Putting a car away for a few months is simple once you know the order of operations. Do these things and the car starts, runs and drives in the spring like you never left. Skip them and spring becomes a repair bill.
Start with the building
Before any of the steps below, decide where the car lives. An indoor, climate controlled space is doing the heavy lifting the whole time it sits. It keeps moisture off the paint and out of the interior, keeps the temperature from swinging, and keeps the car away from weather and road salt. Everything else on this list helps. The building is what protects the car day after day while you are not there.
Clean it first, inside and out
Wash and dry the exterior and clean the interior before it goes away. Dirt and bird droppings left on paint for months can etch it. Crumbs and food in the cabin invite mice. A clean car stored dry is a car you are happy to see again.
Fuel
Fill the tank and add a fuel stabilizer, then drive a few minutes so the treated fuel reaches the whole system. A full tank leaves less room for condensation, and stabilizer keeps the fuel from breaking down over the months it sits.
Battery
A disconnected battery slowly drains on its own. A connected one drains faster feeding the car's memory and alarms. The right answer is a battery tender, which keeps the charge topped up without overcharging. A tender is the difference between turning the key and hearing nothing, and turning the key and driving away.
Tires
Set the tires to the recommended pressure, or a little above, before storage. A tire holding a car's weight in one spot for months can take a set, a flat spot you feel as a thump until the tire warms up. Correct pressure and a car that is not left to sag both help.
Keep pests out
Mice love a stored car. They nest in air boxes, chew wiring and leave a mess in the cabin. A clean interior, no food, and storage in a managed indoor space are your best defense. This is one more reason a shared garage or an outdoor lot costs you more than it saves.
Write down how you left it
Note the mileage, the fuel level and any marks on the car before it goes away. When you pick it up, you want to know it is exactly the way you left it. This is the part people skip, and it is the part that gives you peace of mind.
What we handle for you
Every indoor-stored vehicle with us gets full video intake and outtake with mileage and fuel documented, a battery tender all season, tire pressure and voltage checks, and a wellbeing check every week. You can do the fuel and cleaning before drop-off and let us keep the battery, tires and weekly watching going. You can take every service or just the spot. Your call.
If you are putting a car away for the cold months, the Winter Season Deal covers November through April in one prepaid price. Curious how long a car can safely sit untouched? Read how long a car can sit in storage.