Locking Up the Car for a Year

[nehonda]

Here's my experience on storing cars for 10-12 months in a garage for the past 30 years. A couple of times they set for 2 years. Never had any problems restarting or running.
1. Wash and use an inexpensive cover to keep dust off.
2. Change oil right before the storage time.
3. Take on a long (10+ miles) drive on the way to storage to get moisture out of the engine, exhaust, etc.
4. Disconnect the battery and remove it. Recharge before replacing it.
5. Put a container of desiccant (like Damprid) inside the car to prevent mildew.
6. Do not start the engine or drive anywhere until its time to get it out.
Engine starts without driving and short drives are the worst things you can do. The oil and other systems just get contaminated because they never get hot enough to drive off moisture.