storage

You may have had your car in storage over the winter months. Winter can be really fun especially when you consider all of the fun you can have in those cozier nights. While you might have a good time during the cold season, it’s not the best time for your vehicle. Damage from the winter can really mess up your car and can be expensive to repair.

But with the temperatures rising, you can finally pull out your car from storage. But before you can take it out for a joy ride, you will have to check a few things. With all of those months inside, you don’t want to mess with your car. So, here is a small checklist of things to check before starting your car for spring.

1.    Change the Tires

The first thing that you might notice after seeing your car for the first time in months is the tires. Over all of this time, it is possible for them to flatten in all that time. But if you were savvy enough to replace your tires before storing your car away, you saved your good tires. Now all you have to do is replace your cheap tires with the good ones.

2.    Replace the Engine Oil

Good quality engine oil is essential to keeping your vehicle healthy and running for a long time. However, with all of the time that your car has been in storage, the motor oil inside is now pretty old. Changing it as soon as you get the chance will prolong the life of your car.

3.    Thoroughly Inspect the Battery after Storage

A common mistake that people make is that they leave their battery inside the car after storing it. This is possibly the worst thing that you can do to your car. If you didn’t connect it to a trickle charger, then you will have to charge it first. For the sake of your car, don’t start it on a half battery! Or worse, don’t try to start your car by boosting it.

4.    Look Around the Car for Signs of Damage after bringing it out of Storage

Over the months that your car was in storage, a number of things could’ve happened. Mice might’ve gotten in and chewed on the wiring. Or maybe some pests got into your garage and made nests inside. Either way, take a torch and look around for signs of damage.

5.    Check Your Other Fluids after Storage

Engine oil isn’t the only fluid your car depends on. You will have to check if there was a leak for the coolant, brakes, power steering, or worse, fuel. If you find any number of these issues, you should contact a towing company to help you get to the nearest mechanic.

Although this check list may seem tedious, it will save you a lot of trouble and money. So try not to skip any of these points and try to check all of the above mentioned things. You should especially be careful if you have a vintage car. Their parts are hard to find and repairs aren’t cheap.