If you have a sports car you don't drive much in the winter, or if you spend winters in a warm climate and leave your car at home, you need to store your car properly so it makes it through the winter without problems. A safe place to keep your vehicle is in a car storage facility. You can rent a car self-storage for the short term or long term during any season of the year, not just winter. Here are tips for using a car storage facility.

Clean Your Car First

It's a good idea to clean your car so dirt and sap won't sit on the paint all winter. Once you have the car in its parking space, you may also want to cover it with a car cover to protect the paint while your car is sitting idle. You should also clean the inside of the car to get rid of odors that might attract pests.

Prepare The Engine

You may want to fill the gas tank and change the oil before storing your car over the winter. Getting rid of dirty oil with debris in it protects your engine from damage. A full gas tank can protect the tank from rust due to condensation. You'll also want to get storage instructions from the facility where you're keeping your car to see what they recommend and prohibit when it comes to keeping your car in a storage unit.

Think About The Tires

If your car rests in the same position for months, the tires might be ruined. You could consider raising your car to take pressure off of the tires, or you might switch your good tires with old ones so it doesn't matter if the tires go bad.

Prevent Problems With Pests

If you place your car in an outdoor self-storage unit, pests are a potential problem. If mice get into your unit, they could invade your car. You don't want to put traps in your unit and close your car up with decaying mice, so it's best to use preventative techniques. Stuff a rag in the muffler so mice can't crawl in the tailpipe. Block all the other entry points that you can.

Don't store anything in the trunk or interior of your car that mice consider food or they might be determined to gnaw their way into your car.

Preparing your car for storage helps it through a long winter of resting in place, but one of the main benefits of using car storage is that your car will be safe and protected so you don't have to worry about vandals or car thieves getting to your car.

To learn more, contact a car storage facility in your area today.