Good evening Acurazine,

Tried searching for car covers on the forums but couldnt find anything.
I am leaving the country Feb. 1st for 5 months and will store my car outside on my dad's property for the time, my dad will be able to start every once in a while and let it run.
Whats a good and cheap car cover for the TL ?
Do I need to do anything before I store it ? change any fluids etc... ?
All responses will be greatly appreciated !!!

 

My 2 cents:

I have never stored my TL, but when I was storing other cars I would change the oil, test the coolant to ensure it is good, disconnect the battery, put a few bounce sheet in the car and one of those odor absorbing pucks. Also as I frequently stored my old summer car I would out on a set of crappy bald tires as i found tires ten to flat spot. If the car is standard i would never leave the e-brake on i would chalk the tires.

 

good and cheap dont' really seem to fit in the same sentence.

so...to a car cover...outdoor cover....covercraft NOAH car cover with mirror pockets. get the gust guard clips.

 

Waxing it wouldn't be a bad idea if you have the time. A car cover may cause more damage than it will prevent if it snows or rains on the car and sits for a long time.

 

I live in MN and it should snow and rain quite a bit from February 1st until June 25th.
I recently changed all the fluids and changing the oil this Thursday.
How often should I have my dad start the car and for how long each time ?

 

well if your dad has to start it then he might as well give a quick once over with quick detailer since the cover is off.

i've owned two car covers for my TL so far in its life. i daily my TL and cover it daily when its at home. i've had the cover on during the rain and on sunny days the cover dries quite quickly. during heavy snows though i do take it off and just let the snow fall where it may. if its dry then the cover goes back on (after the car is clean of course).

its your car, so you can do whatever you feel. my car has not incurred any damage b/c of the cover (may a few light scratches, but nothing that a little polishing won't get out).

you should consider having it driven if possible on nice days.

 

I'd also recommend Dad taking it for a short run every 2 weeks or so to get the rust off the rotors when the car sits in the rain and snow, plus to avoid flatspotting the tires. Starting and just letting the car run at idle isn't the best idea- it's better to run the car on the road for a few miles- get any condensation out of the exhaust. Ideally the battery should be connected to a 'battery tender' or the like to keep the battery fresh, but if your Dad will use the car from time to time, the battery step can be ignored. Lastly, put some fuel preservative in the tank, like Stabil or like product, to keep the fuel fresh.