1. Keep It Covered

The best place for long-term car storage is a garage. Garages protect cars from natural elements and keep them at a relatively stable temperature. When a garage is not an option, you may want to consider renting a public storage facility unit. In situations where you must leave a car outdoors, get a weatherproof car cover for it to keep it clean and dry.

2. Clean It Up

It may seem counterproductive to get a car washed before putting it into long-term storage. However, this is a simple, inexpensive step that you should not skip. Leaving bird droppings or water stains on a car compromises the paint. Take the time to clean the wheels and the fender undersides to clear away grease, mud, and tar. If you want to provide additional protection for your car, give it a coat of wax.

3. Change the Oil and Fill the Gas Tank

Are you planning to keep your car in storage for more than 30 days? If so, it is best practice to get an oil change and fill the tank with gas. Leaving used engine oil with contaminants can cause damage to the engine.  Filling the tank keeps moisture from building up inside the fuel tank and prevents the seals from drying out. Some people recommend purchasing a fuel stabilizer to keep ethanol from accumulating and to offer engine protection from varnish, gum, and rust. Additionally, a fuel stabilizer keeps the gas from deteriorating for up to one year.

4. Keep It Charged

A battery that is left unattended eventually loses its charge. Whenever possible, have someone start the car every two weeks, taking it for a 15-minute drive each time. Driving the car on a regular basis keeps the battery charged, helps the car “stretch its legs,” and keeps the engine and additional components lubricated appropriately. Have the person driving the car run the air-conditioner on a regular basis as well to keep its parts in proper working order and the air quality fresh.

If you are not able to have someone start the car, other options are possible. One option is to disconnect the negative battery cable to preserve the battery; unfortunately, you will lose your clock and stereo settings (i.e. radio presets). If you want to keep your settings and ensure that the battery starts immediately upon your return, purchase a battery or trickle charger. This device plugs into a wall outlet and hooks up to the car battery. It provides just enough electrical power to keep the battery from losing its charge.

5. Avoid Flat Spots

Before you put your vehicle in storage, check your tire pressure. If necessary, inflate the tires to the recommended level. When a car sits for an extended period of time, the tires may develop flat spots as the vehicle’s pressure weighs down on them. This is a heightened risk for cars with low-profile or performance tires and in cold temperatures.

Sometimes having a person drive the vehicle is enough to maintain standard operating temperature and thus eliminate flat spots. In more serious instances, a flat spot can turn into a permanently flat tire that must be replaced. Some people avoid the issue of flat spots altogether by removing the wheels and putting the car up on four jack stands. While this measure takes more effort, it ensures that the tires are in optimal condition upon your return, thus preventing the risk of needing a whole new set of tires. Removing the tires completely is appropriate only for vehicles that are stored for longer than one month.

6. Avoid Using the Parking Brake

Typically, best practice is to use a vehicle’s parking brake to keep it in one place. However, when the brake pads are in contact with the rotors for an extended period of time, they may fuse. Instead of applying the parking brake when putting a car in long-term storage, consider purchasing a chock or tire stopper to keep the car from moving.

7. Keep Up with Car Insurance

Many people give into the temptation to give up their car insurance when they put their cars in long-term storage. Although this measure may save you money on a short-term basis, there is a possibility that your insurance company will increase its rates during the gap coverage, which may result in larger payments than you would have had if you had maintained your original insurance payments. As rates can vary with different insurance companies and different regions of the country, it is important to contact your specific company to discuss your options.

8. Keep the Mice and Rats Out

A garage’s dry, warm environment is enticing for mice and rats. Plug any open areas such as air intakes and exhaust pipes with steel wool to keep critters out. Place cotton swabs or mothballs covered with peppermint oil all around the vehicle.

About the author:

Doug Climenhaga is president of SVI International, Inc., a leading supplier of parts for industrial lift equipment, including brake lathe parts. With more than 20 years experience in the hydraulic and automotive lift industries, he holds two patents and has designed scores of problem-solving products. 

What do you do when you have a junk car? The first thing that comes to mind is to sell your car, but you should know that it can be hard to get a good deal in today’s market. In addition, you must do some repairs on your car, as it is unlikely that a junk car will be in top condition. You will also need to deal with inquiries and appointments from interested buyers who wish to take a closer look at the car, just to let you know that they need to think it over.

You can now avoid all the problems by just donating your unwanted automobile Here are some the reasons why you should consider donating your car.

Save Time and Stress

One of the major positives of donating a car to charity is that it saves a lot of time and stress that you would be coping with if you were to sell or trade in your old car.

When you sell a car, you have to run around from dealer to dealer, show the car and try to negotiate a price. Or you can choose to place an ad in the newspaper that requires even more time and money. Both routes leave you stressed and dissatisfied because you tend to feel that you aren’t getting the most out of the car you have spent so many years with.

If your car is a junker, you even have to worry about moving the car, or how to make the car look more presentable. Plus, if you live where it snows, you have to keep the car clean in winter months. When you donate a car, you need not worry about any of these things.

By Donating a Car you Make the World Greener

When you donate an old car to some places, you are actually reusing and recycling it in the best possible way. When your car can’t be used by a new owner, it will be completely recycled. Each car part will be recycled in some way.

Apart from creating a cleaner and greener world, you are also helping to create jobs. Recycling a vehicle could supply enough steel to produce nearly 13 million new vehicles and could create 46 thousand jobs! During this economy, this is a good way to give back to the world we live in.

By Donating Your Car, You Help a Child in Your Area

One of the biggest advantages of donating your old car to charity is not just the fact that it creates a greener world, but also that it helps local children in your area. Your contribution might benefit a child with a life-threatening disease or it might benefit a boys ranch or some other kinds of children’s charity.

