Only three things I can think of, two of which have been covered already:
- Battery, ideally disconnected.
- Gas, ideally add a stabilizer.
- Tires, tricky, ideally you’d move the vehicle every so often by 20-30 cm to even the load, but worse case your tires are going to wear out quite a bit quicker after a year standing on the same spot.
Since you gave advice on the battery and fuel:
Tyres go bad through the vehicle’s weight, so either raise the vehicle enough so they don’t touch the ground, or remove wheels and put it on stands.
Once you make sure the car is secure release the handbrake so it’s not engaged for a long period to prevent it from fusing.
Clean thoroughly inside and out to make sure dirt doesn’t adhere to paint or seats, that no food is left inside the cabin that can go bad and smells that can embed themselves in the seat foam etc.
Cover with a car cover to protect seals, paint, seats from the elements.
Tyres go bad through the vehicle’s weight, so either raise the vehicle enough so they don’t touch the ground, or remove wheels and put it on stands.
So what you’re saying is that having the car up on blocks, in my front lawn, is a good idea.
One thing no one has mentioned is the brakes. Do not apply the parking brake because it can actually become fused on after a long period of time. The best thing to do is actually remove the wheels and use jack stands. If you don’t do that then use chocks.
Before driving it you will want to bleed the brake lines to remove any air that might have gotten in there, and ensure the brake fluid reservoir is full.
The brake lines are hermetically sealed, there’s no way for air to get in.
The biggest problem is rust on the brake discs; they will still work but often need replacing due to rust pitting
Many things and factors to consider. Rodents may chew the wires off, electronics may corrode, plus, everything others cited. All in all, I have stored a vehicle for almost two years without any precautions and drove it without any problems.
Biggest thing to know is what sort of climate are we talking about? Extreme heat and cold are big factors. As well as sitting the thing down beneath some big trees or in a very dusty place.
I’d make sure it’s driven every couple of months or so.
With a moderate climate the gas and tyres are probably fine for a year. And the battery is probably fine if it’s left disconnected and charged up again before putting it back in service. But a year is about the limit, after that the chance of the gas going bad, the tyres getting out of round and rubbers drying out is high.
In a more harsh climate, things can go bad much sooner. Probably better to sell it and buy another one, once you need it again. If for example you are going away for a year or more.
Heat/dust isn’t an issue (minus maybe cracking the dash of there isn’t a sun shield), it’s why all the plane and car grave yards are in the desert. Cold/moisture will kill anything quickly.
Heat is a huge issue for things like rubbers and tyres. In the grave yard they don’t care about the things going to waste.
About 1/2 as bad for it sitting. Rubber will rot a lot quicker with weather than just dry heat. You’re talking about a constant heat with no moisture vs an humid heat + water + cold cycles. It’s a lot worse on rubber than dry desert heat is.
You’re going to get critters inside if left in a driveway.
I would store it somewhere that is kept rodent-free annd climate -controlled. Also, check with your insurance as you could drop collision since you won’t be driving it.
If you have a military base near by you’ll find storage options. Also look for rv storage facilities as they probably store normal vehicles too.
If you store it outside and put a car cover on it you’ll come back to lots of small scratches in the paint and rodents.
A bar of Irish spring in the engine bay will take care of most of the rodents, just don’t forget to remove it before driving.
EDIT: Make sure to jack up the car to remove the weight from the tires, and disconnect the battery.
That soap trick will not work.
I know it isnt the question you asked but the easiest way around this is to find someone you trust who can just use it sparingly, preferably someone with a garage who can keep it out of the weather for you.
deleted by creator
