The problem seems paradoxical only at first glance. Upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that it cannot be otherwise. Despite the high price of the car and its repair, there is extremely little literature on its preservation published in the country. Abandoned to the mercy of fate, the owner of the car is by no means burdened with knowledge in this area. And in most cases, he believes that a car locked in a garage or, at worst, covered with a cover, is already protected. And if an additional layer of mastic is applied on the bottom and nigrol is poured into the thresholds, then there is nothing to worry about at all. Unfortunately, as experience shows, independently developed views in best case are ineffective and often even harmful.
But - more to the point. What are the most important factors affecting the safety passenger car?
Mileage, service life and seasonality, storage conditions and climate, care. All of them are interconnected. But if people like climate do not depend on us, then seasonality, storage conditions and maintenance are subject to us to one degree or another, and therefore, they allow us to influence the durability of the machine.
With seasonality, everything is clear. If you want to use the car longer - give up driving at an unfavorable time of the year. By the way, the old cars of the Volga GAZ-21 times served for a long time because the difficulties winter operation kept from her.
Let's agree that by storage conditions we mean temperature environment, humidity, precipitation and other effects on the car, under care - washing the body and engine compartment, coating treatment, cleaning .
It may seem that everything is clear with storage conditions and care: what better car isolated from precipitation, sun and wind, the more often it is washed, the better. However, let's not rush to conclusions. To begin with, remember that with an annual run of 15,000 kilometers, it is in motion for only about 300 hours, which means less than an hour a day! And the rest of the time it stands: in a warm or cold garage, under a canopy, in an open area under a cover or without it.
Advantages warm garage no need to describe: at any time of the year you get into a dry car, you can easily start the engine; excellent conditions, if the size of the garage allows, for minor and even major repairs, maintenance, etc.
What about disadvantages? The main one is a continuation of the virtues (or its reverse side, if you want to). The higher the year-round temperature, the worse. With its growth, the aging of protective coatings and the process of metal corrosion, if they are damaged, are more intensive. Further. Externally, a dry car is not at all dry. In the vast majority of cases, ventilation in such garages is insufficient to dry all hard-to-reach hollow parts of the body in a short time. If you arrive at the garage during or after rain, it is safe to say that the interior surfaces of the hollow body parts will remain wet for many days and weeks.
The car especially suffers when stored in such a garage in winter after returning from the street. Because of sharp drop temperatures, both the outer and inner surfaces of the body are covered with dew, which falls from the relatively wetter warm air garage. This process is similar to what we observe when dishes taken out of the refrigerator are fogged up. The amount of condensed moisture directly depends on the temperature difference and can be very significant. In some cases, damp patches can be observed on the floor around the perimeter of the body after a few minutes, as if the car was put in the garage immediately after washing. Outside, it dries in a few hours. And those liters of water that did not leak onto the floor from the hollow body elements remain there until the next trip. In addition, the smaller, as it dries, the area is occupied by a damp area inside the body, the more intense the corrosion process is in this area.
Only very laborious, carefully thought out anti-corrosion treatment, By different reasons inaccessible to most motorists, can neutralize the negative effects of storing a car in a warm garage. If you do not regularly take special measures, then, as evidenced by the experience of storage official cars Volzhsky automobile plant in heated garages, the bodies receive through corrosion damage already at the beginning of the third year of operation and last four, maximum five years before decommissioning.
It should be noted that the data given now and in the following refer to vehicles manufactured without the use of pre-coated steels, although in transport department plant, there was no sharp difference between the models in terms of corrosion resistance.
It is for the reasons mentioned here that it is better not to leave a warm garage in winter without extreme need.
A cold garage in this sense is even somewhat preferable. However, in the off-season and in it, the processes that were discussed proceed quite noticeably, since when the car enters, the cooling motor and body give off heat to the surrounding small volume of air and the garage becomes warm for some time. Until the car freezes in it, the corrosion process will continue in wet places. And therefore, in a cold garage, a car sometimes rots in five years.
