COVID-19 Vehicle Storage - tips

[ExtraSlow]

Tips for those of you who are not using all the vehicles in your fleet during this Coronavirus lockdown.
1) if your vehicle is parked on private property, you can reduce insurance to comprehensive only.
2) if you are parked near an electrical outlet, a battery charger/maintainer is a good idea.
3) air up your tires before storage
4) add fuel stabilizer and fill the fuel tank.
5) if parked under a roof crack a window to allow air to circulate. Otherwise consider the damp-rid things from the dollar store.


Anything else?

[firebane]

Tips for those of you who are not using all the vehicles in your fleet during this Coronavirus lockdown.
1) if your vehicle is parked on private property, you can reduce insurance to comprehensive only.
2) if you are parked near an electrical outlet, a battery charger/maintainer is a good idea.
3) air up your tires before storage
4) add fuel stabilizer and fill the fuel tank.
5) if parked under a roof crack a window to allow air to circulate. Otherwise consider the damp-rid things from the dollar store.


Anything else?

Toss a bar of Irish Spring in.. apparently mice and such hate the smell.
Get one of those fridge deodorizes to help with any moisture.

https://s3-production.bobvila.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Baking_Soda_for_Fridge_and_Freezer.jpg

[88CRX]

Toss a bar of Irish Spring in.. apparently mice and such hate the smell.
Get one of those fridge deodorizes to help with any moisture.

https://s3-production.bobvila.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Baking_Soda_for_Fridge_and_Freezer.jpg

I haven't used it personally but 'DampRid' is suppose to work a lot better for musty dank smelling rooms or vehicles. I will be using it in my vehicles next winter.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/damprid-397g-14oz-hanging-moisture-absorber/1000683708

[killramos]

I mentioned this in another thread But if you are no longer commuting make sure you turf that off your policy. It’s actually a pretty significant portion of your premium.

[Brent.ff]

I mentioned this in another thread But if you are no longer commuting make sure you turf that off your policy. It’s actually a pretty significant portion of your premium.

ya thanks for that, i called in for dropping wives car down to being parked, and removed my commute km. saved me a good chunk

[Swank]

I leave my windows open for air circulation as much as possible, no matter how long I'm parked in the garage I want to allow floor mat moisture to escape.

[Chester]

I mentioned this in another thread But if you are no longer commuting make sure you turf that off your policy. It’s actually a pretty significant portion of your premium.

Are you still able to use the car to go to the store?

[killramos]

Are you still able to use the car to go to the store?

Commute is completely separate from your use of the vehicle for pleasure/regular use or your annual km.

Daily commute km is an increased risk factor for insurance.

[jwslam]

Are you still able to use the car to go to the store?
I believe he's suggesting you knock the 'commuting' kilometers off your car. Not all km. So "leisure driving" I believe is the insurance term.

If you knock all km you are effectively only paying for fire / theft in which case no you are no permitted to drive. Period.

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, there are two very different options being suggested here.
1) remove "commute" from your coverage, and then use the car of shopping weekends etc freely
2) Remove all liability portion and park the car on private property and you can't drive it anywhere for any reason.

[Chester]

I believe he's suggesting you knock the 'commuting' kilometers off your car. Not all km. So "leisure driving" I believe is the insurance term.

If you knock all km you are effectively only paying for fire / theft in which case no you are no permitted to drive. Period.

You are correct. I changed it to pleasure only. Hehe.

[ExtraSlow]

It's mandatory that you say the pleasure really slooowly. Plllleeeeaaaasssssuuuurrrreeeee.

[jwslam]

It's mandatory that you say the pleasure really slooowly. Plllleeeeaaaasssssuuuurrrreeeee.
Is that "Pleasure" or "Please, Sir"

[thinmyster]

How much are you guys saving by doing this?

[killramos]

How much are you guys saving by doing this?

Was a few hundred bucks between now and august between my truck and my wife’s SUV. For a phone call now to remove, and a phone call whenever you start working again.

[tonytiger55]

How much are you guys saving by doing this?

Mine works out to $18.50 a month, between now and September. Im still pondering whether to go with it.

[ExtraSlow]

How much are you guys saving by doing this?

$65/mo on mine.

[e31]

Toss a bar of Irish Spring in.. apparently mice and such hate the smell.

This is not helpful advice; mice eat/chew the soap (witnessed first hand). Better yet tie garlic up near windows and hang horseshoes over the doors.

[ExtraSlow]

Savage Honda Fit is in storage. Sadness, but if I'm not driving kids to school or parking downtown, what's the point of the Supercar?

[Disoblige]

Commute to Pleasure is one thing but collision to comprehensive (if you have collision) may save you even more if you see the risk is worth it. Might be if you are driving significantly less or not at all.

[killramos]

Commute to Pleasure is one thing but collision to comprehensive (if you have collision) may save you even more if you see the risk is worth it. Might be if you are driving significantly less or not at all.

