I have a bit of a problem I can't solve. I bought an '09 convertible this fall and I'm loving it. However I didn't really think about the approaching Winter and the challenge of keeping the battery healthy.

I live in a Condo with underground parking which is great for storage but I do not have access to an electrical outlet to use a battery tender.

Has anyone here faced this problem before and found a workable solution?

At the moment I'm going down and running/driving the car around the underground lot every 2 weeks or so to keep the battery up. I don't think this is sustainable in the long run though.

 

If the garage has windows, how about a solar maintainer?

I got one out that plugs into the OBDII port for a truck I don't drive much that doesn't have an outlet close.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...NHghoCQgjw_wcB

 

You could just disconnect the battery if you are not going to drive it for long periods.

 

If you're only driving it every couple of weeks, and mostly to keep the battery charged, you might be better off to just disconnect the battery. Make sure you can still get in the car without power. It wouldn't take long to reconnect the battery when you do want to drive.

 

I think they also make portable battery chargers that you can plug in and then later take it out to your car to charge a depleted battery.

 

I don't see you having a choice, pull the battery and bring it inside to charge while the car is covered and stored for the winter. Driving the car around will not keep the battery charged, plus short trips are bad on the car.

 

Most people will disagree with you, but you are spot on!

 

I dunno; if it's a "condo" I'm not sure I'd like having a battery sitting around in mine, esp. if it's a small unit. I'd disconnect it, leave it in the engine bay, and get ready to charge it whenever you eventually take it out of "storage." (a la ncvette's suggestion) And you'd have to re-index your windows.

PS the way to get in without a battery is, of course, to read you owner's manual. Or, take out the key from the bottom of your fob, put it in the keyhole next to the license plate, pull the handle on the driver's side trunk area which opens the driver's door. Yeh, that's the way you get in if the battery's dead/disconnected.

 

Funny I never really thought about just disconnecting it. I'd considered pulling it and putting a tender on it up in my unit but there is that "safety concern". How long can the battery sit disconnected before it runs down? My parking garage never gets below 40F so freezing isn't an issue.

P.S. I'm not overly concerned about this battery as it's the original that came with the car in '09. I'd planned on replacing it in the Spring anyway

 

As long as it is fully charged when you disconnect it, I think it should last the winter months since nothing will be pulling it down. I would still get a portable charger to keep around, just in case.

Or once spring gets close, take the battery inside and trickle charge it for a couple of days. If you get a good quality battery maintainer (like a CTEK), you shouldn't have a problem with it inside.

 

I used to store mine for 6 mo. a year; pulled battery. You could put it on a Battery Tender then, but you may not have a good place to store it.

 

Thanks for the input all. I'm going to disconnect the battery to get through this winter. When I replace the battery in the Spring I'll pull the battery and run a "tender" on it up here going forward.

 

Leaving the battery disconnected for several months without a battery tender will cause some damage. It may work but the life will be shortened. And it should be very easy to add a plug in the garage.

I am not sure what you skill level is, but if you have a plug on a wall inside the condo that backs up to the garage you can easily add a plug in the garage by piggy backing on to the inside plug.

Whats needed?

1ea Short piece of Romex 14/2 WG 2 feet will work but might have to buy more.
1 ea single gang plastic device box for rework
1 ea GFI plug, with cover.
10 or 15 minutes.
Cost $10 to $15 bucks

Measure to make sure the hole in the garage wall is beside the existing plug and there are no studs between them.

Use the new box to mark the cutout and carefully cutout with a hand saw or razor knife. Make sure to not damage wiring.

Make sure the breaker feeding the existing plug is off. remove the cover and plug and punch out an opening to push the new wire through that will connect the plug.

The wall will have insulation but you should be able to feel the wire from the new opening, a helper is great for doing this part. Push the wire through enough the extend a foot or so past the opening and leave 6 to 8 inches in the original box.

Push the wire though one of the openings in the new box leaving 6 to 8 inches extending through the box the shove the box into the wall and secure it with the anchor system built into the box, usually tightening 2 screws is all it takes.

Follow the instructions and wire the GFI plug as shown. and assemble it into the box then install the cover.

On the original plug side disconnect the bare conductor and twist all bares together leaving one strand long enough to connect back to the green terminal on the plug.

Next connect white wire to existing white wires and black to black wires,make sure connections are secure then reassemble plug and install cover.

Turn breaker back on, make sure the GFI is reset and test for power by plugging in a known good lamp or something.

 

We disconnect batteries all the time and hook back up in the spring with zero problems! What do you think happens when they build then and ship them? Do they have chargers seating on them? Batteries at the stores seat on shelves 6 months or more with no problems! Sum real dumb a** on here.

 

I disconnect the battery on the wife's 69 Camaro every winter and have no problems at all. The only thing I have to do is reset the radio stations and we don't use it most of the time because we would both rather listen to the rumble. The original Optima lasted 10 years. The present one is 5 years old.

 

May want to read the recommended storage requirements. Not saying the first time you store a battery disconnected for a few months it will die, but it will suffer some damage due to sulfating which will shorten the life of the battery and will eventually totally render it useless.
http://d26maze4pb6to3.cloudfront.net...User_Guide.pdf

 

Does your condo unit have an outside balcony? If you have a balcony, leave the battery on a tender plugged into your unit, but outside of the living space. If you don't have an electrical outlet on the balcony, run an extension cord or install an outlet outside. Or remove your battery from the vehicle and leave the battery on a tender at a friends house/shop/etc. Or disconnect the negative cable, then when time to drive, put the battery on a charger to bring back to life. Obviously discharging can slowly damage the battery, but the worst thing that happens is you need to get a new battery, maybe sooner than you might have otherwise.

 

I think I would pull it and keep it on the tender until spring.

 

Agreed

 

My boat battery gets used 2 weeks per year and sits disconnected the rest of the time. It has been used like this for 7 years and hasn't died yet.