Of all the possible storage places, it is preferable to keep the car under a ventilated canopy. In addition to being protected from precipitation there, this type of parking has greatest benefits because wet car here it dries relatively quickly, and in the cold season, the heated parts of it quickly cool down to negative temperatures, at which corrosion stops.
Open parking, especially in winter, looks depressing: cars covered with snow, cold, windy. Not without reason, emphasizing a bad attitude towards things, they say "thrown in the open." But, contrary to popular belief, outdoor parking is far from the most bad place for long-term car storage.
As well as under a canopy, the car cools down quickly in the parking lot, it is well ventilated. The coloring and most of the exterior parts are designed for long-term exposure to solar radiation and natural precipitation. However, the owner of the car has more trouble in this case.
The main disadvantage is the insecurity of the car from deposition on the body of dew containing harmful substances from the atmosphere, as well as freezing on windows and horizontal panels of snow and ice. After heavy or prolonged rains, water may appear inside the car - which means that you need to constantly monitor the condition of the floor under the rugs and in other places, find and eliminate micro-leaks, the number of which increases with the age of the car.
Often seen on open parking cars covered with covers. This seemingly obvious measure of protection, oddly enough, has more disadvantages than advantages. The latter is that the cover protects the body from atmospheric precipitation, freezing of snow and ice. However, after some time, the cover may cause indelible colored spots to appear on the outer coating. This happens because the case itself, after prolonged use and repeated wetting, is impregnated with chemicals precipitated from the atmosphere. The concentration of these substances in the moisture that impregnates the fabric of the cover when it gets wet changes and, as the water evaporates, it necessarily reaches such a value that even car enamel cannot resist this evil solution. The whole question is only in the time the cover stays in this state. If it is large enough, the texture of the cover is imprinted on the most prominent places on the body and this pattern can only be removed mechanically or by repainting.
In windy weather, the cover wears off the paint and can cause blisters in the paintwork, which are especially likely to form in summer. Imagine that a thunderstorm has passed on a hot day. The cover and partially the car under it, of course, got wet. Then the sun reappeared. Soon the temperature under a wet and, especially, a dark cover at 100% humidity will rise by several tens of degrees. Under these conditions, moisture penetrates to the metal through any the smallest damage coatings that are always on the front surfaces of the body. A localized corrosion center develops between the layers of paint and the metal, and since the products of this process take up more space than the components from which they were formed, the body coating rises in bubbles.
Let us dwell in particular on the processes associated with the fallout from the atmosphere of various kinds of chemicals, which, one way or another, affect the durability of the coating and the body as a whole.
Most often, the so-called red rash makes itself felt. Discovered on paintwork small rusty-red dots and streaks, many believe that “local corrosion” of the body associated with bad quality metal. These fears are completely unfounded. A careful observer will notice that the rash is located only on the horizontal surfaces of the body. But it is impossible to make the roof, hood and horizontal sections of the wings from defective metal, and the vertical sections of the same parts from normal. In addition, since the outer coating of the body is three-layered (two primers and enamel) and its thickness is more than 70-80 microns, it is unbelievable that metal corrosion products could penetrate into some hypothetical pores without lifting the entire coating with a bubble.
The rash is caused by metal particles falling out of the atmosphere. Settling in calm weather on the surface of the body ( heavy rain they are washed away), they begin to corrode and adhere tightly to the body when dew or light rain falls. Usually after a few good washes the rash disappears. If not, you can wash it off with a 5% solution of oxalic acid.
Complaints about corrosion of the outer seams of the car are not uncommon. What's the matter here? After some time of operation, the mastic sealing the outer side of the joints body parts, cracks, and corrosion products protrude from there. This is most often seen on white cars, where rusty moisture leaking is more noticeable. Reason - winter riding on rough, icy roads. Due to the mutual movement of parts (the body "breathes"), the cold mastic cracks. This in itself is not dangerous. But the salt solution gets into the cracks, causing corrosion. You can fight this by smearing the seams with a heated Movil-type preservative and then wiping the surface with a rag.
