Rennteam 2.0 - EN - Forum - Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage? - Page1

07-Dec-2008 17:56:39

Strategy_Dude: Junior; Loc: Utah, USA , United States; Posts: 55, Gallery; Registered on: 04-Mar-2007

Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Hi All,

Last year I left my battery connected and after a month, the battery had completely died resulting in a $300 cost for a new battery since the old one didn't hold a charge. I know, I should have probably purchased a battery-conditioner or at least started the car once/week. This year, I'm thinking of completely disconnecting the battery and storing it inside my house.

Thoughts/opinions?

John.

--

2007 Porsche 997TT

2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

2007 Lexus GX470

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07-Dec-2008 22:16:22

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: Strategy_Dude

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

IMHO: don't do it. My _guess_ is you'll wind up with a "return to shop" warning light to get everything re-initialized, reset, reconfigured, whatever... . IMO, it's not worth the risk of a PITA dealer visit next Spring.

Get a Porsche battery maintainer and leave it plugged in. It's not a question of "should" get one..., it's a question of _must_ get one. The parked car will discharge the battery at a specific rate. The Owner's Manual requires a battery maintainer if car's left parked for [a specific time interval].

Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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08-Dec-2008 02:16:58

GOOSE997: Junior; Loc: connecticut, usa; Posts: 83, Gallery; Registered on: 30-Aug-2007; Reply to: Strategy_Dude

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

I put my car away in mid-November and usually break it out in mid-late April. I always remove battery and store it on a shelf in my basement , usually hooking a maintainer up for a few days each month to keep the sulfides up. Careful not to store battery on concrete floor. Also, if you want to access interior while battery is out, leave door open while you disconnect battery. This will keep window in "door open/close" position(window glass down 1/4") Be sure to have a jumper cable to run to the red power jack for trunk release when time to reinstall.
--
2006 997 carrera coupe

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08-Dec-2008 09:51:21

Alex_997TT: Rennteam Master; Loc: Reading , United Kingdom; Posts: 3320, Gallery; Registered on: 20-Nov-2005; Reply to: GOOSE997

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Loving my new battery charger: http://www.vertar.com/ctek/ctek-multi-xs-3600/

Plus the cigarette lighter adaptor: http://www.vertar.com/ctek/ctek-cigarette-plug-connection-lead/

--

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08-Dec-2008 15:17:52

Cram: Expert; Loc: french area , Switzerland; Posts: 1618, Gallery; Registered on: 28-Jul-2005; Reply to: Alex_997TT

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Got one of these battery maintainer or as picture above, Really good and to disconnect the battery as said, it's not good for the car.

Honnestly trust me on that one. You can even use that think for every car you have. just have to do one day one, then next day the other or getting yourself two.

--
2005 Cayenne Turbo 2006 Mini Cooper S 2007 GT3

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08-Dec-2008 18:42:46

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: Cram

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

I just checked the manual. Nowhere does it suggest removing the battery for storage purposes. Also there is this potential "return to shop" system fault (see attachment). Nevertheless, I guess there's no right or wrong answer to the question of removing or nor removing the battery. Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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08-Dec-2008 18:48:27

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: Alex_997TT

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Alex_997TT:

Loving my new battery charger:

--

HAHAHA! I looooove those nicely designed handy gadgets too. Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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08-Dec-2008 21:54:10

GOOSE997: Junior; Loc: connecticut, usa; Posts: 83, Gallery; Registered on: 30-Aug-2007; Reply to: MMD

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

The psm warning light has gone out without incident after the car rolls 20-30 feet. It only takes 2 minutes to remove battery, allowing me to store the battery in a much warmer place than my garage as well as giving me an added sense of security. I spend a lot of time at my 2nd home in the winter and am not comfortable leaving appliances plugged into my P-car in my absence. Furthermore, I don't have leave the hood or window open to facilitate routing of a power cord. The various "tender" type chargers aren't the most sophisticated devices(I know this because I'm in the automotive tool business, and have personally been involved with replacing/repairing these units) and failure is common. I'm just not comfortable using one when I'm not around. Just my opinion. Smiley

--
2006 997 carrera coupe

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08-Dec-2008 22:15:10

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: GOOSE997

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

GOOSE997:
I'm just not comfortable using one when I'm not around. Just my opinion.
--
2006 997 carrera coupe

Oh Yeah! Excellent point. No problema! Hummm..., makes me think. I won't leave the house if stuff is on, like the dryer or dishwasher. Never thought of the countless power supplies for phones etc. and also battery maintainers. Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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08-Dec-2008 23:38:08

GOOSE997: Junior; Loc: connecticut, usa; Posts: 83, Gallery; Registered on: 30-Aug-2007; Reply to: MMD

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

And yet there are those who are perplexed by the demise of popularity of Rennteam 2.0.
--
2006 997 carrera coupe

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09-Dec-2008 03:10:32

pcosta: Co-Pilot; Loc: New Canaan, CT, USA , United States; Posts: 236, Gallery; Registered on: 17-Jul-2004; Reply to: GOOSE997

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

I have used one of these battery chargers for the last 2 years and it has worked like a charm. Much easier than removing the battery.

