I must leave my 2006 Toyota Corolla sitting in my garage for ten months. My family is moving to Germany for a short while and we can’t take it with us. We don’t have anyone to occasionally start the car for us so I want to put the car in mothballs for 10 months. Any suggestions about what I need to do?
Take the battery out (and either put it on a trickle charger or scrap it).
Put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank (get it at any parts store)
Plug up the exhaust and air intakes with rags to prevent varmints from nesting there.
Put it up on jackstands or be prepared to buy new tires. (this I am not too sure of, get other opinions)
When you get back, change the oil and oil filter first thing. Get a new battery.
Agree with all that Bill Russell recommended. Depending on how old the age of the battery is if you should put it on a trickle charge or not. About 4 years old or more, scrap it now.
Follow Bill’s advice and everything should be OK. I would suggest canceling your liability and collusion insurance, but keep the comprehensive. Be sure to start it back up before you start driving.
After adding fuel stabilizer, make sure to run the engine for at least a few minutes to give the fuel with the stabilizer a chance to find its way up through the fuel system into the injectors.
Instead of using rags in the exhaust and intake, stuff stainless steel wool in these areas. Critters can’t chew through SS wool.
Tester
What exactly does collusion insurance cover?
That is a funny typo, isn’t it? 