The order and frequency of care are of great importance for the safety of the car. We turn Special attention on the word "order" - it is the key here.
Here is an example. There is a popular belief that a car should be washed before putting it in the garage. If we always followed this practice, a washed wet shirt would first have to be put in a closet, and dried only when going out. During washing, water penetrates between the windows and seals in the door cavities and other joints of the body. In addition, in almost any, especially a used, car, due to the loss of elasticity of the seals during washing, accompanied by a large influx of water, leaks and micro-leaks occur, which do not happen while driving and in the heaviest rain.
No matter how dirty the car is during the trip, the hollow body cavities, which necessarily have drainage holes, are blown through with air pressure. In a garage, under a shed or in a parking lot, such a car dries out faster than after washing, since most of the water is removed from it in the process of movement. In the garage, to speed up drying, it is advisable to leave it with the windows down. From what has been said, it is clear that it is necessary to wash the car before the trip, and the longer it is, the better.
However, not everything is clear-cut here either. If the car is used year-round, kept warm and does not have time to dry or freeze to negative temperatures for the next trip, it is better to wash it before putting it in the garage to remove dirt that delays the drying of individual cavities and parts, and in winter - salt stuck with snow.
Another one important detail. During prolonged use of the car, especially on dusty and sandy roads, hollow body elements are clogged with dust. Being inside doors, thresholds and other box elements, dust readily absorbs moisture and retains it for a long time, creating ideal conditions for a quick appearance. through corrosion. The need for its removal can be easily determined by the owner of the machine himself, and as for the method, then, apparently, the most accessible is flushing the cavities with a jet of water from a hose inserted through technological holes usually closed with caps. In this case, you must first clean the drainage holes, which are provided for by the design.
After washing, it is desirable to dry the cavities compressed air, in extreme cases - to drive a car as far as possible. It is desirable to combine such operations with the re-treatment of the body with conservation compounds.
And the last. Often you have to talk to people who, at the sight of even an insignificant center of corrosion, panic, assure specialists in anti-corrosion protection that nothing is now able to stop the process that has begun. From the point of view of a specialist, such a dramatization is similar to claims against a garment factory that a shirt got dirty during wearing. The car is protected from corrosion only by primers and paint, which cannot but be damaged during movement when exposed to pebbles and body deformations. If this happens, the damage must be eliminated. Just like washing a soiled shirt.
The life of the car depends entirely on how the owner will monitor it. We will try to tell you how to keep the car in good condition on for a long time. Some tips will even help you cut down on your car costs.
Body:
1. Washing. In order to preserve the appearance of the car, it is recommended to process body parts after washing liquid wax. Wax clogs microscopic pores in the varnish and prevents the penetration of dirt into the car coating. When the car is washed in a non-contact way, after the foam is washed off, small particles and grains of sand remain on the body, which are rubbed into the surface while wiping the body with a rag. After a while, the surface of the car body becomes rough and with each wash the situation gets worse and worse. It will be possible to cure the car only with the help of polishing with preliminary cleaning of the small pores of the varnish. If the surface after polishing is applied with a special protective covering, then for an indefinite time you can refuse wax. The length of time you can stop waxing depends on the type of coverage. For example, liquid glass will be able to keep the surface of your car for a year and a half.
2. It is advisable not to install deflectors ("Flycatchers") and not to glue stickers. Over time, sand and other small debris begin to accumulate under the fasteners of the deflectors, which causes irreparable damage to the car body.
However, sometimes these same deflectors help to avoid the formation of cracks on the glass and on the edge of the bumper, from small stones flying out from under the wheels of the car in front. If you still decide to install a deflector, then you should come to terms with the fact that it will remain in its place forever, well, or until the first painting of the body.
3. If you have dents on your car, then, if possible, try to get rid of them without painting works. The fact is that it is not possible to perfectly match the paint to the color of your car, and then you will have to paint neighboring parts. Even if the color was chosen correctly during painting, then after painting work the difference will be noticeable by shagreen, and on a car painted “metallic” by grain. You can get rid of a dent without painting at many services.
