Storing Car in DR for months???

AlterEgo

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Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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We brought one of our cars here to DR last January, and we're getting ready to return to NJ soon. The car will be in our garage for about 8 months, unless we need to come down in between.

Questions for those of you who leave cars for extended periods.....

1. Do you disconnect the battery?

2. Anything else we should know, or do?

The cars we leave in NJ are looked after by our daughter, who starts them, uses them occasionally, etc. No one here I'd trust with the keys.
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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I left my car in my garage for a few months a while ago. When I came back it had been devoured by rats! They got under the bonnet and made untold damage! Wires, hoses, plastics.....a real mess.

The mechanic who helped me repair it told me that when you lay up a vehicle for extended periods here in this country it's a good idea to leave diesel soaked rags under the bonnet. Rats don't like the smell of diesel, apparently.

You also might want to lay down some poison too, in case the diesel rags trick doesn't work.

And yes, disconnect the battery.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Listen to breeza, AE.

Unless you put it in a sealed bag, you will find some surprises on your return.

At minimum: take the battery out & put a trickle charger on it. Fill the tank and add Sta-Bil; run the car for 20 minutes or so before storage. If you can put it on blocks, take the tires off to prevent weirdness in the tire structure.

Good luck.

Just remember cars deteriorate more when unused than when used.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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I only leave for 2 months here but leave for 6 months stateside.

Solar trickle charger, gas stabilizer in a full tank..... do not start periodically unless prepared to run it for 45 minutes or so, you create condensation.

big advice is to walk away after 'setting the stage'.... do not touch

in the north, moth balls keep vermin away.... here, dunno but los dominicanos will know

blocks are not a good idea.... may save the tires, but the other parts are designed as weight bearing parts and suffer
I used to use tire cradles to avoid flat spots
you neever see museum cars on blocks

check the Maserati and Ferrari owners' websites -- this is a huge topic there
Maserati Forum - The Site for Maserati Owners comes to mind
 

mobrouser

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Jan 1, 2002
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in the north, moth balls keep vermin away.... here, dunno but los dominicanos will know

I was just going to suggest mothballs. Less flammable and the odour will last, actually increase, for 8 months.

As weird as it may sound, load the interior and trunk with dryer sheets if you have any - Bounce or whatever - smells much nicer than mothballs, but keeps rodents away too. I don't mean 3 or 4 sheets, but 30 or 40 tucked in the seats, in the glovebox, all over.

:classic:
mob
 
Aug 6, 2006
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One thing you can do is put a tarp down and drive the car onto the middle of it, then lace it up like an auto tamale. Throw in some mothballs, or use some Diesel fuel to keeps away from the wiring. If there is flooding, water will not get to your car.

For longer periods, put the car on jack stands to keep the tires from developing a flat spot. Tire cradles might be best, if you can find them. Overinflating also helps 45 psi or so is as much as you want. Leave a note telling yourself to let some air out when you return. Disconnecting the battery of some newer cars can make it hard to get started, as the computer will go dead and not all of them will boot back up in the proper manner. This depends on the car, you might seek info on this. A trickle charger, perhaps a solar one, might be better for some cars.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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We brought one of our cars here to DR last January, and we're getting ready to return to NJ soon. The car will be in our garage for about 8 months, unless we need to come down in between.

Questions for those of you who leave cars for extended periods.....

1. Do you disconnect the battery?

2. Anything else we should know, or do?

The cars we leave in NJ are looked after by our daughter, who starts them, uses them occasionally, etc. No one here I'd trust with the keys.

AE:

It is NOT a good idea to leave the vehicle sitting in the same spot.

1. Gasoline degrades and can lead to starting problems...or not starting at all.

2. The battery needs to be utilized or it will go bad over a few months.

3. Tires may start to go out of round (flat spotting) or at a minimum incur air leakage/dry rot from the climate and non use..

Your best answer, maybe not the one that works for you, is to have someone drive the vehicle once a week. Keep your tank low and have that person add 500 pesos of fresh gas every month.

All the other options listed above by other posters will work, but this is the BEST option for your Venza.



Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 
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william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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above is the other option- remember, not a short drive.

low tank if you exercise it regularly, full if sitting.

trickle charger will hold the battery.... my wife started mine after 6 months in PA.... parked in an open field witha cover on it (no falling limbs)
gas stabilizer is what they use to winterize boats

the new cars/batteries need to work all the time, like the new phones
My 2012 Jeep has no battery under the hood, its under the passenger seat - A HUGE lithium batteryonly accessedby lifting that seat
yours may be igual
 

skynet

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Aug 25, 2013
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It depends on the car and Year...Seals can dry out, when you start the car later you may have leaks..Gas can go bad (IE Humidity, change in cold to hot as it is now here, creates moisture in the gas tank) etc....If you have a trusted neighbor, allow them to start the car every so often..If not, put some dry gas in the gas tank, change the oil now with adding one quart of slick 50..Dry gas will protect your gas/tank, slick50 will be sure to keep those important seals and gaskets lubricated etc...I would drive the car now to empty the tank as much as possible...when all said and done, disconnect the battery....get a car cover and cover the car....
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
When I left once for 3 months, I put one cat in the truck, and one more inside.
No rat, or mice, damage when I got back!
But the stench was unbearable!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC


"AE",...."Google" is your friend!
The info here is all over the place, some good, some not good, much of it contradictory!
Your car makers website may be of help?????????
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys.

Some info. Car is a 2009 Toyota Venza. Battery is under the hood. Will be in a garage enclosed on 3 sides, 'open' front [locked bars]. We brought a car cover for it.

We just had the oil changed, we use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in this car. Additive still necessary??

Will buy one of the gas additives suggested. We will do the diesel soaked rags, and will scatter rat poison around under the car. Will try to find dryer sheets.

No one will drive the car, no family close, and they don't even sell premium gas here, we have to go into San Cristobal to buy that.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
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Rats got my car. Left outside. Best of all is you have some one to drive it time to time. Eliminates all the problems.
Wish I had done that. 20 20 hindsight
 
Apr 7, 2014
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Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys.

Some info. Car is a 2009 Toyota Venza. Battery is under the hood. Will be in a garage enclosed on 3 sides, 'open' front [locked bars]. We brought a car cover for it.

We just had the oil changed, we use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in this car. Additive still necessary??

Will buy one of the gas additives suggested. We will do the diesel soaked rags, and will scatter rat poison around under the car. Will try to find dryer sheets.

No one will drive the car, no family close, and they don't even sell premium gas here, we have to go into San Cristobal to buy that.

a. if your garage has a concrete floor then you should position wooden slats, like plywood under each tire to keep them round. Easy to do, just lay them down and drive onto them.

b. dryer sheets(inside) will work with the mothballs(outside). Diesel is flammable and will evaporate during the time you re gone and then there will be no mal-aromatic buffer between your wiring harness and rodents.

c. take the battery out, put it in the house in the closet, on a piece of wood. It should retain its charge if nothing is sucking off the current. Remember batteries in the store are built several months before they are sold and they still have 12.6 volts in them when you install them. Even the car battery is disconnected from the time it was built in Japan to the month it spent on a boat getting to its destination in North America, so it is not going to hurt anything.

d. poison may work and it may not, disconnect your air cleaner and stuff a plastic bag in it to prevent rodents, mice in particular, from trying to make a nest in the intake. Roach spray works well for beehives, hornets nest and insect infestations.

e. 1/4 tank is good so if it does go bad which is plausible because no one knows the quality of local fuel in any event you dont have more than 4 or 5 gallons in there. But it will take a long time for fuel to go bad like 3 years or so.

f. my neighbor put me onto an alarm system he has on his cars, the Viper VSM-3000. It has a GPS or satellite link up which, listen to this: Allows him to start his car remotely from anywhere on the globe. He said from New York he can press a button or call a number and he can start his car sitting in his driveway in Central Florida. Plus the system informs him of the exact GPS coordinates of the car. Might be useful to you.

g. car cover is useful to prevent dust buildup and shield any exposed areas of the car that may suffer from sun-bleaching which could crack the dash, or fade the paint.
 

skynet

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Aug 25, 2013
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Perfect!! Mobil 1 synthetic, no need for any additives then..very expensive oil change to boot! Sounds like you have it all covered


Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys.

