It is almost time to remove your vehicle from winter storage since the snow is melting, salt is being removed from the roadways, and the weather is becoming warmer.
Finding a way to get your car back on the road is a thrilling experience, regardless of whether you have a vintage beauty or a favourite daily driver.
Discover the optimal time to remove your vehicle from winter storage, the things that should be inspected on your vehicle before you start it up, and the ways in which Firestone Complete Auto Care can assist you.
1. DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO REMOVE YOUR VEHICLE FROM WINTER STORAGE
Taking your vehicle out of storage over the winter is a situation in which timing is of the utmost importance. It is dependent on the weather conditions in your area as to when the best time would be to put your particular ride back on the road.
Generally speaking, you should wait until the snow danger has gone and road salt is no longer there before you proceed with the project. By doing so, you may assist guarantee that your vehicle will not be exposed to substances that cause rust that are not essential.
2. LOOK INTO YOUR WORKING CONDITIONS
Despite the fact that you may not have been driving your vehicle for the past several months, rats may have transformed your vehicle into a bed and breakfast for the animals.
We regret to inform you that rats are not good renters since they frequently take pleasure in nibbling on the wiring of their homes.
Therefore, before you start your vehicle or even turn the ignition on, you should have a peek under the hood to check if there is anything that appears to be out of the ordinary.
Indicators of possible danger include holes in the air intake ducting or pieces of the wire harness that have been chewed on.
In the event that your vehicle is unable to start, has difficulty starting, or a system is not operating correctly while the vehicle is running, it is imperative that you get a specialist to examine your vehicle as soon as possible.
3. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BREAKAGES
In the event that rodents have made their way into your stored car while you were gone, hose rubber can serve as an excellent alternative food source for them.
To add insult to injury, rubber components such as seals and hoses can be severely damaged by freezing temperatures.
Check any gnawed or broken tubing in a vehicle before starting it after it has been stored for the winter. It is also important to look for leaks, as they are frequently an indication that there is a problem that needs to be fixed.
4. CHECK THE SHAPE OF YOUR BATTERY LIFE
Battery health and charge are extremely important factors to consider when starting vintage automobiles that have been sitting for a long time, or any vehicle for that matter.
You should use a multimeter or a jumper box to check the charge of your vehicle’s battery since a combination of inactivity and cold temperatures may be extremely detrimental to the battery.
A completely charged battery should give the multimeter a reading of 12.6 volts when it is connected to a fully charged battery, unless your vehicle has a six-volt battery.
If your car is unable to start on its own, it is possible that your battery will need to be recharged or replaced if it does not start on its own.
The use of a battery maintainer is a helpful tip that may help reduce the danger of harm to your car when it is being stored for extended periods of time.
They serve to retain the battery’s charge during extended periods of storage and provide a trickle-charge to the battery.
5. CHECK THE TYRES ON YOUR CAR
Be sure to inspect your tyres for deflation and flat patches that may have developed as a result of lengthy storage before you go on your first drive after the winter season.
If the air pressure in your tyres is low, you should try to bring them up to the levels advised by the manufacturer.
This advice is often located on the door jamb of the driver’s side and can be found there. In the event that your tyres have acquired flat patches, you should bring them to your neighbourhood Firestone and have the experts examine them.
It is conceivable that you will be able to prevent flat-spotting the next time you put your car away for the winter by re-parking your vehicle every couple of weeks or by placing it on jackstands.
Tip: If you have separate sets of tyres for the winter and summer, which is something that we commonly recommend, then you should make sure to follow our instructions to storing tyres between the seasons! Bridgestone Potenza tyres, which are available in both all-season and summer variants, are a good option to consider if you do not presently have tyres that are designed for a certain season.
6. CONSIDER CHECKING THE BRAKE PADS:
To ensure that your brake pads are in good condition, you should inspect them when you are examining your tyres (if they are visible through the wheel spokes). Check to see that they still have a significant amount of stuff on them.
You should take your car in for servicing as soon as possible if you experience any anomalies while driving or if your brake pads appear to be short on material.
It is important to make sure that the parking brake is released before putting your vehicle away for an extended length of time.
Corrosion can “weld” the parking brake pad(s) to the surfaces of your rotor(s) if you mistakenly leave your parking brake engaged. This can result in a parking brake that is stuck or sticky.
7. CHECK THE FLUIDS AND TAKE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT AS REQUIRED
Your vehicle’s health and performance are directly correlated to the fluid levels in your vehicle. Always make sure that the levels of your coolant, engine oil, brake fluid, gearbox fluid and power steering fluid are all checked.
In the event that you discover that any of the fluids are very low, you should replenish them and check for leaks once again.
A lot of people are curious about whether it is better to replace the oil before winter storage or after winter storage. In preparation for the winter season, we strongly suggest that you change your oil before storing your vehicle.
Combustion byproducts can be prevented from causing damage to your engine during the months when it is not being used by doing so.
In the event that you did not replace the oil in your vehicle before putting it away for storage, doing so now can assist in maintaining the vehicle’s overall health.
8. GET YOUR CAR STARTED
Now that everything has been taken care of, it is time to start your automobile! It might be difficult to start an automobile after it has been stored for the winter, but the following advice can make the process go more smoothly:
PUMP THE GAS PETROL PEDAL.
To get your vehicle to start, try giving the gas pedal a couple of pumps if it is cranking but not starting otherwise.
This allows for the manual squirting of gasoline into the carburetor of older automobiles. The additional gasoline might provide your car with the vital “oomph” that it needs in order to start.
Be careful not to press the pedal too many times if your vehicle is equipped with a carburetor, since doing so will cause the carburetor to become flooded with gasoline, which will prevent combustion from occurring.
It is possible that you may need to wait up to an hour for the fuel to drain or evaporate spontaneously due to the fact that you have flooded your carburetor.
LET YOUR CAR GO TO AN OFF STATE.
You should let your vehicle idle for a few of minutes after you have started it so that it can warm up. Your engine and gearbox will be grateful to you for doing this.
Take your vehicle out for a spin around the neighbourhood after it has reached the desired temperature. This will help you start things flowing again.