How Long Can a Car Sit Without Driving? (With Storage Tips)

There are many reasons a car might sit for a while. Perhaps you’re out of town, or perhaps you don’t commute to work every day. Perhaps you own a race car or a project car, and it spends much of its time in the garage or on jack stands.

Cars are meant to be driven. When they aren’t driven often, there are a few additional maintenance items you should consider to keep them ready to go whenever you need them. 

What Happens When Your Car Sits?

There are a lot of things to consider when answering this question. The climate, condition of the car, and whether you park it indoors or outdoors all play into what will happen to your car when it doesn’t move for a while. For instance, leaving a vehicle outside under direct sunlight could cause damage you would never experience in a garage.

Battery

The battery in your car will slowly drain over time. Sometimes this is due to a parasitic draw from an electrical component, and sometimes this is just the result of the battery sitting unused for a while. 

Rubber Components

Rubber components are meant to move. When the car sits for a long time, these rubber components aren’t flexing like they were intended to. Rubber around the car may become hard and brittle over time.

Rubber parts include seals, shock boots, bushings, and tires. You want to make sure these parts are working correctly or you they may cost you more in maintenance down the road. 

Fuel

Fuel has a shelf life. If you’re not driving your car for a while, you could add some fuel stabilizer to prolong the life of the fuel. However, for very long term storage you may want to plan on draining the gas tank, then adding fresh gas the next time you plan to drive the car. 

Tires

Tires are rubber parts, and they are some of the most important parts of your vehicle. When your tires sit in one place for too long, they develop flat spots. You may also notice cracks and tire rot on old tires.

If you won’t be driving for a while, pump up the tires with a little extra air to help keep them round. Be careful not to exceed the max pressure rating on the side of the tire. 

If you notice any cracks in the tire, replace the tires before you drive on them. They are no longer safe. Tires also have an expiration date. You can find this number on the sidewall. It includes the month and year the tire was manufactured.

It’s generally not a good idea to drive on tires older than 6 years. Old tires get harder and don’t grip the pavement as well. This reduces turning ability and braking distance, and could lead to a serious accident. You also increase the odds of a blowout. 

Paint

If your car is sitting in the sun, the paint may fade over time. Some cars lose clear coat to the harsh ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the sun. If you have no choice but to park outside, you could try getting a breathable car cover to prevent this from happening.

Bare metal is at risk for rust. If you notice any bare metal on the car, try to have it painted. Even rock chips can rust. Buy some touch-up paint in the factory color to touch up smaller areas. For large unpainted surfaces, you may want to consider a vinyl wrap or a respray.

Interior

Interior surfaces are also prone to sun damage. Additionally, the interior of the car may grow mold if you live in a humid climate. To prevent mold and mildew, you can place a desiccant such as silica gel inside the car to absorb any residual moisture.

How Long Can My Car Sit with No Maintenance?

A good rule of thumb is to not park your car and leave it for more than two weeks without additional preparation. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you can keep a car sitting in storage for months without any major issues.

How To Park a Car Long Term

Wash the Car

Washing the car and doing a full interior detail goes a long way in preserving your car before you park it. Contaminants on paint or leather may eat into the surface, causing damage that’s tough to repair. 

Use Jack Stands

If the car won’t be moving for months, consider putting it on jack stands. Raising the car on jack stands prevents the tires from flat spotting.

If this sounds like a lot of work, consider moving the car back and forth a few feet every few weeks to put weight on a different part of the tires.

Maintain the Battery

The battery is maintained by an alternator when your car is regularly used and never goes flat. When your car is in storage, the alternator isn’t spinning and your battery may die. This is particularly true for cold-weather regions, where batteries tend to be less effective.

Use a Battery Tender

Battery tenders will slowly top up the battery indefinitely while a car sits. You’re essentially leaving the battery plugged in to charge so it won’t drain over time.

Battery tenders are a great option when you park your car for a month or more. Your car should be ready for you when you turn the key and want to go for a drive.

Run the Car if Possible

Conventional wisdom has taught people to start a car while parked and keep it going for a while so that the battery does not go flat. It is also believed that this gives the engine a little bit of a wake up.

The best thing to do is to take a car out for 15-20 minutes once every two weeks. This gets the car up to operating temperature and keeps all the components moving as they should. It also charges the battery, too.

Reviving a Car That’s Been in Storage

If your car has been sitting too long and you notice a few issues, don’t worry. A lot of people have done this, and there are steps you can take to reverse the aging process.

Inspect the Tires

To revive a car that has been sitting for a while, you need to start by assessing the tires. Step one is to check the tire pressure and make sure it meets the PSI requirement. This is usually on the sticker inside the driver’s side door or the sidewall of the tire. If you need new tires, you could either use spare tires or take off the rims and get new ones.

Drain Old Gas

If your gas that is more than 2 years old, chances are it has varnished and won’t burn very well. If your fuel smells really bad, don’t try to run the car. It’s a good idea to drain the tank and fill it up with fresh gasoline.

You may be able to get away with just adding fresh gas without draining the tank, if the vehicle was parked without much fuel in the tank. The mixture of old and new gas should allow the car to run without too much of a problem.

Make sure you dispose of the fuel properly if you end up draining the tank. Check your local waste management service for more information on how this should be done.

Change All Fluids

Engine oil and coolant degrade over time. Oil loses its lubricating properties and may not protect the engine as well as it should.

If your car has been sitting for longer than a couple years, you should consider changing all of the vehicle fluids before you go for a drive. This includes the engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and differential fluids.

Turn it Over

You may want to try turning the crankshaft by hand before you grab the keys, just to make sure nothing has seized inside the engine. Your hand will spin the engine much slower than the starter.

To do this, grab a socket wrench and put it on the crankshaft pulley bolt. Put the car in neutral with the parking brake on. Turn the engine clockwise, as if you were tightening the bolt. The engine should be difficult but possible to turn. If have trouble or anything binds inside the engine, stop and seek a mechanic’s advice. 

Start the Engine

If the engine starts, let it sit for 10 minutes and check for leaks while the engine warms up. If you turn the key and nothing happens, check to make sure the battery is still good. You may need to charge or replace the battery.

If you notice leaks, you must take it to a repair shop right away. This is to make sure all the gaskets and seals are functioning well. If you feel like your checks were fine, you can try driving the car.

While driving, listen for any strange feelings, sounds, or vibrations from the vehicle. Remember to go easy on the car at first and test it out in a low traffic area. Pay attention to the gauges to make sure the car isn’t overheating, and that oil is flowing properly.