Business Sense. ERIE Stories. Social Responsibility. Do I need auto insurance for a car in storage? How long can you park your car without driving it? However, the negative effects of time on an undriven vehicle can be observed sooner than you may think: Fuel: Did you know that gasoline can go bad?
This process begins after about 30 days. And it only takes three-to-six months for a tank of gas to go bad. No driving means no charging — and a dead battery. Because rust requires water to form, damp conditions will often lead to rusted metal. And chemicals, like the salt used on winter roads, accelerate the process. You can expect bare metal to start forming surface rust in less than a week.
The more time your vehicle is left unprotected, the deeper the rust can form. Tires: When your car sits stationary for a long period of time, flat spots can start to form in the tires. Essentially, the tires develop a type of memory that prevents them from being completely round. This phenomenon causes vibration when you drive the car after storage.
In many cases, driving a car for a while after storage can remove the flat spots. But often, the damage can be permanent, requiring a new set of rubber. Belts and Hoses: As rubber components age, they can start to dry out and crack. Because drivers are accustomed to replacing most vehicle parts based on mileage, they may neglect to inspect their belts and hoses.
But when a vehicle is in storage, these parts may need to be replaced in as little as three-to-five years. Pests: For that mouse in your garage, a parked car can become a ready-made home. And when they move in, mice can do major damage to a vehicle — chewing wires, plastic and insulation to build their nest. Rodents can move in overnight. Tires flatten because, despite all the technological advancements made over the years, they are no match for Mother Nature and Father Time!
Untended tires can gradually:. Inflate each tire to the correct level while inspecting it for visible signs of wear. Finally, depending on how long the car sat, consider making your first stop your local Firestone Complete Auto Care for tire inspection, repair, or replacement. It can be easy to spot severely under-inflated or flat tires. The vehicle needs to run regularly to charge the battery.
Without the alternator running, the battery will slowly lose charge over time. If available, you could also use a portable battery pack. Get a free battery test from your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care. We'll replace your worn-out battery with a new one if necessary. Moisture can collect in the gas tank over time. Additionally, the molecular composition of other fluids can break down over time, and your vehicle's hoses and gaskets can even dry out, weaken, or fail, causing the fluids to leak out.
What To Do : Inspect the area underneath your vehicle for any signs of leaking. Pop the hood to look for any cracked hoses or failed gaskets.
Head to your local Firestone Complete Auto Care for a thorough vehicle inspection and expert fluid exchange services.
So all of that leads me to think, how long can I let my car sit? If you have not taken the steps to prepare it for long term dormancy, you should never let your car sit for longer than a month without starting it up for at least 10 minutes.
If you let your car sit, parts of your car will start breaking down and will eventually cause issues. Too many times I have let my car sit for much longer than it should have, which caused other problems that I had to deal with. Such things include gaskets and seals becoming brittle, flat and brittle tires, drained battery, gummed up fuel, rust, and engine oil deteriorating. There are a lot of other things that can happen, but these are the main ones to be concerned about.
Gaskets and seals are an extremely important component to a car. Without them, there would be leaks all over the place and your car would cease to function because it would run out of fluid very quickly. But if you let a rubber band just sit, it becomes brittle and will snap at any little pull. They get cracks and holes and will eventually get flat spots because air is escaping from the cracks.
Believe it or not, it is actually possible for your gasoline to go bad. If gas is not held in an air-tight container which a car gas tank is not air tight , the oxygen reacts with the gas and destabilizes it and causes it to become a gel-like material. You may also notice a bad smell coming from your gas tank. If your gas becomes like this, it becomes unusable and you may not even be able to start your car. Regularly driving your car actually prevents, or slows down, the formation of rust.
This is because when cars are stationary, the oxygen and iron have a way better chance of reacting and creating rust as compared to high speed environments when the car is in motion. Some cars, however, have an anti-siphon mechanism making this process impossible.
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