Car Battery During Storage/ Winter time
- Thread starter Perroflojo
- Start date
Bluedodge
Well-known member
Battery tender for the Mustang as she hibernates. On for a couple days, unplugged for a week, then on again for a couple,....
redmondjp
Well-known member
There is absolutely no reason to unplug it (if you are not using the vehicle) - it turns itself on and off automatically.
BillK
Well-known member
Lazy,
Not sure what type of batteries you are buying but my S-10 sits outside and sometimes will go a month or more without driving it and I have never had a problem with the battery. I bet the one that is in it now is at least 5 years old. Sometimes I will drive it every other day and other times it will sit for a month or two without being started. Never have had an issue with it.
Not sure what type of batteries you are buying but my S-10 sits outside and sometimes will go a month or more without driving it and I have never had a problem with the battery. I bet the one that is in it now is at least 5 years old. Sometimes I will drive it every other day and other times it will sit for a month or two without being started. Never have had an issue with it.
redmondjp
Well-known member
It has very little to do with the type of battery and very much to do with how much current the vehicle's electronics consume when the vehicle is left parked. A lot of modern vehicles will **** a battery dead in 4-6 weeks if left sitting. Yours obviously appears to go farther.
But when you say you don't have a problem with the battery, you don't really know that - you are significantly shortening the life of the battery if you let it discharge by sitting connected to the vehicle for weeks at a time. Lead-acid batteries don't take kindly to being left at partial discharge for very long - it permanently damages them and shortens their life. I keep maintainers on my non-daily-driven vehicles and I get 10+ years out of a battery in most cases.
justanengineer
Well-known member
I buy quality batteries, maintain good electrical connections, and dont have any excess draw. In this area we only get down to ~-10-15F for a couple weeks every winter so there's no need to do otherwise, our excess vehicles often sit 6 months without issue. As for batteries freezing and cracking, yea, not in the contiguous 48 they shouldnt.
HOTFR8
Banned
Would be my answer as well. Turning it off only cycles the battery and that does damage. Leave it on unless you have to start the vehicle.
That's easier said than done these days...........as there a only a few manufactures left and many of the brands have spent too much time in the product cheapening department. Rebranding makes it a challenge to determine what your actually buying. When there is a large weight difference in the same group size it's a clue something is wrong.
This even a bigger problem in the power sports battery market where the flood of sub standard batteries is a concern.
Anybody else notice sudden death in batteries is more common now vs slow death where slow cranking is noticed and that was the telltale the battery is getting weak.
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MikeF2316
Well-known member
The other problem with starting a vehicle with a half dead battery involves the way your car react to this condition. The car will bring the voltage up by pouring current into the battery, up to the max of the alternator if necessary. So now you're charging it way too quickly, which is not good for it either. And this will also shorten the life of your alternator. (Some really new cars may have a strategy to prevent this.)
AirJunky
Well-known member
I wish...... before I started using smart chargers, lost several batteries in ATVs & golf carts that were sitting in a cold garage. Twice I saw them get slushy & never take a charge again when we'd see temps in the single digits.
I started using a Battery Tender & haven't seen it since. Same garage, same cart, same ATV.
Bluedodge
Well-known member
I'll admit it - I'm kinda cheap and grabbed a low dollar unit. I've heard a few horror stories over the years of these not shutting off and blowing up a battery or starting a fire in a stored car. Maybe being overly cautious could do more harm than good?
This is the tender I've been using the last three years: https://www.menards.com/main/electr...attery-charger-maintainer/p-1444444225586.htm
AirJunky
Well-known member
Definitely a low dollar unit, but this is your saving grace.
- Automatically switches to float/maintenance voltage after fully charging the battery
This is what I have in the boat. The 2 DieHards are now 7 years old & still doin good.
Urban cabin
Member
I use Battery Tender Jr and rotate from car to car over the winter. I usually put it on a car until it is completely charged and don't come back to that car for at least a month or so. It is not like a battery will discharge in a few weeks.
redmondjp
Well-known member
I'll admit it - I'm kinda cheap and grabbed a low dollar unit. I've heard a few horror stories over the years of these not shutting off and blowing up a battery or starting a fire in a stored car. Maybe being overly cautious could do more harm than good?
This is the tender I've been using the last three years: https://www.menards.com/main/electr...attery-charger-maintainer/p-1444444225586.htm
You are wise to be cautious - obviously anything can fail, but there is a higher likelihood that the low-dollar units could malfunction. My dad had an el-cheapo maintainer go bad on him.
bill9860
Well-known member
Had a battery tender. Died quickly. Warranty is useless. Got a couple of CTEK 3300s and never looked back. A little more expensive, but no comparison to bt
bill9860
Well-known member
CTEK is best thing going I have 4.
66HertzClone
ALLIANCE MEMBER
There is a house near mine that was very badly damaged by a fire that started in the garage. A HF battery tender was found to be the point of ignition, I would caution those thinking of purchasing one of those.
I have a tender I purchased from Griots years before finding this forum, it has worked very well for me keeping the battery in my Mustang charged. If I were to shop for one now I would purchase a CTek without any hesitation.
I have a tender I purchased from Griots years before finding this forum, it has worked very well for me keeping the battery in my Mustang charged. If I were to shop for one now I would purchase a CTek without any hesitation.
BearsFan315
Well-known member
get a Maintainer !! did this for my 1929 6v
I did tons of research and talked to several manufacturers. after the homework I went with the Battery Tender Plus 6v. it is a VERY nice step maintainer. comes with quick connectors (1 set of Alligator Clips, other with Connectors for battery) Basically you can connect the battery connectors and leave them and jsut connect the maintainer with you need/ want to. no clips, etc.. nice system
Got mine off from Amazon for around $30
2+ years no complaints, works great and loving it !! also great for use with the Optima Red Top and meets there Specs on charging & Maintaining !!
BUT seems they NO LONGER make this model !! but they have the Battery Tender® Junior 6V, 1.25A High Efficiency
I did tons of research and talked to several manufacturers. after the homework I went with the Battery Tender Plus 6v. it is a VERY nice step maintainer. comes with quick connectors (1 set of Alligator Clips, other with Connectors for battery) Basically you can connect the battery connectors and leave them and jsut connect the maintainer with you need/ want to. no clips, etc.. nice system
Got mine off from Amazon for around $30
2+ years no complaints, works great and loving it !! also great for use with the Optima Red Top and meets there Specs on charging & Maintaining !!
BUT seems they NO LONGER make this model !! but they have the Battery Tender® Junior 6V, 1.25A High Efficiency