If you are storing the car I agree. Otherwise I would just drop the km/year way down. Otherwise you could be taking a big risk to make a quick run to the store if something happens. This is assuming you think collision is usually worth it.

[Disoblige]

If you are storing the car I agree. Otherwise I would just drop the km/year way down. Otherwise you could be taking a big risk to make a quick run to the store if something happens. This is assuming you think collision is usually worth it.
Thing is... does dropping km down really drop $$ that much?
I don't drive much in general so not sure what diff it makes. I'll have to find out. Like from 10k/yr to 5k/yr, etc.

[bigboom]

I saved about $400 dropping my F150 to pleasure use only.

[Sentry]

If it's being ACTUALLY stored, and not just turned into a "pleasure" vehicle instead of a commuter, start it once in a while. Get the oil moving, let the battery charge, let it get up to full temperature. Once a month I'll make myself some coffee, start the M5 and sit in it for a half hour and listen to a bit of music. It's good to remind me I still have it, otherwise it gets forgotten in the garage over winter. Also good to remind the neighbours and rev the piss out of it a bit.

[ExtraSlow]

If it's being ACTUALLY stored, and not just turned into a "pleasure" vehicle instead of a commuter, start it once in a while. Get the oil moving, let the battery charge, let it get up to full temperature. Once a month I'll make myself some coffee, start the M5 and sit in it for a half hour and listen to a bit of music. It's good to remind me I still have it, otherwise it gets forgotten in the garage over winter. Also good to remind the neighbours and rev the piss out of it a bit.
Disagree. Keep the battery charged and that's it.

[killramos]

+1 Don’t start a car unless you are going to drive it.

As for how much does limiting km save you, hard to say, but if you aren’t driving those km you might as welll save the money. Even if it’s just enough to buy a pack of beer.

[bjstare]

I too thought you’re not supposed to start and idle it if you aren’t driving, but are you two arguing with a guy that builds engines with his bare hands?

[firebane]

I too thought you’re not supposed to start and idle it if you aren’t driving, but are you two arguing with a guy that builds engines with his bare hands?

The issue is that just because the car is up to temp does not mean the oil is up to temp. If the oil doesn't get up to temp it can create moisture in the crank case.

[ExtraSlow]

I too thought you’re not supposed to start and idle it if you aren’t driving, but are you two arguing with a guy that builds engines with his bare hands?

I'll argue with anyone about anything. Just ask killramos

Particularly the idea that 30 minutes of idling once per month is anything beneficial for the battery. A proper maintainer, one night per month, is far superior if you don't want to leave it plugged in continuously.

[B.Spilner]

Called intact to have our work mileage removed on the wifes Crv, save $6 a year? Lol nothing but problems with intact lately.

[killramos]

I too thought you’re not supposed to start and idle it if you aren’t driving, but are you two arguing with a guy that builds engines with his bare hands?

Not a hill I’m going to die on, but I’d say it was bad advice for 98%+ of the population

[88CRX]

If you're legit storing it for months on end top up the tank and let it sit. I dont start anything until its ready to be driven on the highway and really brought up to operating temperatures. I also remove the batteries and bring them in the house rather then trickle charge them all winter. Or if I'm really lazy I just disconnect them. Come spring I'll throw the trickle charger on them a week before I'm bringing the cars out and I'm good to go.

No winter starts, no fuel stabilizer, no other witchcraft.

[Sentry]

The issue is that just because the car is up to temp does not mean the oil is up to temp. If the oil doesn't get up to temp it can create moisture in the crank case.
Did you miss the part about revving it? When I do my storage startup on a car it isn't just idling there for 30 mins, I hold it at 2000-3000rpm for minutes at a time, blast it to redline a couple times, back to idle for a couple minutes. Repeat that a couple times, then shut it down. I take it none of you have gone to start a car sitting in storage only to have a collapsed lifter? Keep some oil in the top end.

[firebane]

Did you miss the part about revving it? When I do my storage startup on a car it isn't just idling there for 30 mins, I hold it at 2000-3000rpm for minutes at a time, blast it to redline a couple times, back to idle for a couple minutes. Repeat that a couple times, then shut it down. I take it none of you have gone to start a car sitting in storage only to have a collapsed lifter? Keep some oil in the top end.

That is fine, but you still don't know what your oil temp is. Your just cycling your oil through the engine.

[lasimmon]

Called intact to have our work mileage removed on the wifes Crv, save $6 a year? Lol nothing but problems with intact lately.

Did you just calculate how much mileage it is to drive to work and drop your monthly km's? Or actually tell them you are no longer commuting?

[B.Spilner]

Did you just calculate how much mileage it is to drive to work and drop your monthly km's? Or actually tell them you are no longer commuting?

