ASK RANDY
Q: We are going to snowbird between Tucson and New York State. What is your opinion about storing a car from May to October in a residential garage in Arizona? What steps should we take so the car will be in good shape upon our return each fall?

With Arizona being the snowbird capital of the U.S., this is a common concern. When storing your car through the summer in an Arizona garage, there are three things to consider. The first concern is the battery and the electrical system. I recommend disconnecting the battery and insulating the terminal ends so that they don’t accidentally move and make contact with the battery posts. This will eliminate the chance of any parasitic draw sucking the life out of your car’s battery while the sun sucks the life out of those of us who spend our summers here.

The second thing to consider is the gas in your car’s tank. Gasoline doesn’t last forever; it goes bad after a period of time. I recommend that you put a can of fuel stabilizer in the tank before leaving for the summer. Fuel stabilizer can be purchased at any local auto parts store such as NAPA (which just so happens to offer a discount for AAA members).

The third and probably least obvious thing to consider is rodent control. Even in well-insulated garages, we see several cars every year that are towed in to one of our club-owned repair shops with strange electrical problems after being stored for the summer. What we find in most of these cases is that mice have taken up residence in the car’s engine compartment and chewed through several hundred fairly important wires in the process. Whether you choose poison, traps, or some other way of keeping the little critters from moving in while you’re away, some measure should be taken.
By taking these preventive measures, you will save yourself a big headache and a big bill when you get back to Arizona in the fall.