When a child is given the opportunity to have his/her wish granted, they feel hope, strength and joy again. A wish is something that can lift the spirits of a child, and it creates a memory that will stay with them for a lifetime. Who knows, you might even know the child you have helped.

One of the biggest pluses about car donation is that the donation stays in your community. It is something that you will always feel good about and this goes beyond any other reason to get rid of an old car. If you don’t have an important reason to donate a car, let this be it!

A Car Donation Brings a Lot of Tax Benefits

Your car donation will make you eligible for tax deductions. There are several companies that have a deep understanding of the rules related to taxes and know how to turn your car donation into the biggest tax benefit. This means your generosity and convenience will in fact put money back in your pocket the coming year!

So, not only did you get tax breaks on the money that you give in the form of charity, you are also helping the needy people in your community. All you have to do to donate your car to make a phone call or fill out a form online.

Conclusion

Do not waste your time in trying to sell your car, just donate it and let it be someone else’s headache. Complete the transaction, and then sit back to reap the many benefits of donating your car.

Thanks for reading this article. Please leave comments below and please share this.

The car can rocket from 0 to 62.14 mph or 100 km/h in about four and a half seconds with a top speed of 155.34 mph or 250 km/h. The car is compact and weighs about 3,472.28 or 1,575 kilograms and the fuel consumption is an amazing 26 mpg and the emission of carbon dioxide is at 341.18 g/mile or 212 g CO2/km. All this is possible by the technology used in the regenerative system, which is meant to recover some energy during the car’s decelerations.

The RS3′s Engine

The 2011 Audi RS3 has a 2.5-liter engine that will surely thrill the passengers because it has a strong pulling power and the 6,800-rpm. The Audi engine’s growling  and roaring soundtrack combined with the signature 5-cylinder firing order creates a strength feeling in the car and gives the driver gobs of power on the road. There is a flap in the exhaust system that is controlled by the sport button, also used in varying engine response, and is used to further intensify the sound.

The 5-cylinder engines have a history in Audi. It was used to edge out the existing competition in race cars in the 80s. The first RS model, 94, had one of these engine types. The engine now is redefined and has earned the top position in engines ranked by a panel of automotive journalists. This means that the engine is created to have high performance and the general parameters used in it will yield great elasticity and excellent acceleration values.

At just about 403 pounds and 19.29 inches the Audi RS3′s 5-cylinder unit is super compact. The vermicular-graphite cast iron use in making the crankcase is a light weight but strong material that contributes a lot in the overall light weight of the unit. In fact, this material has been used in gasoline engines for the first time by Audi. The block loadability is further enhanced by the reinforcement’s which are perfectly placed. The light weight design is meant to keep the weight of the Audi RS3 in check so that it can pay off when it comes to axle load distribution which translates to an excellent and ultimate car handling.

What about boost?

The 2011 Audi RS3 has a turbocharger that is responsible for up to a 1.2 bar pressure boost while the intercooler achieves a cool 80% efficiency. Just like other Audi gasoline turbo engines, the RS3’s unit combines the turbo charging with FSI direct injection system. The combination of the two technologies create high compression ratio (about 10:1) and consequently raise the efficiency ratio. The air is mixed as it is flowing in by the flaps positioned and the intake tract. The mixture formation is further enhanced by the two adjustable (by 42 degrees – crankshaft rotation) camshafts.

Audi RS3′s Transmission

The S Tronic, seven-speed, transmits power straight from the 5-cylinder engine through three shafts. Two of these are output shafts while the other one is the drive shaft. The car has two transmission structures since it is a dual-clutch transmission. This results in a smooth shifting process which takes a very short time during the clutch switch. The two clutches make sure that there is no power interruption during the shifting process. The seventh gear, being very tall, is the ultimate way of saving on fuel consumption.

There is a choice of two automatic modes and a manual mode. The gear shift can be made through the selector lever or via the paddles on the wheel. The control system  manages to launch the car from a dead zero to the explosive turbo power while maintaining the car’s stability and minimum tire slip. The all-wheel drive gives the RS3 dynamics, stability and traction. The main component is its multi-plate clutch that is electronically controlled and placed at the propeller shaft’s end for the purpose of achieving an advantage in axle load distribution.

The famous Audi Quattro

Quattro enables the distribution of propulsive power to all the axles as required. Every time there is slip in any of the axles, the oil pressure is increased in a jiffy by an electric  powered pump. The two clutch plates are pressed on each other in a similar continuous motion which permits the redirection of torque accordingly. No matter how many words are used to describe this process the duration of time the actual process is much faster than the description. This is just to make sure that there are no interruptions caused by the slip.

The stiff body lays the cornerstone in the RS3 handling but the chassis makes everything fall in place. There is a four-link suspension that has a 60.16 inches track anchored to the sub frame. The front suspension is more widened but still has a separate sub frame. The major components of the construction are aluminum. The vertical support is provided by the shock absorbers and the coil springs. Compared to the A3, the sports suspension lowers the RS3 body by 0.98 inches.

The Audi RS3′s Interior

In the interior, there are a number of logos reminding the passenger that they are inside an Audi RS3. The interior comes in black with leather seats that are stitched in contrasting silver stitching. The car has a flat bottomed steering wheel, all leather and multifunctional. The instruments and the selector lever are uniquely designed. The driver information includes a lap timer, boost pressure and the oil temperature. The 2011 Audi RS3 comes with different standard equipment, such as the Sport button, climate control, xenon headlights, chorus radio system, and rear parking system.

The 2011 Audi RS3 not only comes with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive, but the new version will also enjoy the new S Tronic 7-speed transmission from Audi. This transmission uses a tall 7th gear that increases the efficiency levels of the vehicle at motorway speeds. Though the car is sporty, the exterior can appear as though it was a business car.