Some info. Car is a 2009 Toyota Venza. Battery is under the hood. Will be in a garage enclosed on 3 sides, 'open' front [locked bars]. We brought a car cover for it.

We just had the oil changed, we use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in this car. Additive still necessary??

Will buy one of the gas additives suggested. We will do the diesel soaked rags, and will scatter rat poison around under the car. Will try to find dryer sheets.

No one will drive the car, no family close, and they don't even sell premium gas here, we have to go into San Cristobal to buy that.
 
Jan 9, 2004
10,898
2,226
113
Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys.

Some info. Car is a 2009 Toyota Venza. Battery is under the hood. Will be in a garage enclosed on 3 sides, 'open' front [locked bars]. We brought a car cover for it.

We just had the oil changed, we use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in this car. Additive still necessary??

Will buy one of the gas additives suggested. We will do the diesel soaked rags, and will scatter rat poison around under the car. Will try to find dryer sheets.

No one will drive the car, no family close, and they don't even sell premium gas here, we have to go into San Cristobal to buy that.


AE:

IF no one will start it/drive it...then;

1. Park it out of the sun in your garage...use a car cover if necessary;

2. Disconnect the battery and remove. The reason for this is, whether you use a cover or not, heat gets trapped in the engine compartment and heat is an enemy of batteries over time. Take the battery and put it in a cool place, non-enclosed (again to prevent heat loss). Today's batteries can be stored on concrete without problem.....and the concrete floor helps keep the battery cool and thus prolongs its life. If you are old school and still believe concrete is not where a battery should be stored (again 30 years ago this was true) then place the battery on a piece of plastic/wood on the floor.

3. Fill the tank up so no condensation/moisture can get into the tank.

4. On your return, bring down a battery pack with a tire inflator option (sold at Walmart or any auto parts store. The battery may need a slight boost and the tires might need a little air.

5. As to engine additives, Stabil for cars (there are two marine/automotive) is also a good choice.

As you know, I have had four cars in the DR, this advice has served me well for the first three. This last one, I have someone run it/drive it exactly as I described in my earlier post.

But since you do not have that luxury, these steps will do the trick...although I am a bit concerned regarding the tires sitting for 8 months. Even with today's tires, 8 months is a long time to sit and I would expect some air leakage and a thumping sound for a short period of time when you return.

Good Luck.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 
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william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys.

Some info. Car is a 2009 Toyota Venza. Battery is under the hood. Will be in a garage enclosed on 3 sides, 'open' front [locked bars]. We brought a car cover for it.

We just had the oil changed, we use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in this car. Additive still necessary??

Will buy one of the gas additives suggested. We will do the diesel soaked rags, and will scatter rat poison around under the car. Will try to find dryer sheets.

No one will drive the car, no family close, and they don't even sell premium gas here, we have to go into San Cristobal to buy that.

AE, you're doing all you can do... everything will be fine, don't overthink it.
Worst case is you'll need a battery recharge - no problem.

Your tires are new so your chances there are good.... no sun on the tires and overinflate them a bit.

safe trip home
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
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38
We brought one of our cars here to DR last January, and we're getting ready to return to NJ soon. The car will be in our garage for about 8 months, unless we need to come down in between.

Questions for those of you who leave cars for extended periods.....

1. Do you disconnect the battery?

2. Anything else we should know, or do?

The cars we leave in NJ are looked after by our daughter, who starts them, uses them occasionally, etc. No one here I'd trust with the keys.

I left my car in a garage for about 6 months. Mine was an older Mitsubishi Montero. I did not disconnect the battery. I had no problems with vermin and also left the windows open a bit to get some air flow. Be sure to back it in so you can jump start battery if necessary. I had little problem with the tires other than adding a little air. Good luck.

LTSteve