There is a good chance I'll have a car garaged and un-driven for about three months. Should I keep the battery on a trickle charger? Can you recommend the best?

Should I over-inflate the tires to reduce flat spots? To what pressure?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

When I leave a car for longer periods of time I leave my vehicles on a battery tender. I will park it on tire storage pads which do prevent flat spots.

You would likely be fine just disconnecting the battery.

Full tank of fresh quality gas. You could add a bottle of fuel stabilizer.

Battery tender is fine for this. They usually include a simple quick connect harness that takes minimal skills or tools to install.

Tire pressures higher might be helpful but not a big deal.

Depending on vintage I would remove the battery all together and raise her off the ground just a bit to help keep critters off of it.
I would also spray the tires, engine bay, under the seats, and both air filters with crest o mint.

You could also use tire saver ramps but arguable they make it easier for mice to crawl up.
https://a.co/d/0eWwtOS6

I’ve got 4 or 5 of these on various vehicles. Inexpensive and work well for me.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315113438924

You should have no problems with a 3 month storage.
Inflate the tires to the correct PSI, and disconnect the battery if your car has many parasitic draws when sitting or if your worried about a natural disaster that would knock out power in your area for a long time, if not, just a trickle charger would be fine.
Many cars sit for longer periods of time on dealer lots.

3 months? Close the garage.

If it could be longer, put fuel stabilizer in, fill the tank, charge the battery, disconnect the battery if no reason not to (losing radio station presets for example), and charge the battery when you get back.

The above is what I do when we leave the minivan in MI for 9 months.

For the small engines, I dump the fuel and run them dry. Amazingly enough, the two chainsaws, brush cutter, weed wacker, leaf blower, lawn mower, and pressure washer all started like normal when I got up here in June just by adding fresh fuel just like they have done every year for the last 20 years if I dumped the fuel and ran them dry before we left.

The boat, ATVs and PWCs, get fuel stabilizer, filled, and batteries disconnected. They get charged and hooked back up when we get back.

The Kubota gets its battery disconnected, then charged and reconnected when we get back.

It sounds like a lot of battery charging, but I have 3 chargers, so the minivan, Kubota, and one ATV get charged the first day, they other ATV gets charged the next and since the water is 50 degrees or so the boat and PWC get charged when I get to it.

Thanks for the info, guys! I appreciate it!

What car?

We're in NY & we've had our '25 XT4 thought 2 winters...it hasn't seen any road salt or been exposed to snow (don't want the undercarriage to rust like my truck and other car). The longest it's been sitting in the garage without starting was about 3.5 months; full tank of gas (Shell V-Power [calls for 91 octane]) and a battery tender connected. I have a battery tender plug hardwired to the battery in all my vehicles, so I just have to pop the hood & plug it in without needing to uncover the battery terminals.

I would plug top it off and plug it in

2020 Honda CR-V.

Thanks!

Three months? The battery will be fine and tire flat spots are a myth nowadays. I wouldn't worry about a thing other than making sure it's locked and perhaps covered.

If there is a window that will allow direct sunlight on the car I would cover the window.
It might prevent have an area from paint fading or interior damage.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
2020 Honda CR-V.

Thanks!

For a vehicle that new keep the battery connected and put a tender on it.
So many computer modules on these things anymore it’s better to keep them connected.

Thanks again, guys!

As for windows, two are up high on the east side, so the car wouldn't get hit with sunlight.

So tires? Not necessary to up the pressure?

Low profile tires seem to be affected by sitting for long periods of time the most. They'll thump and vibrate for a few miles. At least that's what happens with our vehicles with 30/35/40/45s.

It won't hurt to put some air in them as long as you set the pressure when you get back.

What everyone else said, but if you could get someone to drive it once a month for about 20 miles that would be the best for it. If you leave it here near the ocean, the brake rotors will be toast if you leave it 3 months.

You're probably fine without any special precautions, but out of an abundance of caution:

quote:

Should I keep the battery on a trickle charger?

It can't hurt. Be sure it's a "smart charger" that "knows" when to shut off and when to restart. A "dumb" charger left untended will cook the battery. This being a 2020 with all manner of computer modules that don't like power removed from them, I wouldn't disconnect the battery. Fill the gas tank full. A fuel stabilizer can't hurt. Put some kind of rodent repellent out.

In 2012, due to my not being able to drive it because of an injury, my own car (2009 Toyota Corolla) sat outside, in the weather for about six months. The battery stayed up. which was a good thing as it needed a lot of cranking to get it restarted. (I believe some valves may have hung open, as the sound of the cranking told me it had low compression.) A couple of tires went down but didn't flat-spot, and the brakes ground for several miles because the front rotors rusted up. I'm still driving it.

3 months is nothing. Put on a Battery Tender and walk away. Don't worry with tires, oil, etc. You're not putting up a classic with leaded gas on radial tires for 5 years.

If you're really worried, find someone you trust and ask them to take it for a spin every month or so that is long enough to get the fluids heated up.