Parking your car in the garage over winter: is it a good or bad idea?
Should you park your car outside or in your garage in winter? The experts at OCTO have weighed the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
The benefits of parking your car indoors
If you park your car indoors, you don’t have to worry about scraping ice off the windows or brushing snow off the top before leaving the house. In fact, frequently removing ice and snow buildup can damage your car’s bodywork and windshield wipers.
Furthermore, parking your car indoors helps keep fluids like the motor oil warm. This makes it easier to start your car and keep all the mechanical parts lubricated. In addition, storing your vehicle indoors is good for the battery. If the battery is warm, it requires less energy to start the vehicle, ensuring it lasts longer and continues to run all your vehicle’s electrical components.
In short, there are many advantages to keeping your car in the garage during winter. However, there are a few downsides…
The risks of storing your vehicle indoors
Parking your car indoors when it’s full of dirty snow and de-icing salts can be detrimental. As the snow melts, it creates condensation. The humidity combined with the corrosive road salts create the perfect breeding ground for rust to form. Consequently, the body, exhaust system, radiator and other parts of your vehicle could oxidize.
Furthermore, repeated temperature changes can cause your car’s rubber seals to deteriorate.
Come home from work or the grocery store and your car is soiled with grey snow and de-icing salts? If you leave your car in the garage, something undesirable might happen. The snow will gradually melt, creating condensation. The warm temperature combined with the humidity and corrosive substances spread on the roads will create a favourable environment for rust formation!
This can lead to oxidation of the body, exhaust system, radiator, etc. if you keep your vehicle in your garage. In addition, be aware that with repeated temperature changes, the rubber seals of your car could deteriorate.
Expert advice for safe storage
If you decide to keep your car indoors this winter, make sure you wash it often to remove corrosive road salt. In addition, keep the temperature in your garage around 5 C and make sure it’s well-ventilated to keep your car as dry as possible.
Problems with your car? Visit OCTO!
Over 50 years, OCTO has serviced thousands of vehicles across Quebec. If you want added peace of mind on the road this winter, make an appointment at your nearest OCTO. Our team performs repairs, inspections, tire changes and more. As your neighbourhood mechanic, we’re happy to serve you and look forward to seeing you soon.