I travel alot so my cars in the garage most of the time (3-6 weeks at a time)

I tried to think of what to do to increase the longevity of my car but the only 2 things I could think of was:

1) unplug battery

2) put car on jackstands to prevent flatspots on my tires.


anything else??

Have a buddy or neighbor start the vehicle once or twice a month. This will negate the need for battery disconnect ( not a bad thing but the ECU will need to relearn each time and I personally HATE reprogramming the stereo settings ). It also keeps the engine seals lubed and avoids very dry startups.
Jackstands are not a bad idea for extremely long term storage but it can have a negative impact on the suspension and frame ( unibodies don't like variable support points ).
Storing in a garage will keep the temps semi-consistent and have little to no impact on the tires. Most tire rot or decay comes from UV or sunlight exposure.
Only extra thing I might suggest is a fuel stabilizer for trips longer than 6 weeks if you don't have someone starting the vehicle on occasion.
I just finished up a similar stretch ( 2 years of working outside the US ) but had a spouse and parents I could trust to run and drive the car weekly. Not sure I would have faith in just anyone especially with a turbo charged vehicle!

do NOT let someone just start it and run it for 15 minutes or so, either have them drive it around for long enough to get everthing including the exhaust system up to temp, or just get a battery maintainer. idling for 15 minutes once a month will do more damage then letting it sit idle. (warm enough to form condensation in everything, not warm enough to burn it out)

3 to 6 weeks at a time isn't that long, i would buy a battery tender or disconnect the battery, and not do much else, your car will be fine.

also don't jackstand your car. it might be easier on the tires, but apparently it is much, much harder on the suspension. (since it is fully extended)

good stuff

thanks guys, appreciate it