Hi, I have to leave my car in FL while I work in Europe for 9 months. Is it best to have someone drive and run the car for 5-10 minutes per week or disconnect something and leave it untouched and coverd up? Also I am wondering, how much fuel should I leave in the tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Also I am wondering, how much fuel should I leave in the tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Don’t just give it a few short rides. You are far better off using it. say every two weeks. Short rides are not good for your car.
You are sort of at a breaking point. I suggest Not having it driven. However I do suggest, first checking with your insurance company and make sure they don’t have any regulations that might cause you a problem.
You should be able to cancel the collusion part of your insurance. However make sure that is true for YOUR insurance company.
You don’t want to have it stolen, so try and store it where no one will see it, if possible. If they don’t know it is there, they will not be able to steal it.
Good Luck
Again, check with your insurance company.
If there is no issues with your insurance company, store it in a garage, and remove the battery (few criminals cary spare batteries.)
If you have a garage, the car can be stored inside and uncovered. If it is outside, get a good car cover for it. Tell your insurance company what you plan to do and ask how you an save money on insurance. A reputable insurer will be glad to help you. You should also disconnect the red battery cable and push it out of the way so that it can’t inadvertently come in contact with the terminal. You might put it in a baggie and tape the end shut. If you want someone to drive it, don’t disconnect the battery. It should be driven at least a half hour every 2 weeks. Ask your insurer if there is any cost difference for either method. Whether you remove the battery depends on where you live. If you are storing at that nice house in the background, you can just disconnect the red cable. If you leave it stored for the full time, buy some Sta-Bil gas treatment to stabilize your gasoline. Buy enough to treat a full tank of gas. 8 ounces treats 20 gallons; you probably have a 16 gallon tank. Take the bottle with you when you fill up with less than 1/4 tank. Pour in the Sta-Bil, then fill up. Drive around for a while to get the treated gasoline into the fuel system to prevent varnishing of the fuel injectors. Then store it.
Unless it can be taken out on the road and run for 20 minutes or so to fully warm it up, it is best to just leave it sit. Nine months is not long but the battery will discharge without a tender on it. So fill the tank and use a gas stabilizer. Disconnect the battery. In Florida you have to worry about pests and snakes so maybe steel wool in the exhaust to keep mice out and dryer sheets inside. I’d use a car cover too.