GXP Winter Storage... Battery

[The Marshal]

Question about whether to disconnect the battery or not during storage (approx 5-6 months):

It makes sense to do so and keep a tricle charger on it, however, I have seen in a few posts here that that (negatively) effects the ECM and one could have start up problems when coming out of hibernation, due to the ECM having to re-learn.

Trickle chargers can be connected to the battery when it is still connected to the vehicle (charger negative connected to the engine block), but would this have an adverse effect on the ECM and other electronics?

[Boosted Wicked]

i would leave the batt in cause u will prob end up with issues come start up. with all the electronics. id put it one a batt tender i like pepboys come in a green package and are little black ones. ive used one now for two years on my show car n have tons of electronics every time i start after a long time is like its new. u can get this really nice one i have for like 50 bucks its water proof and every thing u can literally charge a batt with this pack submerged i love it.

[Seldom Home]

As mentioned in Boosted Wicked's post, use a battery "maintainer" rather than a straight trickle charger. The maintainers cycle on and off to maintain the battery in good condition. This applies whether or not you disconnect / remove the battery.

ps is winter really that long in Vancouver?, I can believe it here near Ottawa.

[Sly Bob]

A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76F. Leave it in the car, disconnect it, and forget about it till the spring.

[Boosted Wicked]

yes but the maintainer will assure a smooth awakening in the spring time no eletronic program or issues hell be ready to unplug and go driving also id maybe consider a dose of Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer dump in the gas tank will keep the octane up for two years of storage helps in the fuel not breakin down while it sits. i use all the time on the watercraft and bikes when we store them its like a winterizing. even tho we use premium 93 in sure it will hold yet for 5bucks its added insureance.so with this and the maintainer ull be worrie free come spring. i know cause i use it myself this way





so ur choice lol either ull be come spring with these small tips or wishing u did lol just my thought given 5-6months take it n use it or dont lol good luck either way

[The Marshal]

Thanks guys.

I have the "Battery Tender Junior" whicj switches automatically between charge and float..... I presume this is a battery 'maintainer'?

Seldom: we don't really get much of a white, cold winter here.... mostly just very wet (monsoon season is upon us).

[FireSol]

There have been many posts about dead batteries from their Sols sitting. You need a battery tender to keep your battery topped off. I have used one on my Sol since '06. They started like new in the spring.

[The Marshal]

Firesol:

Please see my original question at beginning of this thread. What do you think?

[Radio Doc]

Originally Posted by Sly Bob A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76F. Leave it in the car, disconnect it, and forget about it till the spring.

Um, not quite so fast...

There is another major issue you are overlooking. Freezing is not the ONLY problem. A big issue with letting the battery sit all winter without charging is sulfation.

From Wikipedia:

Sulfation occurs when a battery is not fully charged, and the longer it remains in a discharged state the harder it is to overcome the sulfation. This may be overcome with slow, low-current (trickle) charging. Sulfation is due to formation of large, non-conductive lead sulfate crystals on the plates; lead sulfate formation is part of each cycle, but in the discharged condition the crystals become large and block passage of current through the electrolyte.

Seeing as the Kappas require removing the fender to change the battery, it would seem it would behoove us to do whatever we can to extend battery life...and this would include using a trickle charger or de-sulfator during winter storage.

Just my

[woody715]

Just recieved my Battery Tender Junior in the mail from A Vicious Cycle in New Dundee Ont. I plan on using that with the battery left in place. I will be starting the car approx once a month and bringing it up to operating temp. I have also filled the tank (with premium) and added fuel stabilizer. Car will be kept in a dry heated garage, so I'm not anticipating any problems.

[FireSol]

Originally Posted by The Marshal Firesol: Please see my original question at beginning of this thread. What do you think?

Hooking it to the battery while it is attached to the car has not had any side effects. The battery tender comes with connections that connect to the terminals that leads to a quick connect for it so you don't have to use the clips. I bought my battery tender from Sears and it works fine.

[Sly Bob]

Originally Posted by Radio Doc Um, not quite so fast... There is another major issue you are overlooking. Freezing is not the ONLY problem. A big issue with letting the battery sit all winter without charging is sulfation. From Wikipedia: Sulfation occurs when a battery is not fully charged, and the longer it remains in a discharged state the harder it is to overcome the sulfation. This may be overcome with slow, low-current (trickle) charging. Sulfation is due to formation of large, non-conductive lead sulfate crystals on the plates; lead sulfate formation is part of each cycle, but in the discharged condition the crystals become large and block passage of current through the electrolyte.

That's true but the battery in your car when you shut the car off IS fully charged so sulfation is not an issue. Don't need a "battery maintainer" but that's just me.

[wspohn]

Over the last few years we have never dropped below about 5 degrees of frost in Vancouver - until last winter when it went a bit lower and dropped mor snow that the last 5 years combined.

We get more crappy rainy weather than really cold here, and it is no fun to drive a sports car, nor to expose rims to possible salt on the roads.

I just jump in my cars and fire them up once a month and bring them up to operating termperature before shutting them down. I find that I have much less problem from damp when I do that than if I leave them over the winter. With the Onstar I understand that the battery gets sapped in a month or so, too.

[Radio Doc]

Originally Posted by Sly Bob That's true but the battery in your car when you shut the car off IS fully charged so sulfation is not an issue. Don't need a "battery maintainer" but that's just me.

Bob,
Let me respectfully disagree with you.

What you say is true as far as it goes: right after you shut your car off, it is fully charged. However, at least two more things are at play here:

1) A battery has "internal resistance" (the internal equivalent of a resistor placed externally across the battery terminals), which will self discharge the battery.

2) Even though your car is turned off, there is a small current flow for your clock, radio memory, tire pressure monitoring system, etc, etc. This continual drain will also be discharging your battery.

Disconnecting one of the battery wires will solve problem #2 but do nothing about problem #1, which is inherent.

Starting the car once a month will certainly charge it and reverse some of the sulfation, but I believe your battery will last a lot longer with a trickle charger.

Unfortunately, sulfation is more subtle and unobtrusive than having the battery just "go dead".

[Seldom Home]

It's all explained here:

CanadianDriver Auto Tech Auto Tech: Battery Maintainers