Read also: HOW TO WASH THE HEADLIGHTS FROM THE INSIDE
4. Headlights. Because due to environmental requirements, according to which during production should be used, if possible, only those materials that can be reused after disposal and processing, car headlights are made of plastic. A special varnish is applied to the headlights. After polishing, the varnish layer is erased and the plastic on the headlights becomes cloudy. To avoid this, it is worth protecting it with "armored film".
5. Interior. In order to save the seats, it is not necessary to put covers on them, since the seats are also wiped under them, as well as without them. The only good thing about them is that the seats don't get dirty with them, however, now there are a lot of chemistry, so you can wipe off any dirt. In addition, it is more pleasant to ride without covers.
6. Installation of accessories must be carried out with the idea that someday you will have to dismantle it. Since it is not very pleasant to see traces of self-tapping screws on the "torpedo".
7. The interior will always be clean if the owner of the car keeps order. And rugs will help keep order. It is advisable to buy rubber mats, as they better protect the car from dirt and dust, besides, they are easier to clean.
In order for the car body to serve you for a very long time, read the article on our website, which will tell you how to properly care for the car body.
Vehicle maintenance:
1. If you replace the wipers during the time, then you can protect the glass from scratches.
2. During replacement brake pads ask the master how he smears the guides. If he answers that “CV joint, Litol or graphite”, then it is advisable to change the master. The answer might be "special brake caliper grease" or "Multipurpose grease of blue color”, Simply put, blue grease is Phenol for crosses. During operation disc brakes, very often there is a "welding" of Ferodo on the edge brake disc. It is necessary to remove the discs and with a hammer and beat off these "welds". In 70% of cases, they are the cause of the hum that occurs during braking on high speed and rudder vibration. They are formed by poor maintenance of brake calipers, when the guides are not serviced at all, or smeared with poor grease. It is worth paying special attention to this problem, since on many cars older than 3 years brake calipers begin to "sick" this "disease". The hubs start to get very hot, the bearings slowly die, and the car starts to slow down very badly. Also, don't spill brake fluid above the set level, this leads to wedging of the brakes.
Read also: Tips for buying discs
3. Do not neglect the rule that you need to change the brake fluid once every 5 years. The fact is that old fluid may boil.
4. It is advisable to find out the timing when it is necessary to change the timing system and drive belts, specifically on your car. This operation will take less time than repairing the engine.
5. Do not use different additives for engines. Oil manufacturers in production use additives that have already been tested by experiments. Bad additives clog oil channels in the engine, and because of this, it starts to overheat and break down.
6. automatic boxes gears do not like to start abruptly, skid and drive for a long time on high speed. Since the oil starts to burn out and needs to be replaced, otherwise your gearbox will die. You can understand that you need to change the oil simply by dropping the oil on white and Blank sheet paper, if after the oil has absorbed a black dot remains, then it’s not enough time to change. Also, the oil that has been burned smells burnt oil, as it is not strange.
7. Suspension. It is about the suspension that they most often deceive at car services. If you have a knock somewhere on the left or right, then the strut supports are dead. If it starts knocking on absolutely any bumps, then the racks themselves have died, if it knocks only at low speed and on smooth bumps, then it’s worth replacing the stabilizer struts. - lever blocks, or spherical bearing. If during the movement the knock begins to give into the steering wheel, then you should pay attention to the steering rods or tips (in this case, knocks will appear when the steering wheel is turned). But, you will find out a more accurate version of the appearance of knocks only by inspecting the car.
The life of the car depends entirely on how the owner will monitor it. We will try to tell you how to keep the car in good condition for a long time. Some tips will even help you cut down on your car costs.