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09-Dec-2008 14:29:20

SoCal Alan: Rennteam VIP; Loc: Orange County , United States; Posts: 7268, Gallery; Registered on: 06-Mar-2004; Reply to: pcosta

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

I also bought the battery charger after my battery was drained from three weeks of non-use. I'm glad I have a charger now. I learned my lesson. Smiley

--
2005 997S Blk/Blk

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09-Dec-2008 15:37:12

69bossnine: Rennteam Pro; Loc: FL, USA , United States; Posts: 2028, Gallery; Registered on: 27-Jan-2005; Reply to: SoCal Alan

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

You won't necessarily need to return to the dealer for a warning light, but your computer will certainly dump all memory and you'll have to re-program some things, and your CPU will have to re-learn your engine-management.

I usually remove the batteries from my classic cars, and trickle-charge on a shelf, because there's no electronics to worry about keeping "perpetuated".

But my Porsche I simply leave the battery in-place, hooked up, and plug in the trickle charger... There's really nothing to worry about, the chargers have fail-safes built-in and will shut down all current to the car and from the car in the event that anything falls outside of certain parameters.. Kinda like worrying whether you'll self-combust.. It's been known to happen, but are you actually going to trouble yourself and carry around a fire-extinguisher everywhere you go? "Hey, dude, what's with the fire extinguisher?"... "I carry it just in case I self-combust..".... "Ohhhh.....".

Lastly, don't know why anybody would go to the dealer for a new battery. Got mine at Car-Quest for less than half the price of the dealer, installed in 5 minutes, and it was identical in every respect to my O.E., including the vent fitting. They actually charge you an hour's worth of labor at the dealer! I'm decently well-off, but I'm not stupid... ;)

--
If you've got an issue, here's a tissue...

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09-Dec-2008 16:49:30

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: 69bossnine

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

AFAIK, there are very few battery mfgrs around the globe. Though the cases look different, your BMW battery and your Ford battery are probably made by the same factory. Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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09-Dec-2008 17:11:37

69bossnine: Rennteam Pro; Loc: FL, USA , United States; Posts: 2028, Gallery; Registered on: 27-Jan-2005; Reply to: MMD

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Yeah, I can't see paying $300 bucks for a battery at the Porsche dealership, when the case and the cell caps appeared to be manufactured off the same exact tooling on my CarQuest unit...
--
If you've got an issue, here's a tissue...

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09-Dec-2008 19:55:11

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: 69bossnine

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

FWIW, I found this at a well-visited car battery website. From their "Buying Guide:"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The majority of car batteries are created by 3 manufacturers - Delphi, Exide and Johnson Controls Industries. Delphi makes some EverStart models sold in Walmart and ACDelco. Johnson Control Industries makes Duralast seen in Autozone stores, Diehard - sold in Sears, Kirkland - the Costco brand, Motorcraft - which Ford sells, some of the EverStarts, and Interstate. Exide makes Exide batteries, Champion, Napa and even a % of the EverStart batteries. A car battery is one of the few things that you will most likely have to replace if you own a car more than about 3 years. Most other parts and accessories will last longer, but the battery in a car needs replacing every 3 years or so. If you need to get a new battery installed, go to Goodyear, Sears, Firestone or Pep Boys. All these car stores carry large inventories and can install your battery onsite. Other retailers like Target, Kmart, and Walmart might offer cheaper prices for their batteries, but rarely do they install them.

--
2007 Turbo

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12-Dec-2008 01:17:15

Over the Hill: Pilot; Loc: Bellevue, Washington, USA; Posts: 386, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Aug-2006; Reply to: MMD

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Porsche sells a Ctek unit like the one pictured above, which is what I use. Probably more expensive, but it does come with the cigarette lighter adapter. In any event a trickle charger, if used religiously will prolong the life of your battery thus paying for itself. I had a little more than 7 years on my M3 battery before I sold the car.
--

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13-Dec-2008 01:02:02

MKW: Rennteam Pro; Loc: Palo Alto and North Lake Tahoe , United States; Posts: 2491, Gallery; Registered on: 22-Nov-2002; Reply to: Over the Hill

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Rule off thumb for decades used to be to preventatively change battery every 4 years for cars with average duty cycle used in average climate. Now , it is every three years due to all the electronics in the modern auto .

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13-Dec-2008 16:05:58

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: 16-Dec-2004; Reply to: MKW

Re: Disconnect Battery During Winter Storage?

Something I heard which is interesting.

Starter batteries for cars today are made much less robust than they were when we grew up.

Not sure if this is true (though I have ruined a few batteries later in life but never in High School).

Back then you could make a mistake and massively discharge such a battery numerous times and then recharge without too much damage. Today, batteries can be toasted (ruined) with just a couple of such deep-discharge mistakes.

Smiley

--
2007 Turbo

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