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Winter can be tough for drivers in a variety of ways. From commuting nightmares to not being able to commute at all, winter is surely no fun. For others with prized autos, winter can try your patience like none other. It can be very tempting to take your auto out of storage at various points, but you know better. But what about when spring actually comes around and you can once again drive your prized possession? What should you do to ensure that the long winter layoff has no ill effects on your special auto? Follow these tips and you surely will have nothing to worry about.
Gasoline Drainage
This first step is completely up to you. If you stored your prized auto with a full or half tank of gas, you probably added fuel stabilizer. If you find that fuel stabilizer works best, keep doing what works best for you. However, if you stored your auto without adding any fuel stabilizer and there is old gasoline in the system, it is probably best that you flush out your fuel system and fill up with some fresh fuel.
Coolant Drainage
Coolants aren’t what they used to be in the sense that they are far more advanced than most of us think. These days, coolants have anti-corrosion chemicals added to help ensure that various components of your cooling system stay clean and rust free. However, if you your prized auto is a bit older and hasn’t had any line or radiator replacements in a while, chances are a bit of rust has developed. Being that these anti-corrosive chemicals have been sitting around for a few months, they have probably done their job and removed a fair amount of rust and that is rust you do not want going through your motor. So go ahead and flush out the cooling system and add a fresh 50-50 mix to play it safe.
Oil And Battery
Even if you just changed the oil in your prized auto before you stored it away for the winter, it is probably a good idea to change the oil once again. Especially in older autos, you never know what could have collected in the oil (i.e. water or metal shavings), so get a new oil filter and change the oil out. As far as your battery goes, if you think it is still in good shape, give it a quick charge before you plan to fire your auto up.
Pistons And Brakes
If you have left your car silent throughout the entire winter, it is a good idea to remove the spark plugs and squirt in a bit of upper cylinder lubricant. The idea behind this is to ensure that no piston rings are stuck. Better safe than sorry in my opinion. In terms of brakes, it is a good idea to ensure that they are working before you get going! Ensure that there is proper pressure on the brake pedal and if there isn’t, take a look at the cylinders to ensure that the lines haven’t corroded. If that doesn’t do the trick, change your brake fluid. Brake fluid is known to absorb a lot of water, which can be dangerous. If you are unsure of your brake fluid even though everything works fine, change it out to be on the safe side. Even though tedious as times, it is vital.
Miscellaneous
Even though these miscellaneous items may seem like common sense, you can never be in too much of a rush to get your favourite auto back on the road. First, check your tire pressures. Depending on where you stored your vehicle, the temperature may vary throughout the winter and this variation can lead to pressure changes in your tires. Obviously, if a tire is flat, fill it up! If a tire has become over-inflated throughout the winter, drain it down to an adequate pressure. Second, do not overlook your air filter, especially if you did not change it out or clean it before storage. Chances are nothing major became lodged in the air filter during storage, but it is always a good idea to give it a visual inspection before firing up the auto. Finally, it is always a good idea to check over any parts of the vehicle I haven’t gone over. I am not talking about tearing it apart or anything like that, but rather, just a quick visual inspection to ensure that everything is in good working order before you get out on the road.
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