Actually both. First we told them no more work, (25km one way) and she said it would go down $6/year, then she halfed our total yearly kms and that brought it down $60/year. So she's getting in touch with economical today because obviously something is wrong.

[Sentry]

That is fine, but you still don't know what your oil temp is. Your just cycling your oil through the engine.
The m5 has an oil temp gauge in the cluster, so yes I absolutely do know what my oil temp is, and it absolutely does get up to temp during my storage startups.
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But what do I know :dunno:

[killramos]

I forgot how much I love BMW gauge clusters :hitit:

[Sentry]

It also has the yellow warmup dummy lights in the tach that turn off when oil is up to temp and it's ready to rev lol

[Masked Bandit]

Called intact to have our work mileage removed on the wifes Crv, save $6 a year? Lol nothing but problems with intact lately.


Actually both. First we told them no more work, (25km one way) and she said it would go down $6/year, then she halfed our total yearly kms and that brought it down $60/year. So she's getting in touch with economical today because obviously something is wrong.

So are you with Intact or Economical?

[firebane]

The m5 has an oil temp gauge in the cluster, so yes I absolutely do know what my oil temp is, and it absolutely does get up to temp during my storage startups.
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But what do I know :dunno:

Well then fine.. But a lot of vehicles do not have oil temp gauges so my view still stands. If you don't have a oil temp gauge I wouldn't suggest running vehicles that are parked.

[B.Spilner]

So are you with Intact or Economical?

Whoops, we call brokerlink and they deal with economical. We have so many policys with different company's I cant keep track anymore!

Just received a call back, no mistake. $6 for work commute and $40 for the kms cut in half. Did not make the change as it's only a few dollars a month.

Maskedbandit we should've swicthed when I spoke with you a couple months ago... you wouldnt even believe how badly they fucked up our house policy since we moved. I dont think I've heard so many "I'm sorry", from so many different people in one company.

[Sentry]

Well then fine.. But a lot of vehicles do not have oil temp gauges so my view still stands. If you don't have a oil temp gauge I wouldn't suggest running vehicles that are parked.
My shitbox turbo mustang has none of these features, but if I follow the exact same idle, steady 3000rpm, redline routine why would it not also reach operating temp?

[revelations]

If it's being ACTUALLY stored, and not just turned into a "pleasure" vehicle instead of a commuter, start it once in a while. Get the oil moving, let the battery charge, let it get up to full temperature. Once a month I'll make myself some coffee, start the M5 and sit in it for a half hour and listen to a bit of music. It's good to remind me I still have it, otherwise it gets forgotten in the garage over winter. Also good to remind the neighbours and rev the piss out of it a bit.

Do NOT, for the love of pete - start a vehicle in the winter if its stored. Idling will cause the oil to break down much faster with combustion by products - not to mention BMW and its oil-related issues (depending on your model) potentially adding to your woes. Carbon can build up in intake/combustion areas from excessive idling too. Nothing good happens to a vehicle from idling in a garage.

- - - Updated - - -


If you're legit storing it for months on end top up the tank and let it sit. I dont start anything until its ready to be driven on the highway and really brought up to operating temperatures. I also remove the batteries and bring them in the house rather then trickle charge them all winter. Or if I'm really lazy I just disconnect them. Come spring I'll throw the trickle charger on them a week before I'm bringing the cars out and I'm good to go.

No winter starts, no fuel stabilizer, no other witchcraft.

This - I store my summer cars (bikes when I had them) covered outside. Battery topped up with distilled water and then disconnected. I might throw a charger on them once during a winter chinook though.

[zieg]

On some engines though, it is a good idea to manually turn the crankshaft like a quarter or half turn every so often. That helps make sure pistons are in different positions and you're not holding certain valve springs compressed for months on end. So I've been told, anyway...

[Mostwanted]

If you change the oil prior to storing, do you guys still change the oil when its time to take her out? First time actually properly storing my car this winter.

[revelations]

If you change the oil prior to storing, do you guys still change the oil when its time to take her out? First time actually properly storing my car this winter.

Absolutely no need over one winter if you dont run the engine.

[Disoblige]

Man, I'm with Intact but my broker has been absolutely brutal to work with.
Never responds to phone calls, and rarely replies back to e-mails at all. It's like pulling teeth and I never know if my requests or questions are answered. Is this a problem some of you guys see as well, or is my broker just terrible? I mean, I get a good price but I don't want to beg them to help me when I need something answered. It makes things worse when Intact says I should always try to contact my broker for help first and they are the only ones who can change stuff for me. Ugh.

First world problem: I don't want to shop somewhere else because that is a huge re-quote process to do and I might not even get the same rate.

