PREPARING YOUR VEHICLE FOR STORAGE
If you plan on storing your vehicle for 30 days or more, read the following maintenance recommendations to make sure your vehicle stays in good operating condition.
We engineer and test all vehicles and their components for reliable, regular driving. Under various conditions, long-term storage may lead to degraded performance or failure unless you use specific precautions to preserve vehicle components.
General
- Store all vehicles in a dry, ventilated place.
- Protect from sunlight, if possible.
- If vehicles are stored outside, they require regular maintenance to protect against rust and damage.
Body
- Wash your vehicle thoroughly to remove dirt, grease, oil, tar or mud from exterior surfaces, rear-wheel housing and the underside of front fenders.
- Periodically wash your vehicle if it is stored in exposed locations.
- Touch-up exposed or primed metal to prevent rust.
- Cover chrome and stainless steel parts with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent discoloration.Re-wax as necessary when you wash your vehicle.
- Lubricate all hood, door and luggage compartment hinges and latches with a light grade oil.
- Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
- Keep all rubber parts free from oil and solvents.
Cooling system
- Protect against freezing temperatures.
- When removing your vehicle from storage, check coolant fluid level. Confirm that there are no cooling system leaks and that fluid is at the recommended level.
Battery Systems
We recommend the following actions for your vehicle:
- When storing your vehicle for greater than 30 days the state of charge should be approximately 50%. Additionally, we recommend disconnecting the 12v battery which will reduce system loads on the HV battery.
Note: Make sure the vehicle has been switched off and doors closed for at least five minutes before disconnecting the 12 volt battery.
Brakes
- Make sure the brakes and parking brake release fully.
Tires
- Maintain recommended air pressure.
Miscellaneous
- Make sure all linkages, cables, levers and pins under your vehicle are covered with grease to prevent rust.
- Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m) every 15 days to lubricate working parts and prevent corrosion.
REMOVING YOUR VEHICLE FROM STORAGE
When your vehicle is ready to come out of storage, do the following:
- Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt or grease film build-up on window surfaces.
- Check windshield wipers for any deterioration.
- Check tire pressures and set tire inflation per the Tire Label.
- Check brake pedal operation. Drive your vehicle 15 ft (4.5 m) back and forth to remove rust build-up.
- Check coolant levels to make sure there are no leaks, and fluids are at recommended levels.
- If you removed the 12 volt battery, clean the 12 volt battery cable ends and check for damage.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have any concerns or issues.