Storing Your Vehicle for Winter: Now is the Time to Plan
In partnership with Otogo.ca
According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), an average of 835,000 vehicles are put away for winter in the province each year. That’s a lot of cars, and if one (or a few) of yours is among them, you know that some paperwork is required before you pull that cover over your car. To avoid long lines, it is preferable to use the SAAQ's online service.
It is available Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Owners can request to store a vehicle in advance or on the same day that it is removed from the road in a few simple steps. Everything can be done without having to go to a point of service.
Before starting, of course, you must have the most recent registration certificate of the vehicles to be stored ... and keep it for when you take the vehicle out of storage. By the way, the SAAQ will credit registration fees according to the number of months remaining before the renewal.
A Few Tips for Storing a Vehicle
Notify your auto insurance company, which may offer you the FAQ-16 clause. This suspends the coverage for civil liability with regard to the driving or use of the vehicle, which will entitle you to a credit.
The storage spot must be cool and dry at all times. If it is a warehouse or a parking space inside a building, there must be some security system to prevent theft, but you must also be able to access it if necessary.
As CAA-Quebec reminds us, take the time to do a good cleaning to remove all the contaminants that have become encrusted during the last few months. Have the engine oil and the oil filter changed. Then check the density of the engine antifreeze. It is also a good idea to fill the gas tank to three quarters of its capacity to avoid condensation inside.
Another good practice before storage is to run the engine for about 30 seconds after leaving it off for a few hours, to allow the oil to coat the internals of the engine with a thin protective coating.