[B.Spilner]

Man, I'm with Intact but my broker has been absolutely brutal to work with.
Never responds to phone calls, and rarely replies back to e-mails at all. It's like pulling teeth and I never know if my requests or questions are answered. Is this a problem some of you guys see as well, or is my broker just terrible? I mean, I get a good price but I don't want to beg them to help me when I need something answered. It makes things worse when Intact says I should always try to contact my broker for help first and they are the only ones who can change stuff for me. Ugh.

First world problem: I don't want to shop somewhere else because that is a huge re-quote process to do and I might not even get the same rate.

Exactly the same crap were going through. Stuff that should take a couple hours is taking weeks. Ask to speak with another person and let them know you're having issues with your current person.

They have really gone downhill over the last year.

[zieg]

I'm with Hub International and they have been great to deal with FWIW.

[Masked Bandit]

Man, I'm with Intact but my broker has been absolutely brutal to work with.
Never responds to phone calls, and rarely replies back to e-mails at all. It's like pulling teeth and I never know if my requests or questions are answered. Is this a problem some of you guys see as well, or is my broker just terrible? I mean, I get a good price but I don't want to beg them to help me when I need something answered. It makes things worse when Intact says I should always try to contact my broker for help first and they are the only ones who can change stuff for me. Ugh.

First world problem: I don't want to shop somewhere else because that is a huge re-quote process to do and I might not even get the same rate.


Exactly the same crap were going through. Stuff that should take a couple hours is taking weeks. Ask to speak with another person and let them know you're having issues with your current person.

They have really gone downhill over the last year.


Are we talking Intact or Brokerlink here? Intact is the underwriting insurance company and Brokerlink is a "broker" (sort of) that is owned by Intact?

I say Brokerlink is only sort of a broker because being owned by Intact that's where most of their policies end up (duh).

[tonytiger55]

If you change the oil prior to storing, do you guys still change the oil when its time to take her out? First time actually properly storing my car this winter.

Curious, why would one change the oil prior to storing and not after?

[ThePenIsMightier]

Shouldn't we be expecting insurance rates to drop due to fewer people driving during the pandemic and thus fewer claims & accidents?
My stack of bills just arrived in the mail for May and I'm wondering when they will reassess rates.
Probably not until 2021, right? I'm tempted to not put a full year on...

[Masked Bandit]

Shouldn't we be expecting insurance rates to drop due to fewer people driving during the pandemic and thus fewer claims & accidents?
My stack of bills just arrived in the mail for May and I'm wondering when they will reassess rates.
Probably not until 2021, right? I'm tempted to not put a full year on...

Auto insurance premiums are adjusted based on 3-5 year rolling claims costs trends. A 3-6 month blip on vehicle usage isn't going to change base rates long term. Truth be told this might actually make premiums WORSE long term because during times of financial hardship the rate & severity of fraudulent claims goes way up. Add to that the fact that insurance companies make most of their profits from investment income and not from underwriting the actual policies and prices might actually go up long term, not down.

Who knows though, this industry is a dumpster fire right now anyway, might as well throw a can of gas on it.

[ThePenIsMightier]

Auto insurance premiums are adjusted based on 3-5 year rolling claims costs trends. A 3-6 month blip on vehicle usage isn't going to change base rates long term. Truth be told this might actually make premiums WORSE long term because during times of financial hardship the rate & severity of fraudulent claims goes way up. Add to that the fact that insurance companies make most of their profits from investment income and not from underwriting the actual policies and prices might actually go up long term, not down.

Who knows though, this industry is a dumpster fire right now anyway, might as well throw a can of gas on it.

Thank you.
Fuck.... But, thank you...

[Disoblige]

Are we talking Intact or Brokerlink here? Intact is the underwriting insurance company and Brokerlink is a "broker" (sort of) that is owned by Intact?

I say Brokerlink is only sort of a broker because being owned by Intact that's where most of their policies end up (duh).
I am talking about my broker specifically. But did not want to name them publicly.
I don't have an issue with Intact, but the problem is that I cannot change any of what I want without going through my broker. Phone number change, address change, insurance change, it all needs to go through my broker as Intact can't do shit for me directly.

[Masked Bandit]

I am talking about my broker specifically. But did not want to name them publicly.
I don't have an issue with Intact, but the problem is that I cannot change any of what I want without going through my broker. Phone number change, address change, insurance change, it all needs to go through my broker as Intact can't do shit for me directly.

Yep, that's how it's supposed to work, trust me you want that filter between yourself and the underwriters. If the broker isn't helping you out then you should look to change them out, either with a different staff member at that firm or a different firm all together.

[B.Spilner]

My issue is with brokerlink, was confused there for a second they called back this morning and number came up "intact"...

[revelations]

Curious, why would one change the oil prior to storing and not after?

More applies to long term storage (3-5 years) but some feel that used oil is more acidic than new and having that around (even sitting in the pan) can be a bad thing long term.

[ExtraSlow]

Disagree. Keep the battery charged and that's it.

Charge your batteries people :
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