store a car for the winter vs leaving it out and driving it once a week?

Asked by FishyGG Dec 03, 2018 at 01:00 PM about the 2009 Subaru Impreza

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hey, i have to choose between two options:

1) store the car in a garage for about 9 months and driving it once in a
while.

2) leave it outside for the winter and take it for a ride once a week or so.

whats the best option for the cars health? Will the car get damaged by
staying outside for a week in between use?

2 Answers

101,335

It's good to fire up an engine every so often, keeps the seals oiled, but 9 months isn't that terribly long. If you do decide to park it in the garage, slap a float charger on it to keep the battery charged and all those computer modules happy. (Float chargers also go by names like battery minder or tenders.) Even stored indoors on a concrete floor you should put down a plastic vapor barrier to prevent condensation affecting the cars undercarriage. If you really want to store it well, put it up on jack stands too, to keep those tires from developing flat spots. If you do store it indoors, I'd still try and start it once in a while, even if you can't drive it anywhere. Storing a car outdoors does come with some caveats, bad weather and moisture will take some toll on the cars finish and undercarriage, debris can settle into the drainage channels potentially blocking them, and it may be at greater risk of theft or vandalism. You can always put a car cover on it in between the occasions you start or drive the car.

1 people found this helpful.

Garage! Winter weather and all that moisture is not good for a car that sits all the time.

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