My car is parked in a condo garage for the winter. There is no option of plugging in a trickle charger. Any rough ideas on how long before it dies? I may be able to get it out for a run once in a while but thats a big maybe as snow has arrived. Is it worth starting it up every few weeks?

 

My experience has been that anything more than about 3 weeks without a battery tender and you are asking for trouble. If your car is going to sit longer than that and you can't connect a tender, I would disconnect the negative battery cable. If it is really cold, I would remove the battery and take it inside.

 

its been about a month so i best try and start it up. Tender is not possible and removing the battery is a pain as its not parked at my place. ie just storing it there so cant just take it inside - would have to take it home and then come back with it

cold is relative but it was -17C on the weekend (-30 with windchill) so that probably qualifies...

 

For your circumstances, disconnecting the ground strap as Chuck noted is likely the better option; however, do so on a fully charged battery. At this point, that may mean taking the battery out to be charged at home .... or parking the car such that it can be reached with jumper cables.
Joys of winter ...

 

I returned yesterday from a three-week trip. My car sat in an unheated garage (I'm in CT) for this period. It started, but the cranking was very, very slow. Another couple of weeks and I probably would have had a dead battery. YMMV.

 

Two other possibilities: a battery cutoff switch or a solar powered battery maintainer. Cutoffs come in various "flavors" but are relatively inexpensive and more practical than pulling the neg cable each time. However, with extended cold temps I think you'll eventually have a discharged battery despite having a cutoff or disconnecting. I just don't know how long that will take.

A solar maintainer may be a viable alternative. Northern Tool sells one for low light conditions (~$20). I have no personal experience with this product but it might be worth trying theirs or one from a competitor.

 

Take the battery out and place it on a battery charger-maintainer at home.

If it freezes, splits and leaks, you'll be sorry.

 

Vern:

I don't do any kind of wrenching, but I just installed a new battery myself, and it was easy, so I would just take the battery home.

I wouldn't start the car if it's not going anywhere.

 

Thanks but whats the harm in starting the car to recharge the battery even if I cant drive anywhere?

 

The damage you will do to your engine by repeatedly starting it and letting it idle long enough to charge the battery will far exceed the cost of a new battery and the driving time you will lose while the car is in the shop for repair of said engine damage will far exceed the time it will take you to remove the battery and store it in warm conditions until spring comes.

 

sorry but how will idling/revving the engine to charge the battery cause engine damage?

 

A lot of good advice here.

Personally I would be VERY careful NOT to let it 'sit' (with the immobilizer on) for more than 2 to 3 weeks.
Remember, if you try and start the car - with a pseudo dead battery - you ALSO run the risk of pissing off the air-bag sensor -- which will reward you with an airbag light that will stay on (for 2 + minutes) every time you turn the ignition to ON. (The airbag sensor is VERY sensitive to voltage fluctuations).

I REALLY think your best bet is to - once every 2 weeks -- to take the battery out and charge it overnight - then 're-install' it the next morning. Since you're NOT going to be driving the car -I would even go as far as to NOT clamp the battery down but to just leave it 'sitting' in the corner - which makes removal and re-insertion so much easier and thus you are LESS likely to procrastinate.

Having changed my battery (to an Optima Red Top) back in Sept. - it ALSO gives you an opportunity to "check around the general area" - so as to spot problems that you'd otherwise miss ...coz you can't see them.

My $.02,
Gerry

 

Vern:

I'm assuming your storage is heated, so I don't think that starting it will cause any engine damage. But I don't see the point of using an expensive engine to maintain an inexpensive battery. My new Interstate was about 130 bucks.

JMO.

The only concern I have about my car in the winter is the air conditioning seals. I like to run the AC in our cars once a month to keep the seals lubed (the lube is in the refrigerant). But we haven't had strong enough Chinooks in Calgary this winter to dry out the roads, so my 993 hasn't been out of the garage for about six weeks.

 

Thanks for all the info. The storage is not heated. Looks like I will just haul it out, take it home and keep it on the trickle. If i get a chance to drive then I'll throw it in the trunk and reverse the process.

I liked the quote "i dont see the purpose in using an expensive engine to charge an inexpensive battery" - that drove it home....

 

Relatively short running time in cold weather can allow condensation (read water) to collect in the crankcase. You need to run the engine fully hot so the water boils off, just idling for a little while won't do it. You really need to drive the car in order to get to proper temp and get things circulating otherwise it's best to let it sit and wait for a clear day. Take the battery home, charge it and come back in two months on a clear day for a quick run, then repeat until Spring has sprung.