Month in Motoring, October 2025 

End of the Season

For many car collectors in northern states, October signals the end of car season. It’s the time that cars head into storage and off-season repairs and maintenance take place.  

For those owners with a single collector car, the opportunity to spend months going over it, without missing anything is a real benefit. There is nothing worse than having a significant breakdown during the height of the hobby in June, which is a nightmare. 

Winter break is the opportunity to complete preventative maintenance and fix minor problems that may turn into major ones. Along with that checklist, ensuring proper storage is also critical. The following five simple things can be the most important, and they are tasks that anyone can perform no matter your skill level. They are just basic, and you should do more preparation, but here is the minimum:  

Winter Storage Checklist

Check the oil. You might not need to change it. But a quick level check and a feel test tells you a lot. If the oil looks light and feels smooth, odds are you are OK. But if it is dark or has any contaminants, change it. Or find someone who can. 

Next, look at the radiator and hoses for leaks. Open the cap and look at the condition.  Double check your level of anti-freeze if you don’t intend to drain it. The skill level needed is zero.  

Third on the list is to check the air in the tires. Overinflate by a few pounds since your tires will lose air as the temperature drops. This is especially true if your car is hard to access.  A few extra pounds might save you a flat tire in the spring. 

Next, make sure your battery is fully charged and that you can keep it charged over the winter. Cold weather and leaving a battery dead can ruin the battery. Alternatively, you can try a battery tender. It provides a constant charge over the winter while your car sits, maintaining your battery’s strength. If neither of these are an option, disconnect the battery. That will eliminate any potential drain over the winter.   

The final check is a walk around the car looking for anything not normal. Windows should be fully up and clean. Nothing should be left in the trunk that might be ruined by the cold.   If you have a leather interior, consider doing a quick conditioning treatment that will maintain softness and reduce cracks that the cold weather can cause.   

Bonus Item

A bonus suggestion is to add fuel stabilizer to your gas tank. Modern fuel has a short lifespan if it is not used. It can cause serious damage to your fuel tank and your entire fuel system if it is left untreated. That $5 pint of stabilizer can save you from serious heart ache in the spring.  

This is a short list, and will not take long to complete, but every spring we hear stories of damage that could have been avoided by a few easy steps in the fall. Let’s hope you don’t have a story to add to that list!  

Happy Motoring.