Hibernation Hazards
Salt and snow can be harmful to a car,,but your garage may not be much better.
Storing a car for the winter is a practice so common that we over look how damaging it can be .
bad things can and do happen when you take a machine that needs to move.
The danger is that 3 months sometime turns into six, trust me a car's condition never improves
while sitting, (so drive it, if You can,, don"t park it) LOL. If You can ,on a nice day take it out
even if just for 1/2 hour, it needs the exercised. At least move it a few feet with engine running
this will lube to seals , rings and all the moving parts and warm up the fluids.,
Space , To store, the tighter and dryer the better. A car cover is better than nothing.
just don't park it over dirt or grass. as grass and dirt are sources of humidity, "RUST "
Even in a garage use a car cover, Do you want dust dirt and rodents on your paint?
speaking of rodents, they car ruin a car by chewing through your fabric and wires,
nesting under the hood or under your seats. I throw a few bounce sheets on the floor, in
the back ,and under the hood. The theory is they don't like the strong smells, some people
use mothballs or peppermint oil , anything is better than nothing.
Battery,, There are ways to do this. 1 use a trickle charger, 2 remove the battery
3 at least disconnect the negative terminal.. be sure to roll the car a few feet back and forth
at least once ever two weeks., (flat spots on your tires.)
Fuel,,, ethanol attracts water and when the fuel can no longer absorb it the ethanol-water
mixture sinks to the bottom, this is when it becomes corrosive. The best way is to use ethanol
free gas,, Pure-gas.org list stations that sell ethanol-free gas. fill your tank full ,the less air in your
tank the less opportunity there is for water absorption, there is little harm in using short term fuel
stabilizers like Sta-bil and star tron,,i like race fuel, but pricey'
Tires, sitting eventually causes tires to flat-spot, putting extra air in them does help 40 to 45 psi
still roll a few feet back and forth helps too . The beat is to live in Florida where we don't store our car
we drive our car year around
Leaving a car sitting for a long period year or more, you can expect repairs always check your fluids
your intake and exhaust it be clear of debris. Check your tires for proper inflation, start it let it run
for a few minutes, shut it off, look for any leaks,,,,,,, none drive it.
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Thanks to Rob Siegel, the author and Hagerty Drivers club for most of this information

 

I live east of St Louis Mo and drive my car whenever the roads are clear to help keep it in running condition.