Body:
1. Washing. In order to preserve the appearance of the car, it is recommended to treat body parts with liquid wax after washing. Wax clogs microscopic pores in the varnish and prevents the penetration of dirt into the car coating. When the car is washed in a non-contact way, after the foam is washed off, small particles and grains of sand remain on the body, which are rubbed into the surface while wiping the body with a rag. After a while, the surface of the car body becomes rough and with each wash the situation gets worse and worse. It will be possible to cure the car only with the help of polishing with preliminary cleaning of the small pores of the varnish. If a special protective coating is applied to the surface after polishing, then for an indefinite time you can refuse wax. The length of time you can stop waxing depends on the type of coverage. For example, liquid glass can keep the surface of your car for a year and a half.2. It is advisable not to install deflectors ("Flycatchers") and not to glue stickers. Over time, sand and other small debris begin to accumulate under the fasteners of the deflectors, which causes irreparable damage to the car body.
However, sometimes these same deflectors help to avoid the formation of cracks on the glass and on the edge of the bumper, from small stones flying out from under the wheels of the car in front. If you still decide to install a deflector, then you should come to terms with the fact that it will remain in its place forever, well, or until the first painting of the body.
3. If you have dents on your car, then if possible try to get rid of them without painting. The fact is that it is not possible to perfectly match the paint to the color of your car, and then you will have to paint neighboring parts. Even if the color was chosen correctly during painting, then after painting work the difference will be noticeable by shagreen, and on a car painted “metallic” by grain. You can get rid of a dent without painting at many services.
4. Headlights. Since, due to environmental requirements, during production, as far as possible, only those materials that can be reused after disposal and processing should be used, car headlights are made of plastic. A special varnish is applied to the headlights. After polishing, the varnish layer is erased and the plastic on the headlights becomes cloudy. To avoid this, it is worth protecting it with "armored film".
5. Interior. In order to save the seats, it is not necessary to put covers on them, since the seats are also wiped under them, as well as without them. The only good thing about them is that the seats don't get dirty with them, however, now there are a lot of chemistry, so you can wipe off any dirt. In addition, it is more pleasant to ride without covers.
6. Installation of accessories must be carried out with the idea that someday you will have to dismantle it. Since it is not very pleasant to see traces of self-tapping screws on the "torpedo".
7. The interior will always be clean if the owner of the car keeps order. And rugs will help keep order. It is advisable to buy rubber mats, as they better protect the car from dirt and dust, and besides, they are easier to clean.
Vehicle maintenance:
1. If you replace the wipers during the time, then you can protect the glass from scratches.
2. During the replacement of brake pads, ask the master how he smears the guides. If he answers that “CV joint, Litol or graphite”, then it is advisable to change the master. The answer may be - "special smear for brake calipers" or "Blue multipurpose grease", in other words, blue grease is "Phenol" for crosspieces.
During the operation of disc brakes, it is very common for Ferodo to “weld” on the edge of the brake disc. It is necessary to remove the discs and with a hammer and beat off these "welds". In 70% of cases, they are the cause of the hum during braking at high speed and the beating of the steering wheel. They are formed by poor maintenance of brake calipers, when the guides are not serviced at all, or smeared with poor grease.
It is worth paying special attention to this problem, since on many cars older than 3 years old brake calipers begin to “ache” this “disease”. The hubs start to get very hot, the bearings slowly die, and the car starts to slow down very badly. In addition, do not pour the brake fluid above the prescribed level, this leads to wedging of the brakes.
3. Do not neglect the rule that you need to change the brake fluid once every 5 years. The fact is that the old liquid can boil.
4. It is advisable to find out the timing when it is necessary to change the timing system and drive belts, specifically on your car. This operation will take less time than repairing the engine.
5. Do not use different additives for engines. Oil manufacturers in production use additives that have already been tested by experiments. Bad additives clog the oil passages in the engine, causing it to overheat and break down.
6. Automatic transmissions do not like to start abruptly, skid and drive for a long time at high speed. Since the oil starts to burn out and needs to be replaced, otherwise your gearbox will die. You can understand that you need to change the oil simply by dropping the oil on a white and clean sheet of paper, if after the oil has been absorbed a black dot remains, then it’s not enough time to change. Also, the oil that has been burned smells like burnt oil, which is strange.
