# Dealing with a car at home and in Mexico



## DualLifer (Dec 25, 2021)

My husband and I will be retiring soon, spending half the year in Canada and half in Central Mexico and will hold PR cards. We will own a condo in Canada and rent in Mexico. We were trying to figure out how to deal with having vehicle access in both countries. Do we go through a cycle of buying cheap vehicles and selling every 6 months in each country (and the resulting taxes), do we store a vehicle in each country, etc? I hear you can't do a temp import into Mexico if you have PR card. Advice about cheapest option?


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Why would you buy and sell a car every 6 months in 2 countries? Just have a Mexican vehicle and a Canadian vehicle and find secure storage for them in your absence. Take off the insurance, aside from theft, for the 6 months you won't be using them, if possible.

If you are going to be living somewhere in Mexico where things are fairly walkable, it might be more financially viable and less hassle to just use taxis, Ubers and public transport in Mexico.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Well, that's a situation where a temporary residency is better than permanent (at least for the first four years), it would give you time to make a few trips back and forth and get stuff moved while only having one car.

For leaving a car to sit that long, you need to do something to keep the battery charged. You can remove the battery from the car, buy a battery charger from an auto store that has a 'trickle' setting, and leave it, but it's a fire hazard so I wouldn't want to leave it indoors unattended for six months like that. You can also buy smaller battery chargers that are designed to fit under the hood of a car that can only do a trickle charge (vs the high-amp 'start' settings of the bigger chargers). That's what I'd recommend, but you'll need a way to 'plug in' your car. 

If you just let the battery go flat you can maybe get a jump and charge it back up by leaving the engine running when you get back, but after once or twice doing that the battery won't hold a charge anymore and you'll be buying a new battery every year. 
Which is another solution I suppose, just buy a cheap battery once a year, but when I last bought an under-the-hood trickle charger ten years ago it was under US$30, no more than half the price of a battery.

If you're renting in Mexico, are you renting for 12 months or just six? If just six, where are you going to store the car when you're not here so that it doesn't get stolen completely or partially stripped?


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

For years we have had vehicles in both countries. We keep the stored vehicle connected to a battery maintainer. Cost is around $35.00. Do you have relatives or friends in boith countries? Would help if they could start the vehicle once a month.. Are they stored indoors? Buying and selling is not a good idea..


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## [email protected] (9 mo ago)

I'm thinking that having two cars that can use the same one battery might save you from any problems. Just a thought. Just take it out of one, and put it in the other.


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

Batteries are not cheap, they run $200 and more now days. A trickle charger is not a fire hazard however I would not leave one hooked up running for a long time. What that will do is cause the water in the cells to break down because they are turned back into h and o. This lowers the level causing the exposed plates to degrade slightly. Better to hook it up after returning. It will take a while to charge back up. This will not harm the battery. I don't know what that "battery maintainer" does, possibly it only charges when the battery gets below a certain level. That is the type of charger you want. It will neither overcharge nor undercharge. Cheap trickle chargers are meant to be used for short periods and with supervision.

Other things that are recommended include putting a teaspoon of motor oil in each cylinder before you leave. This prevents any condensation in the cylinders which could cause rust or corrosion. Its also recommended to check tire pressure since it will drop in 6 months so if its low now, it may be flat when you get back.


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## gawgagrey (8 mo ago)

All good ideas...an automatic trickle charger/maintainer with overcharge protection is great, IF you have a convenient electrical outlet. I keep a car in the US (Atlanta) and another in Mexico (SMA). I have secure parking in both locations and I store them from 5-7 months, depending, as follows. 

I put down a plastic tarp as a moisture barrier if the floor is concrete, lube the door/hood/trunk hinges, (white lithium grease), put a huge box of damp rid in a big aluminum pan under the car, aluminum foil in the exhausts (critter prevention), Some guys like to put the car on jacks to remove any weight from the tires but for 6 mos. I just slightly overfill the tires and that prevents flat spots. Completely fill the gas tank with stabilzed fuel, lift the wiper blades off the glass (mine are hinged but you can put a piece of cloth or paper under them too), remove the battery and grease the terminals (dielectric grease sold at batteries+). A fully charged unexpired battery with no load on it will be fine in storage for 6 -7 months, just like your Duracells in the kitchen drawer. When you return, reverse the process. Takes about 15 min. after you do it once. You can certainly get by without a car using cabs, ubers and the local public transportation around town, take buses, etc. to some mid to long distance locations and we do most of the time....but there will be LOTS of places, sights and destinations that are only convenient with your own wheels. Good luck!


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## timmy45 (Mar 22, 2021)

gawgagrey said:


> All good ideas...an automatic trickle charger/maintainer with overcharge protection is great, IF you have a convenient electrical outlet. I keep a car in the US (Atlanta) and another in Mexico (SMA). I have secure parking in both locations and I store them from 5-7 months, depending, as follows.
> 
> I put down a plastic tarp as a moisture barrier if the floor is concrete, lube the door/hood/trunk hinges, (white lithium grease), put a huge box of damp rid in a big aluminum pan under the car, aluminum foil in the exhausts (critter prevention), Some guys like to put the car on jacks to remove any weight from the tires but for 6 mos. I just slightly overfill the tires and that prevents flat spots. Completely fill the gas tank with stabilzed fuel, lift the wiper blades off the glass (mine are hinged but you can put a piece of cloth or paper under them too), remove the battery and grease the terminals (dielectric grease sold at batteries+). A fully charged unexpired battery with no load on it will be fine in storage for 6 -7 months, just like your Duracells in the kitchen drawer. When you return, reverse the process. Takes about 15 min. after you do it once. You can certainly get by without a car using cabs, ubers and the local public transportation around town, take buses, etc. to some mid to long distance locations and we do most of the time....but there will be LOTS of places, sights and destinations that are only convenient with your own wheels. Good luck!


Great advice and well said. Us car guys really appreciate the right info. Thanks


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