If you own a Ferrari, no matter its age, it might not be your main mode of transportation. If it’s not and you store it for part of the year, it’s essential that you know how to properly care for your sports car for the weeks or months that you don’t drive it. Looking into Ferrari service from a certified auto group can most certainly go a long way in allowing you to get as many miles as possible out of your vehicle, but there are plenty of steps you can, and should, take on your own.
Get It Serviced
One of the very first things you should do before storing your car is have it serviced, even if it seems to be running fine. This means getting the oil changed, the engine and fluids checked, taking steps to prevent corrosion and ensuring all the grease fittings have grease. Make sure the mechanic knows you plan on storing your Ferrari in case there are special considerations to make and actions to take. Another good thing about getting your auto serviced before you store it is that you can be made aware of any issues it might have so you can save up for repairs while it’s in storage rather than drive it and risk making the problem worse.
Fill It With Gas
Getting a full tank of gas is another good idea before putting your sports car away. While you don’t have to worry about varnish build up if you drain the tank, you do risk ruining your fuel pump, which could be expensive to take care of. To cut your losses, fill up the tank and add a fuel stabilizer, driving your car for about 20 minutes so the stabilizer can work its way through the fuel system.
Raise and Stabilize the Vehicle
Lift your Ferrari on jacks and release some of the air from the tires, which will keep it from flat spotting. Frigid winter temperatures can leech air from your cars tires while it’s in storage. By being left in storage for an extended period of time, those flat spots can become indelible, lingering even after you restore any air pressure you lost. Rather than have to replace your tires, you and your wallet are much better off simply raising your Ferrari off the ground.
Take Proper Care of Your Leather Interior
There are nothing quite like the supple leather interior of a sports car. To better ensure you enjoy that luxury for as long as possible, you’ve got to make sure you take care of your leather. First, find out what kind of leather your Ferrari has. Examples include corrected grain, full aniline and semi-aniline. You’ll want to use a special brush to agitate your leather so that all dirt and oil is lifted before you wipe it away. Once that’s done, you can condition your leather so that it’s well-moisturized and remains supple. For best results, you’ll want to opt for high-quality products that’t leave a greasy finish behind that can leave stains on your clothing.
Seal Up Openings
Because rodents, insects, birds and other animals and critters look for homes as well as sources of warmth during the colder months of the year, you’ll want to seal up your Ferrari before storing it. Wrap saran wrap over steel wool, or pack it into a sandwich bag and stuff it into your tailpipes. To better make sure you don’t forget to take the bags and wool out before driving your sports car, tie brightly-colored ribbons around the bags and let them hang out of the tailpipe.
If you’re worried about small rodents taking up residence inside your heater system, you can start your car and switch the air to recycle! before shutting the engine off and putting more steel wool and sandwich bags inside the air filter intake duct. Again, use ribbons as a visual reminder to take out the bag and wool before starting your car again in the spring.
Take Proper Care of Your Car Battery
In regards to taking care of your Ferrari battery! while you store it, you can either use a battery maintainer or remove it and store it someplace warm. The last thing you want is for your battery to lose power and freeze.
While you might hate to not drive your Italian sports car for several months on end, you’re sure to hate not being able to drive it at all because of neglect. Be sure to bear these tips.