7. Suspension. It is about the suspension that they most often deceive at car services. If you have a knock somewhere on the left or right, then the strut supports are dead. If it starts knocking on absolutely any bumps, then the racks themselves have died, if it knocks only at low speed and on smooth bumps, then it’s worth replacing the stabilizer struts. - lever blocks, or ball joint. If during the movement the knock begins to give into the steering wheel, then you should pay attention to the steering rods or tips (in this case, knocks will appear when the steering wheel is turned). But, you will find out a more accurate version of the appearance of knocks only by inspecting the car.
8. Air conditioning. Turn on the air conditioner at least once a month. Such a simple action will help you extend the life of the compressor. In addition to the refrigerant, it also contains grease, which is designed to lubricate the moving parts of the compressor.
9. It is advisable to drive with the cooling/heating fan running. This will help you get rid of dampness and foggy windows in the car.
10. Change spark plugs in time. Otherwise, you will have to change the ignition coil or switch with wires. More problems with native electronics does not arise. Problems appear only in additional equipment such as an alarm.
11. Tires. It is worth monitoring tire pressure and tread height. It will cut braking distances. Also, if outside the window the temperature is below +5, then it is worth "changing shoes" for winter tires.
08.01.2016
In big cities, the problem of parking has been around for decades. People have to keep their iron horses» under the windows of houses or in paid parking lots. The question of a quality garage is a dream at all. Garage cooperatives, if they exist, are located outside the city or very far from home. In this case, one has to look for alternatives and proceed from current situation. The only question is how to keep the car without a garage so that it will last you as long as possible. Here we will deal with this in more detail.
Outdoor storage
In the absence of a garage, the car remains in the open. This can be dangerous if you do not follow a number of simple rules:
1. Use covers. Today there are many quality cases that can reliably protect the body from various problems (sunlight, rain or even hail). But here it is important to choose the right product. The main requirement for a case is water resistance. If it gets wet, and then also freezes to the body in winter, then there will be no problems. New scratches and swelling will definitely appear on the paintwork, and obvious manifestations of corrosion will appear on the body itself. So the cover is more suitable for storage in warm seasons.
If you still use the cover in winter, then make sure that it does not adhere to the car body. There are special props that allow you to form a special "pillow". In this case, the coating reliably protects the car and does not harm it.
2. Follow the safety rules when storing in the yard. For many people, the only way out is to leave their "iron horses" right under the house. So the cars “languish” all year round in anticipation of the next trip of their owners. To keep your car out of trouble, consider a few simple tips:
- Do not park your car under large trees. The weather is unpredictable and the wind can pick up at any moment. Strong gusts can, at a minimum, cut off large branches and “throw” onto the body of your car. The result is scratches or serious dents that require repair and financial investments. In the worst case, the tree can be uprooted, and then its trunk will take its rightful place in the cabin. It is enough to look through the pictures on the Internet to be convinced of the frequency of such phenomena. It is impossible to exclude the action of lightning, which also hits trees and literally “tears off” branches or larger parts from them. Of course, it is very difficult to completely protect yourself from such a phenomenon (especially if the yard is completely planted with trees), but it is necessary to take into account the danger;
- Stay as far away from garbage cans as possible. Many motorists park their car directly next to garbage disposal sites. As a rule, near such sites there is always a free site. But such storage can end badly for your car. Debris may fly out of the tank during cleaning and hit the vehicle. As in the previous case, a strong wind also carries a danger, which is capable of lifting rather large and heavy objects;
- Do not park your car directly under the windows. There are motorists who literally “prop up” their house with a car. This is really convenient, especially if you live on the ground floor and the car is right under the window. But where is the guarantee that the neighbors from above or their guests are clean and responsible people. Garbage bags, cigarette butts, empty bottles and other items flying out of windows are a common occurrence in big cities. All this can easily be on the body and damage it. Searching for the guilty if the house has more than five floors is a very thankless task. Such storage is especially dangerous in winter. The reason is a lot of icicles or piles of snow on the roof. These factors should not be underestimated. A relatively small icicle can severely damage the metal lining of your car, and restoration will result in a pretty penny. As for the pile of snow, having fallen from high altitude, it can severely wrinkle the roof of your car;
- Avoid water and gas pressure points, switchboards and other important objects. Often there are situations when the car literally props up the doors of the electricity distribution board or blocks the entrance to an important facility. In the event of an accident (especially if it happens at night), a car standing in the way can create a lot of problems for workers emergency services. Here they will also make them guilty;
- Set an alarm. If the car is stored in an open area and is not guarded in any way, then this option is required. The task of the alarm system is not only to perform the main function (protection against theft), but also to effectively save from hooligans who want to get into the salon. In addition, the alarm is able to protect against theft of wheels. The main thing is to set the sensitivity correctly so that the system does not howl from a light breath of wind, but at the same time feels attempts to open the doors or raise one of the sides with a jack.
