OSCARNEIL

I am a snow bird and plan to leave my 2002 in Florida for 4 months. It will be in a dry garage (as long as there are no hurricanes). Should I leave the car on a trickle charger or should I remove the battery terminals and trickle charge the battery independent from the car. I have seen on the forum that I should remove the (-) terminal first. Thanks

jcgunn

Either way works. If you take the battery out you don't have to worry about an acid leak, but will lose all the memory (no big deal). What I would worry about is critters. Mice, birds and in Florida those wasps that build the mud tubes (they're called spider wasps).

vettenuts

I would personally remove the battery, charge it and then leave it off the charger while gone. I find mine don't need a charge all winter as there is no drain on them. I check once a month. Also have had two trickle chargers go up in smoke and know someone whose house burnt down using a trickle charger so I wouldn't personally recommend leaving that charged while the car is there alone.

leadfoot4

If the car is going to be unattended for that long, I'd NEVER leave an electrical device attached to it. Too risky. If fact, if I was away from the residence that long, I wouldn't pull the battery out of the car, and leave it on a charger. I would do what "vettenuts" suggested...Pull the battery, charge it, then give it a charge when you return and then put it in the car.

Ronnie wilkins

I agree. Never, ever leave a battery charger of any sort even trickle unattended. I know of too many places that went up in smoke for that reason. One was the garage where I was having my 55 Sedan Delivery Chevy restored. Luckily it was in another room and didn't warp the sheet metal but all else was toast.

Milan

My car stays on a CTEK all winter and my house hasn't burned down yet. Buy a good charger and you will be fine. 4 months isn't really that long though you could just disconnect the battery and charge it when you get back

leadfoot4

That's good to hear, but it only takes ONE electrical "hiccup"......

85corvettec4

id try and find a non fire hazard way to throw some fans in there as well to keep the air circulated in florida the moisture will flow into any crack it can find