Care for your vehicle is important when you are going away for extended periods of time.  It can be especially important in certain climates with extreme temperatures. For many of our clients, going away during the winter months is a great escape out of the cold Minnesota winters. Some choose to drive a car down but most are leaving at least one vehicle here in their Minnesota garage. There is a lot of confusion on how to best handle your car while you are gone. We will highlight the options you have and how Snowbird Home Watch can help maintain the care of your car.

Option 1:  Start the vehicle and let run in the garage for a set amount of time. This is a common practice that we hear often. This was the practice with older vehicles but newer cars have sophisticated battery and electronic systems that function best when driven regularly.  Letting the car run idle is not the best option as many vehicles need to be driven for a period of time and up to a certain speed to recharge the battery adequately.  A car with an idling engine might still recharge your battery, just at a much lower rate than driving would.  

Option 2: Use of a battery tender. This is a video highlighting everything you would need to know about how to use a battery tender for your vehicle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igQuLYfLDzY  The battery tenders in this video are generic and may work fine. Many of our clients with more expensive vehicles will prefer to use the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for their battery tender to ensure peak performance.  We always recommend you check to see the recommendations for your specific vehicle.

Option 3:  Drive the vehicle regularly for a short distance. As mentioned above, driving the car for a period and up to a certain speed helps maintain the car’s battery.  In addition to the battery, it helps with keeping the engine, tires, and transmission in good working condition.   Some will use both a battery tender and regular car drives for their vehicle.  When you book us for home watch services, a car drive is a concierge service our clients can add-on to a visit. Make sure you are protecting not just your home but your car as well!   

We have highlighted a couple of the options and things to consider when leaving your car for extended periods of time. But we are not car experts! We get our information from experience with clients, talking to various car mechanics, other home watch professionals and research. Above all, we recommend you calling your car mechanic to get info on how to best handle YOUR CAR.  They should be able to give recommendations for your specific make, model, and year. These condiserations can include use of a battery tender, the frequency of regular car drives, speed, distance, and time for the drive.