3 common myths when storing your car

Storing your car can be a daunting task, with a wealth of information on storing cars, how can you weed out the false information? Here at Stop and Store Squamish we can help you. We know that many people in the Squamish area choose to store their cars with us over the harsh winter months.

1. Deflating your tires

Now, every seasoned mechanic will tell you, you must deflate your tires when storing for a long period of time. This is to prevent warping and bubbling of the tires. Key world here was “seasoned”, yes it’s true that long ago you needed to deflate tires when storing, however, now with modern tires there is absolutely no need to deflate tires. The materials used to make modern-day tires can more than handle sitting for months, even years. This is one of the most common car storage myths.

2. Draining your fluids

Many mechanics will tell you to drain your car’s fluids like oil and coolant. Please do not do this, your engine has rubber seals that need to stay lubricated or they will dry and crack, causing costly repairs. The oil keeps the seals lubricated and prevents crack. If you do anything, perform an oil change before you store. Another one of the myths when it comes to car storage.

3. Starting your car every week

Most will say to start your car up for a few minutes every week or so, to keep the fluids moving. However, this causes wear on the engine parts, when a car sits, the oil collects at the bottom of the engine. Starting it up for a few minutes won’t give the oil enough to properly circulate and will result in engine parts wearing against each other. Unless you plan to take your car for a real drive, let it sit.

Stop and Store Squamish can help with any of your automotive storage needs anytime of year.