by PAS CEO | Oct 28, 2023 | Blog
When it comes to PDX Auto Storage, we don’t only store vehicles- but we act as a resource for the community. This is why we are giving you five useful tips on storing your vehicle this winter. There are some things you’re going to want to do in order to maintain your car’s condition as the holiday season unfolds. Here are some things to take note of:
1. TIRE INFLATION
Before you put your car away for the winter, it is best to check and top off your tire air pressure. This is because tires tend to deflate over time, and weather temperature fluctuations can increase this issue. This is because as the temperature changes, so does the air pressure in your car tires, causing them to deflate over long periods of time.
Without tending to this, one can expect auto repair costs. As tires deflate, they can end up causing a lot of damage to the tires by damaging the rubber from sitting on the wheel, tires crack, loose air pressure and become unsafe to drive on.
This leads to costly repairs when it comes time to use your car again as tires need replacing and don’t come cheap. Prevent this problem by using these simple little storage hacks to prevent unnecessary and unwanted repair costs and frustration.
2. ANTIFREEZE
Antifreeze is used to prevent engine from freezing and cracking your engine block radiator and hoses/ This can cost as much as thousands of dollars in unexpected costly repairs. Note: We do not provide antifreeze at our facility. If you’d like antifreeze, check out this shop.
3. MOISTURE CONDENSATION COLLECTION BAG:
A Damprid moisture condensation collection bag helps to reduce and even prevents moisture and condensation buildup inside your car / truck. This causes musty odors mold and mildew in bedding your car’s interior and upholstery, due to prolonged winter storage.
4. REGULAR MAINTENANCE STARTS:
Maintenance starts also help on overall performance by keeping your car’s battery active occasionally, this simple little trick, can also assist in saving much unexpected and unnecessary added repair costs. Auto batteries like everything else tend to expire over time, but this little trick can also help to reduce the headache of unwanted auto repair costs.
By starting your engine every couple months you help to keep the battery alive, so they do not go dormant and lose their starting cranking power over the winter cold months, causing the need to replace your battery in spring.
5. FITTED CAR COVER
A properly- fitted car cover that fits your car properly can also help with winter Auto Storage protection. By using a fitted car cover to your specific model, this helps with additional weather protection, helps against sun fading due to long exposure to the sun over extended periods of time, as well as nasty winter weather elements. This helps to prevent seats and dashes from weathering and drying out cracking and fading due to the UV Rays, causing repairs and additional costs.
In conclusion, by supplying a quality fitted car cover, having your antifreeze and tires checked, and parking using the PDX Auto Storage service plus package, you will have additional piece of mind your car has additional protection against the winter weather elements.
by PAS CEO | Oct 25, 2023 | Blog
Maintaining your boat during the winter months may be a struggle, especially if you’re a new boat owner. However, this kind of upkeep is necessary so certain parts of the boat don’t get destroyed. Keep reading to find out how to winterize your boat, courtesy of PDX Auto Storage.
- Change the Engine Oil
The last thing you want is old oil sitting in your engine for a long time. What happens is that acids that are in the oil can corrode engine parts while the boat is stored. This means that it is wise to put on a fresh and clean supply before leaving it. Be sure when you do this, warm up the engine and get out as much oil as possible before replacing it.
- Be Sure to Fog Your Engine
Making sure your engine is fogged is a crucial aspect of winterizing your boat. To do this, what you need to do is spray a protective coating of oil over the internal engine parts. This helps protect them from moisture so you can avoid any corrosion on the parts.
- Be Sure to Get Rid of Water from Your Engine
A lot of the newer marine engines use an enclosed cooling system. With these, there is a small tank on the top of the engine that uses a combination of fresh water and coolant. This fresh water is circulated through the engine and through a heat exchanger. The fresh water then absorbs the heat of the engine.
Do NOT make the mistake of getting water in your engine. This is because when water freezes, it has the power to mess up engine components. To effectively winterize your boat, this means you’ll need to get rid of water from the engine. It doesn’t matter what type of engine you have. To do this, you should follow your engine owner’s manual when taking this step and ask for extra advice from PDX Auto Storage if need be. Another effective method for winterizing raw water-cooled systems is to run the engine and pump antifreeze into the block. Click here to read more.
4. Add Fuel Stabilizer
Draining the fuel from an engine alone isn’t enough to make sure the engine won’t erode during the winter. Did you know that there is always some fuel in the tank, even when it’s technically empty. You want to fill the tank with fresh fuel and provide fuel stabilizer to it. This will help prevent the fuel from deteriorating, which will mess up your boat.
5. Be Sure that the Boat Is Thoroughly Cleaned
After handling the engine and its components, you need to move on to the net level of winterizing a boat. You must get in there and be sure to clean your boat before you leave it for the winter. This is because any dirt or stains may worsen if they’re left for several months. This means you should clean everything from the seats to the flooring, to the trim.
6. Go Ahead and Replace Your Gear Oil
There is more work than just changing your oil in your engine. You must replace the gear oil. Simply drain the old oil out of the compartment and replace it with a fresh supply. This is a crucial step in winterizing your boat because the new gear oil will help protect your transmission from moisture and corrosion.
7. Lubricate Your Grease Fittings
Finally, it is good to know that rust and corrosion are a huge threat to many parts of your boat, especially its grease fittings. This means that if you use a high-quality brand of marine lubricant to coat them, that should protect them over the winter months. If you can’t find your boat’s grease fittings, look at your owner’s manual or ask at PDX Auto Storage for some advice.
To find out how else you can winterize your boat, talk to the experts at PDX Auto Storage. We can help you store your boat as well as give you additional tips on maintaining your boat during the winter. Contact us by phone or on their website here.
