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I have a parking space which is covered by a deep roof but is open on 3 sides. No rain/snow can reach the car and there is very little wind. Apart from giving it a good clean is there anything else I should do to protect during the winter?
Rishi, as it's going to be cold, I would put the car on jack stands or get the cradle tire stops to keep the tires from having very bad flat spots.
All the rest, good oil, and I go with not so much gas in the tank, that way in the spring a few gallons of high test before starting should give you a good chance the engine will run just fine.
Mine is in a heated garage.
1- Still I use a winterizing gas solution with low gas in it like said before
2- keep a low 2 watts battery charger to keep the battery alive.
3- a good breathable / weatherproof car cover is a must for my point of view. Well attached to the car to limit movement or friction.
4- I wax my car before so the cover doesn’t scratch and in spring just rinse and go.
5- I used deodorant (the one that you use in a cloth washing machine from Costco) it keep a fresh smell in the car. No humidity smell.
I agree with all the above. As noted make sure car cover is tight so as not to move around. I have a neighbor who kept his car in a shed plus car cover. A storm blew dirt underneath cover and cut paint so badly it had to be repainted.
I do agree with a dehumidifier as long you are not in a freezing region. Otherwise I would recommand to go at a specialized boating store and buy the canister they generally put in stored boat to remove moisture.
Mouse traps. Not poison bait cus you don’t want them dying in an unknown location and causing a stink you can never find. I have a business where there is three of us total and like 9 trucks. Some don’t get used often and one is literally a plow only truck, parked after last snow storm and started a month before plow season to see what isn’t working. Every November I get the pleasure of hunting down some electrical issue and 9 outta 10 times some mouse or chipmunk decided to build a frickin condominium somewhere in the dash or engine bay and either chewed up wires or used a circuit board/module/unprotected wire connection as a personal bathroom….not kidding I hunted down a parasitic draw for two months once and replaced batteries, alternator, wires, grounds, lightbulbs, start and charge cables and couldn’t figure it out, even with multi meter with clamp pulling fuses one by one. Then one day I had the dash apart and popped the stock radio out for working room and found the four bedroom 2 bathroom condo a mouse built inside the radio and he/she had caused so many shorts and crossovers on my circuit board I threw it in the trash cause it was disgusting and not worth saving. Problem solved and used stock radio back to good. Rodents are pests and can wreak havoc on things, especially when there’s so many areas you can’t see just by looking around. A friend of mine spent almost 2000 dollars at a Lexus dealer when his dashboard went bananas cause a mouse made a home and BIT a wire, didn’t break it but bit it enough to cause high resistance which caused all hell to break loose. Apparently Lexus was using wires that were jacketed in a material that was soy based to be more eco friendly, but only succeeded in making the wire jackets seem like food to rodents.
Thanks for all the tips. I am based in the Netherlands so it should not get too cold.
It is very sheltered from the wind but it is not fully enclosed. I understand how important it is to have the car clean and have a good fitting cover.
Any advice on a good car cover? There seem to be many to choose between with prices from 200-500. I have learnt that simply choosing the most expensive does not always get you the best product.
With my 2006 I used my car covers daily outside and with the winter storage too. I did have different model but so far the best one I found and at the lowest price is the Gold Shield from carcover.com. The extra soft interior as no comparaison even with more expensive one. It fit very tight with the car.
I even bought a second one already because I change my cover after 3 full years of full time usage.
Hey stevis05, I had fought the mice getting into my garage and ruining many items. I tightened up my garage with new overhead doors, but as you know, when the weather turns, they will find a way in. I came across a product on the internet, and thought I'd give it a try. It's called FRESH CAB BOTANICAL RODENT REPELLENT. It comes in a box of 4 pouches. It's a plant-based product. Not wanting to take any chances with Molly (my xk8), I put 1 in the boot,1 on the floor of the rear seat and 1 under the bonnet. Dropped the 4th on the garage floor by the side door. We are now going to be entering our second winter, and so far, no sign of any mice. Also, this product does not emit an unpleasant odor. I don't notice any smell at all after a day or two, but even then, it's not strong or offensive at all. It says that it lasts up to 30 days, but I haven't needed to change mine less than 3 or 4 months. Might want to give it a try, it might work for you.
For the winter
