check your freeze plugs to make sure they’re intact if you’ve left water in the block over a few freezing nights.

Bundle Up Out There

Few products you can purchase when storing your car for winter are quite as important as a quality car cover. That’s why it’s important to get the right one for the job.

First off, never, ever, use a plastic tarp. Unless you feel like ruining that paint job you spend the rest of the year buffing to a mirror shine, you’ll be lousy with fresh scratches in no time flat. Also important: never use a “waterproof” cover. Always look for one that is “weather resistant.”

A breathable fabric is what’s most important. Any small amount of moisture that creeps in (from below, above, or within) will be trapped beneath a waterproof layer. In that case, it has nowhere to go but gradually into your beloved car, which is when the real damage begins. Covercraft Car Covers are top quality and, equally important, are made with a vented fabric that lets your paint job “breathe” through its winter car storage hibernation.

Charge It Up

There is a split verdict when discussing what to do with your battery when low temperatures are a factor. Some prefer to remove their battery for the winter and maintain it on a charger. If this is your plan, the Deltran Battery Tender Plus is a valuable and affordable tool. The company also offers solar battery tenders, a useful option for vehicles parked outdoors without access to power supplies.

However, some newer cars require that a battery be in place at all times to preserve the computer’s memory. If this is the case, you’ll want to hook up to a trickle charger (like the popular NOCO Genius). Whatever you decide, it is critical to remember that batteries can freeze and crack. Take proper care and prevent the costly headache.

Varmints!

Another important part of winter car storage involves launching a defense against critters looking to nest in your precious ride. And make no mistake, these little guys aren’t simply looking for a place to wait out the cold weather. They want to regentrify your vehicle’s interior like a posh loft apartment, where they can vape, eat artisanal cheeses, and listen to lo-fi indie pop on that nice Bose stereo system.

Mothballs help, and plugging openings like the exhaust pipe and air intakes with steel wool can prevent these smug rodents from ever setting up shop. If you’re lucky enough to park indoors, set some mousetraps – or better yet, mouse bait. We like these little bait stations by TomCat. They’re kid and dog safe, so you don’t have to worry about anyone other than destructive vermin accessing the poison.

Always Take Good Care Of Your Feet

Finally, take extra good care of those wheels and tires. Always inflate your tires to the maximum PSI rating for winterization. Tires that don’t move for too long can develop flat spots. In some cases, these are permanent, and your tires are done for. One way to combat this is to jack your vehicle up just a bit, saving you hundreds of dollars on replacements, and alleviating pressure on the suspension in the process. Some people even take their wheels and tires off completely as part of their winter car storage. That will certainly depend on your unique parking situation.

It’s also important to remember that the wheels might not get the cleaning they deserve all year long. All that brake dust and grime piled up behind the spokes are eating away at the finish of the wheels like a pack of ragged dogs. It’s best to give them a thorough cleaning before they sit for months on end.

The majority of gearheads aren’t all that keen on winter. No season wreaks more havoc on automobiles than the season of slush, snow, and salt. But we can get out ahead of it. And when (if) spring ever does come back around, you’ll thank yourself for the time invested in properly storing your car for winter.