Relative importance of garaging

[RedCorvette]

Here's what I think is an interesting discussion point.

On BITOG, we have folks who obsess on details. Those obsessing on oil filters in particular get me thinking about how useful this obsessing is (eg the fact that Toyota filters are relatively so poor bears little relation to the longevity of Toyota vehicles).

But while we discuss the intricate details of oil and oil filters, we rarely discuss what the impact of garaging your car can have.

I have an 8 year old car that I've changed the wipers on once, have waxed once with NuFinish and it still beads, have never changed a hose on. In fact, all of the things that threatened the longevity or performance of the car have been caused by either incompetent mechanics / service writers and lack of top tier fuel. What oil or what filter have been on there does not seem to have made much of a difference at all.

It seems that as well as making sure fluids and filters are changed on time with something readily available that is specified for the job, the fact that the vehicle is mostly garaged contributes more to trouble free ownership than the exact choice of filter, oil or other fluid.

 

[Lead Shoes]

Originally Posted By: RedCorvette

the fact that the vehicle is mostly garaged has more impact on trouble free ownership than the exact choice of filter, oil or other fluid.


I park my car in the yard and it has a dent on nearly every panel, and it's the most reliable car in the house.

 

[Doog]

+1 My wife's cars are always inside and even look pretty good at 150-200k on the clock. But I power wash the underside and wheels in the winter once a week. Slows the corrosion from salt by 80%.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Having owned a ton of cars new and used I have a comment.

Keeping a new car garaged from day one is unbelievably helpful! Wax does not degrade, my wipers lasted 5 years, Tires don't crack, and on and on... even the interior still smells great.

Not necessary, but fantastic at preserving the essence of a new car.

 

[supton]

Does garaging help that much? Car gets parked outside, during the worst of the UV rays, for 5 days out of 7. [IOW, during work hours.] I'm sure the car is saved from the issues of snow removal (no scratches from ice scrapers); but one still has to deal with that while at work.

 

[RedCorvette]

Originally Posted By: supton
Does garaging help that much? Car gets parked outside, during the worst of the UV rays, for 5 days out of 7. [IOW, during work hours.] I'm sure the car is saved from the issues of snow removal (no scratches from ice scrapers); but one still has to deal with that while at work.


I often work from home and can find underground parking at work too!

 

[edwardh1]

I think garages help the electrical systems too

 

[01rangerxl]

My parents have garaged most of their vehicles for the past 20 years and it definitely helps in some ways. The rubber parts on their cars seem to hold up well and their cars look good for years with basic exterior maintenance. My dad might hand wash his cars once every two years, running them through an automatic touchless car wash about every two weeks to a month the rest of the time. My mom will usually hand wash her car once every couple of months and uses an automatic car wash when the car gets really dirty in between hand washings. They stopped waxing their cars years ago. There's still 8-10 hours a day where their cars might be parked in an open parking lot, but only their 1993 Nissan Quest really showed it. Its paint and interior faded pretty badly. Also, they had a truck that was parked outside that squirrels liked to chew on. They ate the oil cap and a few other plastic parts.

My vehicles have primarily been parked outside, but on pavement. When my truck looked nice it was pretty much a full time hobby to keep it that way. It's almost a relief that it has become so beat up because now I don't feel bad about just pressure washing it every couple months. I haven't had any mechanical issues because of it though and the interior doesn't show any signs of UV damage aside from the Twin Cities factory sticker in the back window that has cracked into several pieces.

 

[Astro14]

Garaging makes a tremendous difference - protection from UV radiation, temperature extremes, contaminants...

I understand the "I park it outside at work" argument, OK, there are 2,000 hours of work in a year...and 8,760 total...

 

[surfstar]

I keep my new car parked at the dealership - it amazingly never ages.

 

[cp3]

I wouldn't know.....

When we moved I wanted a basement rec-room and a garage but I got a basement MIL & a shed....

I don't doubt for a second that it helps but I think just as much can be attributed to how one looks after their vehicle. If it is just another appliance to you I don't think a garage is necesarily going to keep your vehicle looking pristine. On the other hand, my cars (obviously) live outside and still look pretty good when they're washed and waxed!

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
I understand the "I park it outside at work" argument, OK, there are 2,000 hours of work in a year...and 8,760 total...


Those 2,000 hours are the same as peak sunlight hours.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Garaging makes a tremendous difference - protection from UV radiation, temperature extremes, contaminants...

I understand the "I park it outside at work" argument, OK, there are 2,000 hours of work in a year...and 8,760 total...


Yeah, but most of the balance of those hours are dark.

I believe in garaging, and garage both of our cars. But I also recognize that whatever car I do drive to work is baking in the sun during the day (when it should really be covered), and is resting comfortably under the cover of the garage at night (when the cover is a moot point in terms of UV, etc).

I keep ours in the garage mostly for cosmetic reasons. It keeps them out of the thunderstorms/hail, keeps the pollen off, keeps the tree sap off, things like that.

 

[KrisZ]

It seems that garaging helps more in high UV areas or during summer and that help is more cosmetic than anything else.
How can garaging help with hoses, oil caps or other under the hood components when they are already shielded?

In places where tons of salt is dumped on the roads, even at the slightest hint of snow, garaging and warmer temperatures associated with it, will make the frozen salty slush into brine and that promotes corrosion.

 

[RedCorvette]

Yes high UV and heat areas definitely benefit from garaging. I'm lucky in that I get to park my cars in garages / under cover almost all the time, even during work days.

But it's not just cosmetic. SteveSRT8 said tires crack in Florida when exposed to UV / heat. Extreme heat inside your car can affect the fit and finish due to expansion / contraction, reduce the life of leather and wood significantly, many electrical items are not supposed to operate in extreme temps. Paint damaged by UV means it's no longer protecting as well from rust.

My original reason for this thread was that keeping your car garaged could be quite significant from a longevity point of view.

 

[azjake]

I'm retired and my vehicle is in a carport that's totally protected from the sun. Yes, keeping the sun off it does help the paint, wipers and other rubber/vinyl parts. BTW. If I had a garage and kept my car there, the temps inside the garage with the Arizona heat would be at least as high as they are in the carport.

 

[Shannow]

Parents have a carport, and I have the street, and the closest to cover is the power lines that the birds sit on.

Parent's paint stays immaculate, I lose the clearcoat.

Price you pay for admission (and having a child friendly back yard here).