# Leaving my car outside **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163 "2020-11-10T21:32:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blakensnake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Blakensnake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blakensnake)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/1 "2020-11-10T21:32:29Z")
So unfortunatly last minute i can’t use my garage to store my nice vehicle. It’s completely rust free on the bottom, if i leave the car outside with a car cover on it, would that change anything under the vehicle since technically the bottom wouldn’t be protected. Or would the car need to go thru serve salt, driving and abuse for it to start getting rusty and normal snow wont do much? ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/2 "2020-11-10T21:36:38Z")
If you are getting salt on the bottom of your car, neither a garage nor car cover will help. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/3 "2020-11-10T21:39:47Z")
Have you not noticed that many people have vehicles parked outside for years without car covers ? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/4 "2020-11-10T21:55:55Z")
Most cars spend their lives outside with little issue. If the car is not driven on salty roads, he salt can’t just wander over and attach itself to the car, so no issues there. Your car will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/5 "2020-11-10T22:07:12Z")
> [@Blakensnake](#): > > So unfortunatly last minute i can’t use my garage to store my nice vehicle. It’s completely rust free on the bottom, if i leave the car outside with a car cover on it, would that change anything under the vehicle since technically the bottom wouldn’t be protected. Or would the car need to go thru serve salt, driving and abuse for it to start getting rusty and normal snow wont do much? I never park inside my garage in winter because it is heated and will promote rust. Also,most cars start to rust in the spring when warmer weather set in. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/6 "2020-11-10T22:07:56Z")
So, most cars spend their lives outside. So, this may not actually be an issue. So… why does anyone _begin_ his/her sentences with the conjunction, “so”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/7 "2020-11-10T22:08:36Z")
My vehicles are only garaged at night…well until Covid. Most of the day they’d be parked in a parking lot at work. Unless you clean the vehicle every night before you garage it…then it’s the same as parking outside. Live with it. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/8 "2020-11-10T22:12:54Z")
I’ve mostly noticed this with younger folks on the West Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/9 "2020-11-10T22:20:38Z")
Wait till it’s -20f. That’s where garage is helpful. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/10 "2020-11-11T06:15:50Z")
If you live where I live salt can definitely wander over onto your car.I live about 300 ft off a 4 lane 40 mph road to my west and about 2000 feet North of an Interstate. Our prevailing winds is from the Southwest. We get a lot of wind. I put up a 6’ stockade fence down one side of my back yard about 90 degrees to the wind. It was on 4x4 lumber set in concrete 3’ deep. The wind kept snapping the 4x4s. I finally had to set the posts 4’ apart rather than 8’. Iplanted some blue spruce when I moved here 50 years ago/ They died even though though I kept them well watered and they had good drainage. The nurseryman’s diagnosis.was too much salt spray. It dries on the outside of my house windows and on my car even when I am not driving it after being washed in the winter, I have heard people living near the ocean complain of the same thing, ---
**Author:** ![gmallan55\_149168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@gmallan55\_149168](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gmallan55_149168)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/11 "2020-11-11T18:52:49Z")
Not everyone parks in a garage. ---
**Author:** ![Blakensnake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Blakensnake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blakensnake)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/12 "2020-11-13T00:19:50Z")
Yeah , should of metioned i was looking to park it in my parents backyard (salt free but will be under 3 feet of snow). Clearly salt eats away at cars, but i guess the question more revolved around does mositure and snow and all that do anything? or is it purely the salt dirt and all other road crap thats shoots around you car ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 12:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/13 "2020-11-13T00:24:04Z")
My guess is salt, outdoor car salt and snow was some rust after 17 years as a daily driver through salt muck and snow, the less salt the better my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/14 "2020-11-13T00:33:19Z")
Actually parking in a warm garage is worse than leaving it outside because anytime the temp rises above 32 F, the road salt starts eating bare metal. Parking it on grass or dirt is not as good as pavement, however. So, again, no issues leaving it outside in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Blakensnake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Blakensnake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blakensnake)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 12:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/15 "2020-11-13T00:53:59Z")
Cool! appreciate your answer + beyond answer for future of car owning!! thank you again for your competence in anything bumper to bumper and even aftermarkets as well! learned a lot from you in past 6 months. Couldn’t thank you enough dad always got dealership cars and sold them at warranty expiration so he doesn’t really know much about cars just where to bring it if something isnt right or if it needs oil lol ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/16 "2020-11-13T01:54:50Z")
I have known many people that put stepping stones under the wheels. My boat wheels seem to do fine, but it is a thought you might wish to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/17 "2020-11-13T02:44:22Z")
> [@Blakensnake](#): > > i was looking to park it in my parents backyard Parking on frozen ground shouldn’t be mush different than parking on pavement. During the spring thaw however the damp ground will keep the under side of your car damp, day and night. This won’t affect the painted surfaces but suspension, brake parts, nuts, bolts and rust spots will rust more than if you drove the vehicle through out the winter and parked on pavement. I would much rather store a vehicle in a garage, as long as there is a roof it should be drier than storing the vehicle outside. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/18 "2020-11-13T14:45:26Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > So… why does anyone _begin_ his/her sentences with the conjunction, “so”? Like, it’s the new form of “like,” man. Dig? Groovy. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/19 "2020-11-13T16:55:04Z")
Farm out, man… ---
**Author:** ![zakariya\_172403](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/zakariya_172403/32/23244_2.png) [@zakariya\_172403](https://community.cartalk.com/u/zakariya_172403)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163/20 "2020-11-19T13:27:50Z")
I had experience parking car in snow. In my opinion, park under the shade would be better. But 5-7 days won’t make much difference. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaving-my-car-outside/172163.md?page=2)