April 2, 2021
Hello spring! It’s that time of year, the birds are singing, the buds are opening. Ladies and gentleman, it’s almost time to start your engines. Here are our Top 5 tips for bringing your vehicle out of winter storage.
Winter is long and dark. It can be hard to remember exactly what you did when you wrapped up your moto’s for the winter months and the steps you take with your car, boat, bike or summer toy can help set you up for a great summer season!
We thought we would take some of the guesswork out of remembering just what you were doing last October and in celebration of spring, we put together some ways get summer ready for the season ahead!
1. Check the fluids before you start it!
! If you didn’t bother changing the oil, etc. before you put it away and it’s been sitting for months, check the levels before you start it. Change the oils asap after you’ve got the thing running and warmed up and checked for any leaks, etc. For heaven’s sake make sure there’s coolant in it! ‘Some folks’ (none of our personal acquaintances, we promise!) have actually forgotten that they drained things before putting them to sleep!
2. Make sure you check the tires and pressures.
We get it, you are excited, but soft tires aren’t always obvious. If the car hasn’t been driven in months, hopefully it was jacked up with the suspension under load. While not absolutely necessary, raising the car prevents flat spots and discourages critters from entering via the floor. Generally, flat spotted tires can work out with a bit of driving in warmer weather, but it’s always better to not have them in the first place.
3. Remove any coverings.
Make sure any coverings on air intakes, air breathers, filters, etc. are “removed before flight”. Wondering why the thing is like a piece of c**p? Double check to see if you forgot that you put tape or plugs over the carb intakes, etc.
4. Inspect battery(s) and electricals.
Hopefully the battery has been on a maintainer or “trickle-charger” while your beauty sleeps. Batteries will go dead or become really discharged while trying to keep alarm systems, clocks and on-board computer systems powered up over extended periods. Also be sure to carefully inspect all the wiring for damage from critters, especially if you have a newer car with the delicious plant-based plastic insulation. Rodents and other beasties have shown an insatiable appetite for the wiring on many cars and they can do substantial damage, not to mention the damage done when you fire things up and your pride and joy burns to the ground before your very eyes! Oh, and before you start cursing that the battery is dead and there’s nothing happening at all when you flick the switch, if you have a “shut-off” make sure it’s on before trying to revive the thing!
5. Wash & Clean!
There’s nothing like a nice, sudsy shower when you wake up! Oh sorry… we mean it’s always a good idea to get all the dusties and dirties out and off your vehicle before you go for that first ride. One, the thing just looks so much better without six+ months of accumulated dust and grime on it and two, you won’t get your partner’s nice, new summer outfit all covered in clagg when they go to get into the thing! That should *hopefully* score you some points for all the time spent unpacking your baby…uh, beauty.
