We love to drive our vehicles in Reading, Sinking Springs, Wyomissing, Myerstown, Womelsdorf, Robesonia, PA, and the surrounding areas, but there are times when a car or truck will need to sit for long periods of time, whether that is for storage purposes, a medical issue, or another reason. Stubbs Insurance Agency understands that this happens from time to time, and when it does, there are some steps that you should take to make sure that when you are ready to drive it again, your vehicle will start up without any issues. Short-term storage of a week or two really won’t do any harm to a vehicle, and it should start up with much issue. It is the longer periods of time that can cause issues and must be planned and prepared for, otherwise it could result in an expensive towing and repair bill. Contact us today to learn more about storing a vehicle for the long-term, as well as to review your auto insurance needs.
What Degrades Over Time
There are several parts to a vehicle that start to degrade over time and can cause issues with long-term storage. Fuel is pretty stable in the short term, but after about a month or so it can start to mix with oxygen and degrade. There are fuel additives that will dramatically extend the life of your fuel and ensure your vehicle will fire up when you need it to. Your battery is another important part of the vehicle that must be put on a charger if you want it to have enough power to crank the engine.
Consider washing your vehicle before putting it away for long periods of time. This will remove grease and grime, and inhibit rust from expanding. It is also a good idea to cover your vehicle when it is stored, even when stored in a garage. You can also put the vehicle up on ‘blocks’ to prevent deformation of the tires.
Other Dos and Don’ts
If you follow the above steps and other long-term storage suggestions, you will not need to start and run the vehicle until you remove it from storage. If you do start the vehicle, it is important that it remains fully operational for at least 10 to 15 minutes, and ideally would be driven to reach speeds above 50 miles per hour. Don’t drop your auto insurance while the vehicle is in storage; instead, talk with your agent about adjusting your auto insurance for the length of time that it will not be driven.
Storing your vehicle in Reading, Sinking Springs, Wyomissing, Myerstown, Womelsdorf, Robesonia, PA, and the surrounding areas is common for a variety of reasons, however, it is important that you store it properly to avoid issues when you are ready to drive it again. At Stubbs Insurance Agency, we can help you to properly store your vehicle and ensure that you have the right auto insurance coverage for when it is stored as well as when it is ready to be driven again. Contact us today to learn more and review your car insurance needs.