It is quite obvious that winters with their low temperatures, snow and salt and sand on the roads melting an icy surface are not the best conditions for using a car. Certainly, the majority of people do not have any choice and continue using their cars during the entire year. Others are more fortunate possessing several cars leaving the most valuable or fragile one to spend a winter in the garage. Some drivers just decide to switch temporarily to the public transport.
If you are one of those people who do not want to mess with the natural forces and do not use your vehicle till spring, you might find some of these recommendations quite useful. In any case, applying them to practice will help you to save money on spring fixes of the problems which might occur with your transport during the winter.
Use fuel stabiliser before leaving your car for a couple of months
One of the most important things you should do before leaving your car in the garage for winter is adding a special stabiliser to your fuel especially if you are using gasoline in your car. The problem is that gasoline is not thus chemically stable and is aging with time truing in a substance which you definitely do not want to find inside your fuel tank.
You will find a variety of fuel stabilisers on the market which will slow the process of the fuel oxidation down making it more resistance to chemical changes. For instance, Sta-Bil Storage Fuel Stabilizer which is generally available for nearly 20 USD is a really good choice since the company have already been on the market over 60 years doing its best to protect vehicles. Note that you sometimes can come across discounts and have a chance to buy Sta-Bil even twice cheaper.
Apply a float charger to the battery of your car
Race cars have special master power switches which allow their owners to cut off all the systems using the electricity in the vehicle even if it is turned off. Unfortunately, in all likelihood, there is nothing like this in your passenger car. This means that almost all the time there is something using the power from your battery. For example, this can be the computer memory or the clock.
Certainly, leaving your car for a couple of months in the garage will deprive it from the possibility of recharging the battery, which means its life can be shortened by such storage. In order to avoid such a situation, you should use a special battery tender. This device will be float-charging the battery of your car making the storage time safer for your vehicle.
The prices for battery float chargers are not especially high. For example, you can get Battery Tender Plus Charger for nearly 50 USD.
Adjust the mixture of coolant
Any driver of a vehicle which is using a liquid for cooling its systems knows that this substance can freeze in low temperatures. Certainly, getting the coolant frozen is something you don’t want to experience. In order to be able to estimate the point of in which your coolant liquid is going to freeze, you can use either a hydrometer or a refractometer.
Actually, refractometers will give you more accurate information about 6the condition of the coolant than hydrometers. Fortunately, these devices are not expensive. For example, ATC Refractometer offered by Agriculture Solutions is available only for 22 USD.
Cover your car
Although covering your car seem to be not thus important, it is actually a good decision allowing you to protect your vehicle from many unhappy accidents which might happen while it is being stored in your garage. Not only it won’t be full of dust, it will be definitely shielded from any accidental scratches which can definitely happen while you will still be using your garage in the winter.
Pay your attention to the fact that the cover of a good quality should be breathable which is crucial for providing the surface of your vehicle with appropriate microclimate. Such cover as Kayme 6 Layers Car Cover is particularly loved by the car owners due to its high quality, durability and affordable price which is something around 79 USD. The cover can be purchased even for a lower price if there is a discount which happens frequently.
Protect your car against pests
Don’t forget about the necessity to protect the interior of your car as well. A warm and cosy cabin of your car can attract many pests such as insects or mice. Of course, the first step to protect your vehicle against such guests is to get rid of all possible traces of food. Yet, it is not enough. As you might know, mice are capable of thriving on seemingly inedible objects and are able to make a real mess inside your car.
One of the ways to repel them is by using dryer sheets which are featured with strong chemical smells. It is recommended to put a couple of dryer sheets inside the car’s cabin as well as into the engine bay. Remember to get rid of these sheets before using your vehicle again.
You can use any dryer sheets you prefer. For example, Bounce Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets will cost you only 4.50 USD.