"Conservation" of the car
If you use the machine constantly, then you should not take any special measures other than those described above. Another thing is if the car has to stand idle for a long time, for example, in winter period time. In this case, it is necessary to carry out a few simple manipulations to protect the body not only from weather manifestations, but also from a number of other factors.
Practice has shown the effectiveness of the following tips:
- Wash the car thoroughly so that there are no traces of dirt or “chemistry” from the road on the body (if it happens in winter). For greater reliability, add a special compound to the water that can protect the paint and varnish product. After quality washing the machine must be wiped dry with a piece of soft cloth;
- Drain fuel from tank. This will protect the container from corrosion. In order not to leave the car completely without fuel (suddenly the transport will come in handy), you can drain the old one and fill it with new gasoline. When draining fuel completely, do not forget about fuel pump and carburetor;
- Lubricate the main friction points on the car;
- Relax a little drive belts to avoid damage. The main thing is not to forget to tighten them before starting operation;
- Seal the main openings (outlet pipe from the muffler and inlet air cleaner). This can be done with oily rags or paper;
- Examine the wiring. If necessary, dry wet areas and clean them of dirt (if any);
- Treat all unpainted body parts with a special compound that will reliably protect against corrosion.
Winter car storage
IN winter time year the car is most affected, so pay special attention. The first thing to do is drain the water from the cooling system and fill it quality antifreeze. If you do not plan to use the machine, then you can completely drain the coolant and oil from the engine crankcase. At the same time, try not to drain the liquid at the place of storage - the water will "crawl" under the wheels and freeze. In this case, there is a possibility of tire damage.
Remember about the body of your car - it is on it that maximum load. Excess moisture leads to severe corrosion, the body begins to rot. The condition is also worsened by additional temperature drops, which now and then lead to the appearance of cracks on metal elements. Therefore, your task is to deal with any accumulations of water.
Inspect the car carefully. Process all painted elements special formulations wax based. Unprotected parts of the bottom or running system clean well. If they already have obvious traces of corrosion, then after stripping, treatment with anti-corrosion compounds is mandatory. Do not forget about the existence of special "preservatives" - they are able to reliably protect the metal.
If there are parts on the car that are covered with chrome, then they must be wiped dry with a soft cloth dipped in mineral oil. This will preserve the beauty of the lame coating and protect it from haze and cracks.
As we have already mentioned, in winter the car should have a cover. But the use of special spacers is mandatory. In the case when the machine is stored for a long time, it is necessary to remove the cover and let the machine dry thoroughly. Moreover, it is advisable to open all the doors for ventilation. Such a measure will avoid rotting processes and will save rubber seals.
Severe frosts can be detrimental to the battery, so it is advisable to remove it and move it to a warm place. On the one hand, this will protect the battery from capacity loss, and on the other hand, it will become an additional obstacle for intruders (this is especially true if the car is stored in the yard). If there is no desire to rush with the battery, then discard one of the terminals - this will save you from premature discharge.
Conclusion
Storing a car without a garage requires a competent approach and the implementation of a number of measures. By following simple tips, you can minimize risks, avoid many problems and unjustified costs in the future. At the same time, pay special attention to winter storage. Here, non-compliance with the requirements can adversely affect not only appearance, but also on driving performance auto.
