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Longer answer, if leaving the battery in the car, it would be best to connect a trickle charger to keep it topped up. If you are disconnecting it, you should pull the battery out entirely and store it in a cool (not cold) location until ready to reinstall.
A flooded cell battery self discharges at a rate of between 4 to 6% per month. That rate slows down the colder the battery is. But what you really want to avoid is having the battery freeze and split open, which would likely happen if the battery died and the specific gravity dropped to the point that the battery acid solution froze. This wouldn’t likely happen to a battery in good condition that was fully charged before being disconnected, but given the damage that could occur from sulphuric acid leaking into your engine bay, if I was going to leave it over a cold winter untended I’d remove it from the car. Just my .02. And even if hooked up to a tender, you would be wise to check the status of the tender every week or so, and especially after a power failure in case a surge cooked the tender so that it started to overcharge the battery.
I only leave the battery tender on during the driving season, but disconnect the negative cable only after it’s fully charged for the winter. The garage is cold but not below freezing. I do this with all my cars each year and never had a problem. The danger of leaving the battery connected is if critters chew on the wires, it can start a fire. It’s also a good idea to make sue the garage is sealed and closed as much as possible and put out bait poisons for rodents. A full tank with stabilizer is also recommended.
Last edited by Musclefreak; Oct 3, 2024 at 05:04 PM.
Reason: Correction
After reading all of these applications with winter storage, I am so happy to live in Arizona where I don't have to be concerned with winter storage. I give props to all of you in cold climates......
After reading all of these applications with winter storage, I am so happy to live in Arizona where I don't have to be concerned with winter storage. I give props to all of you in cold climates......
Living in the East coast is depressing in the winter.
All my hobbies revolve around warm weather so it kills me every winter to put toys and hobbies to the side.
I live in Wisconsin but winter in the south. I make sure the battery is fully charged and then disconnect the neg. cable. I don't like to have it plugged in while I'm gone. I also fill the gas tank and add stabilizer. I also change the oil so that it has fresh oil sitting on the internals all winter.
Winter storage tips...there is a million of 'em! Trickle charger, treat gas with Stabil, if you can, put only non-ethanol gas in for the storage period, if you are storing on cold concrete (inside of course), lay down a sheet of heavy plastic sheeting under the entire car (prevents moisture from rising up onto the car chassis, add 5 psi to your tires (and remember to recheck and adjust in the spring, keep a dampness catcher inside the car in a pan (ie: closet moisture bag), wash and wax the car but be sure to let it dry before you store it, don't slather the interior with an protectant....too much will help generate mold (excess moisture), change oil before storage, check your antifreeze protection level, close all your windows, don't start the car until spring. There you go.
With our Saturn Sky stored outside in the elements under a canpoy in northern Illinois, I would charge the battery to "full", then disconnect the battery and leave it in the car because it is so difficult to remove the battery. I did that for the 3 years we owned the car with an unknown aged battery. Come spring time, I would hook up the battery and all was well.
Still, if the battery could have been easily removed, I would have removed it. So if you have a place inside, take it out. If not, leave the inside and disconnected. Just make sure it is fully charged.
This is how I stored our Sky under our deck on the lower patio. One challenging matter was rodent infestation. Moth ***** and liquid fabric softener on rags in trays, in combination, kept them out.
Another very difficult matter was how the climate messed up the OEM chrome plated wheels. Somehow, moisture would get between the chrome plating and the base material, then the freeze/thaw process bubbled the chrome. It wasn't horrible, but I did note it getting worse with every spring. It is because of this, that I refuse to consider outdoor winter storage for our GS Corvette with chrome wheels. It stays in our climate controlled garage all year.
Last edited by Ron Dittmer; Oct 4, 2024 at 08:49 AM.
