What do you do with your car if you are away for more than a few weeks or months?

[Anonymous]

Do you just let the battery die out and replace when you return?

[Anonymous]

I have had friends drive my car every few weeks when I was gone for months.

Don’t let the battery die. I had a car that got electrical problems and really wasn’t ever good again after I was away for 4 months and the battery died.

[Anonymous]

I would disconnect the battery, with no load it should hold its charge for a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you just let the battery die out and replace when you return?

Disconnect it if you have a wrench or just forget it and call aaa when you return for a jump start

[Anonymous]

Depending on how old school you (and your car) are:
Change the oil before you park it. All three of my cars are more than a decade old and the oil accumulates some junk/water in the months between oil changes. I don't want to deposits to settle into any passages or valve stems so I change before I leave it for an extended time. I disconnect the battery and don't bother with the potential hazards of leaving the battery on a trickle charger.

If I had something super fancy like a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, disconnecting the battery is as far as I would take it.

[Anonymous]

Disconnect the negative battery terminal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depending on how old school you (and your car) are:
Change the oil before you park it. All three of my cars are more than a decade old and the oil accumulates some junk/water in the months between oil changes. I don't want to deposits to settle into any passages or valve stems so I change before I leave it for an extended time. I disconnect the battery and don't bother with the potential hazards of leaving the battery on a trickle charger.

If I had something super fancy like a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, disconnecting the battery is as far as I would take it.

Changing oil is an overkill unless you are going to store your car for a few years. If you want to be that conservative dump the fuel stabiliser in your gas tank first and inflate tires a few psi higher

[Anonymous]

Sell the car and get another one when you return

[Anonymous]

Get a battery tender. It's cheaper than a new battery.

[Anonymous]

Get a trickle charger! They are inexpensive and you can hook it up in two minutes. Just be sure to get one that is right for your car. I keep my car on one for months at a time and it always starts right up.

[Anonymous]

Could you let a friend borrow it for occasional use?

My widowed mom has “taken on” friends’ cars and loves having another car in her driveway or garage - she lives alone and this makes it look like she has a long term guest.

She’s also miles away from a big airport so many friends and family leave their car and Uber to the airport. No long term parking fees!

Longer than a few days, my mom will use the car for local errands.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t have a friend who will drive it for you, there are places that store cars and they will go out and start it every so often, etc. They’re common near military bases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a trickle charger! They are inexpensive and you can hook it up in two minutes. Just be sure to get one that is right for your car. I keep my car on one for months at a time and it always starts right up.

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