Keep Your Baby Safe While You're Away

If you're planning to leave home for an extended period of time, here are some helpful car care tips to keep your vehicle protected while you're on vacation, etc.

(1) Cover it up. It's a good idea to leave your vehicle with some kind of protection from harsh weather, etc. If you can store it in a garage or storage unit with controlled temperatures, that's great! But if you can't, a car cover will work as well, making sure it fits securely.

(2) Clean it up. It is a good practice to wash your vehicle before putting it up. This will remove any dirt, grease, water stains, etc. that could wear on your paint. While you're at it, you should also wax your car for even more protection.

(3) Change the oil. Keeping old oil in a vehicle for an extended period of time can cause contaminants that are harmful to the engine.

(4) Top off the gas tank. There are two reasons for doing this. The gasoline will not only keep the tank from getting moisture in it, but also stop the seals from drying out.

You may also want to use a fuel stabilizer to prolong the shelf-life of the gasoline, deflect ethanol buildup, and safeguard the engine.

(5) Keep the battery charged. To avoid a dead battery, have a trusted friend or family member run the car once about every two weeks for 15 minutes, elongating the battery life and lubricating the engine. If you are unable to have someone watch the vehicle while you're away, you have the option to disconnect the battery.

(6) Prevent flat spots on the tires. It's wise to fill your tires to the maximum tire pressure while you're gone, but if someone is car sitting for you, then driving the car on a regular basis will suffice.

In some circumstances, you may even consider removing the wheels altogether and leaving the car on jack stands to protect it from flat spots.

(7) Keep pests out. Rodents and other pests have the tendency to chew on wires or hide out in exhaust pipes. To prevent this, you can put caps over your pipes, air intake, etc. A good alternative for caps would be steel wool, and to deter them even further, you can place mothballs around the vehicle.

In extreme cases, you can even use mousetraps or rat poison as a more lethal deterrent.

**None of the photos above are my original content.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html