Hey Guys
Two questions. Just purchased a 65 Coupe (350-350) this fall, only got to drive it about three or four times because of the weather here in Michigan. I havent drove the car for about three weeks and it is starting to get cold at night, however, went out to the garage last night and the battery was dead. Is this common from a lack of use? The dealer I bought the car from said it was a new battery?!? I am not sure whether the dealer just used another older battery he had laying around or not.

I don't really want to purchase a new battery until spring and I am concerned about the possibly causing a leak on the expansion tank when I do finally change the battery. Any comments or helpful hints? (I am not that competent in using a volt meter either). I charged the battery for about two hours and the dome light came on, but it was 9:00pm so I didn't start the car.

Lastly, next year when I store the car with my new battery, is it o.k. to leave the battery in the car (with cables un-hooked) all winter? I love this site, I have learned so much from all of you, I always tell the wife I am addicted to this site!!!!

Tod

 

First, congrats on your new ride. I store my vette with the battery left in and unhooked. A battery tender (small charger) hooked up will keep it fresh and charged. I would suggest having someone who knows how to use a volt/ohm meter check your car for slow discharging. You simply put the ohmmeter on 12V and hook it to your unconnected battery. Then hook up the batt and see if you get a discharge. If you do then you have to find out where it's coming from. The most common is the windshield wiper motor not 'parking' properly due to lack of use, but there are other things as well. Not to scare you bro, but many vettes have burned up from overheated wiper motor wires. Always store your vette with the batt unhooked.

 

I would say there is a draw on the electrical system somewhere. I have let my 1967 sit for several weeks and it fires up with no problem. As Dave said, have the system checked out.

On storage, I leave my car with an international moving/storage firm from November to April each year. The facility is dry, heated and very secure. It is "dead" storage in the sense that the car does not move and I cannot work on it for insurance/fire reasons. The vehicle is covered but not blocked; I do not believe the latter is necessary with modern tire compounds.

I have used true dead storage with gas stabilizer and fogging-in oil in the past but the last several years I have asked the attendants to run the car up to operating temperature once a month. I prefer to keep the juices flowing. And getting back to the original question a boost is not necessary after ~four weeks of sitting. Some will disagree with that approach but it has worked for me. The service costs about $80/month. When the freezing rain is coming down in February, and its -40F at times like last year, I am comfortable that the Corvette is out of harm's way.

I have a rotary disconnect switch for the electrical system (see pic). This is a bit of a theft deterrent in the summer and serves very nicely to cut power between starts in the winter. I do get a bit antsy about leaving the vehicle "live" for an extended period of time. Not sure if spontaneous combustion is a reality, or just an an urban legend, but why take chances?

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the quick feedback. I will get her going enough to get to the gas station and fill up. This weekend I will put the car in storage and take the old battery out. Next spring: New battery, check for draws on the battery and purchase a battery shut-off unit like the one in the picture. I knew I could count on our members to help me. Thanks.

 

Lets see...battery trickle charger plugged in monthly for a few days at a time. Fill the gas tank...use Stabil fuel stabilizer. Wash, wax and take short drive around the block to dry the chassis and pockets of water not seen. Put a couple of boxes of moisture catcher (for closets) placed inside on a tray or plastic to protect carpet. Check all your fluids and change oil and lube before storage. Increase air pressure in tires a few pounds higher than normal to allow for some leakage over the winter and prevent flat spotting. Dont use a lot of armorall or preservative on the interior right before storage...can promote mildew growth if not well dried. Park over a sheet of heavy mil plastic to help prevent moisture transfer up thru the concrete to the chassis components. I also fog in a bit of a spray lubricant into the frame rails from the holes along the bottom on each side. Close windows. Finally, cover with an indoor flannel lined car cover to prevent nips or hits. I was a lot more diligent with the procedure when we lived in New York (had the '87 there). Down here in Knoxville without the snow or severe cold, we can drive on and off throughout the winter so its not so critical to prepare for six months storage at a time.

 

Thanks for tips. I will put her away this weekend. I especially like the idea about over inflating the tires. Thanks again.

 

If the car hasn't a history of the battery draining then it goes into storage with everything ready to restart and roll out of the garage with only an appropriate dose of fuel stabilizer. If your battery is any good, it will survive the winter and start the car in the spring.

It sounds like you either have a bad battery or a drain. Until you find out, I would leave the battery disconnected. If you do that and it is not drained after some period of time, you know you have a draw on your system.