Storage 2-3 months

[iluvpho]

Ill be going to school soon and wont be back till december an unfortunately i am not taking my car. I did some researching and I think i have a good checklist.

Option 1: once a week start up
Let my mom start my car every week ( she doesnt know how to drive stick). So probably my tires will be "square."

Option 2: storage
-Car cover (No option of indoor storage, but it is in my front yard so it is safe).
-Disconnect + and - of battery
-Put stabilizer in the gas tank
-Leave the window open just a tiny bit
[-Handbrake? <-- I read that leaving the hand brake on will cause it to stick.

well that is all i can think of. I live in socal so the temperature ranges from about 30-90 but since its fall/winter it will be around 40-60 avg. I am not worried about little critters because we got an outside car .Also my oil is fairly new...mobil 1full syn.1500/3000 miles.

I am thinking of going option 1 because driving the car is the best maintenance. What do you guys think or advise me to do? Anything else i should mention to my mom?
thanks!

 

[2slo4u]

I would take off the wheels and out the car on jacks and put a car cover on it. Starting the car once a week might seems do-able for the first couple weeks but then it becomes a hassle to the person doing it. Putting the car on jacks and removing the battery terminals should be ok. I've left my car like that for a few months before and it started up fine after.

 

[lethal6]

Dude, it's only 3 months.

Most of the stuff you are listing is for very long term storage.

Your tires won't square after only a couple months. Especially not sitting in the yard. They square because of the moisture in concrete rotting the rubber, even then it takes quite a long time. My buddies jeep only comes out of the garage from June to September and he has NEVER had a problem. That means it sits for 8 months. Only thing he has ever done is put sta-bil in the tank. He has had the jeep for over 12 years now.

Your handbrake will be fine. The reason they stick is because of moisture. Either moisture causes rust which in turn makes the pads stick or moisture freezes causing them to stick. I don't think either will be a problem in Cali.

Throw a cover over it and call it good.

My car sits for easy 2-3 months some times because of driving the silverado and I do nothing except plug the battery tender into it from time to time.

 

[iluvpho]

alright letal that clears up a lot! thanks man. also what about my gear? i always leave it in reverse when i park, should i leave it in neutral?

 

[lethal6]

alright letal that clears up a lot! thanks man. also what about my gear? i always leave it in reverse when i park, should i leave it in neutral?

You know, that could be a matter of debate or preference. I usually leave my civic in gear with the ebrake off, because we have a wet climate up here in washington and I don't want the stuck rusty drums. Even then the parking brake thing could be more of a wives tale as I leave the back up work truck parked with the ebrake on and it can sit for many months at a time (6+). I have never had a problem with it sticking, but the brakes are very touchy for the first couple stops.

If you are worried, you could leave the ebrake off and the trans in neutral, just chock the wheels with a couple rocks or pieces of wood so it won't roll.

If you have the access and the funds, I would recommend getting a battery tender to keep the battery fresh. Most times it isn't a problem but if you have even a little draw, the battery will drain in no time. I have a draw somewhere on mine and if I let it sit without plugging it in for more than a week the battery is completely dead.