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.
I’d drain the tank and put a cover over it.
I can’t say for certain that it would work or not, but that is what I would do
Yeah, for the most part. The other commenter is right about that battery, tho. Disconnecting the battery will help, but depending on the type and age of the battery (and temperatures in the storage area) the battery might still not last. Trickle charger might be ideal here, even just a little solar panel for it.
Gas in the tank is another thing. There might be conflicting opinions on how best to handle this, but- I would run the tank as empty as practical, then fill it up completely (so you have all fresh gas) and add a stabilizer. Most stabilizers will keep the gas good for 1-2 years. Best to make sure its an Ethanol stabilizer (like Sta-Bil 360), unless you put pure gas in. Then make sure to drive it a little so the stabilized gas gets into the whole fuel system.
Otherwise, give it a good wash and then a cover for it if you can if it’ll be outside in the elements. Depending on the storage environment, things could still start growing on it, inside and out.
okay you mentioned a lot about gas and stabilizers, what about diesel? My vehicle runs on diesel.
Diesel typically has a longer shelf life, so thats one benefit. A year, under optimal conditions. I believe you can still buy stabilizers meant specifically for diesel.
Disconnecting the battery will help avoid the possibility of corrosion seeping into cables. It’s probably not a huge risk in the span 12 months, but it’s an easy precaution.
Gas is likely bad. There are other factors that could influence the situation. Is this a hypothetical, or do you have more details?
hypothetical. I live alone and have no one to help with such things, and kinda wanna spend a year in the hospital
Disconnect the battery. Don’t leave gas in it. Make sure you’ve got proper antifreeze mixture in the coolant, if you’re in an area where winters get freezing. And if you can, get a proper car cover.
Alternatively fill the tank and use a storage additive. Like this stuff https://www.sta-bil.com.au/products/sta-bil-fuel-stabiliser.
Dont just disconnect the battery, take it out of the car and put it inside, on a battery tender if you can afford it. Put 1 or 2 of those closet dehumidifier tubs in it as a precaution against mould (especially if its been rainy in the leadup to storage) and if you’re relatively smart with cars go into the fuse box and take out the fuse for the ecu/fuel pump so that if someone breaks into the house and finds the keys they cant just steal the car.
Also yes, DEFINITELY get a cover that fits well. Poor fitting covers can really damage the paint if they move around too much.
Just don’t use rice as a humidity absorber. I knew someone who tried that, and their car got absolutely ravaged by rodents that wanted them grains.
Even when disconnected, car batteries will self-discharge at a rate of 5-15% per month, so after an year, the battery will likely be drained completely.
@LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world, what you could do is buy a solar trickle charger for your car battery, it’ll help maintain the charge level. They’re fairly cheap and good option, as long as your car (or panel) is exposed to sunlight.
Another issue is that your tyres will deflate. Typically tyres deflate around 1-3 PSI per month, or maybe more during summer or in hot climates. So by the end of the year, your tyres could be deflated to 3/4th their capacity. To solve this, you can get a portable air compressor, which can be powered by your car battery (which is hopefully still charged!).
Your battery will likely need a jump start/charge. I don’t know enough about cars to say anything else
Or a replacement. Modern gel batteries don’t take too well to deep discharge, and modern cars tend to use power even when turned off (listening for remote unlock signals, alarms, cameras, etc)
Thank you
