Coriolanus
Banned
why risk it? just watch a quick yt vid on how to disconnect the battery. Is really simple.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Long-Term Parking Can Kill Your Battery.
- Thread starter TheRedSnifit
- Start date
why risk it? just watch a quick yt vid on how to disconnect the battery. Is really simple.
Wowfunhappy
Member
The car isn't smart enough to turn off standby features when the battery is low? Really?
MikeHattsu
Member
That's horrible
GoldenEye 007
Member
5 days? I've left my car at airport parking for up to about 2 weeks and it started with no problems. This is a 2014 Mazda3 still on it's original battery over 3 years later. In the FL and TX climates.
Thankfully mid-tier cars don't have all the useless tech junk.
Two weeks is probably as long as you want to leave your car without starting it, though, at least to let it run for a few minutes, because there could be other kinds of damage that happens as well.
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
I thought this was fairly known.
Today they absolutely do. It's hard to find a car you couldn't option to the point this might be a concern.
eh i've left my 2011 civic parked for weeks outside in the sub-freezing winter with no issues.
we did have our Camry's battery up and die on us last year over the holidays, however, but there was a county guy at the airport (we're by a small regional airport) who was willing to Jump us in the middle of the night. Seems like the battery was just on the way out because it didn't charge sufficiently on the drive home to even start the next day.
disconnecting the battery is a real pain because radios in both cars require a code, plus it's a hassle to deal with those tiny hard to access nuts on the clamps, especially when it's 20 below freezing.
we did have our Camry's battery up and die on us last year over the holidays, however, but there was a county guy at the airport (we're by a small regional airport) who was willing to Jump us in the middle of the night. Seems like the battery was just on the way out because it didn't charge sufficiently on the drive home to even start the next day.
disconnecting the battery is a real pain because radios in both cars require a code, plus it's a hassle to deal with those tiny hard to access nuts on the clamps, especially when it's 20 below freezing.
Naked Snake
Member
Still rocking a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer. My car laughs at your battery problems.
One Eyed Willy
Member
This, my parents told me this when I was like 10 years old.
Fallout-NL
Member
Just get one of these
Amazing how something so small can turn over a big car engine. Very handy things.
That's just a temporary fix though. Draining a battery even once can kill it permanently or severely decrease its lifespan.
It happening after just 5 or 9 days is a new thing however.
Have definitely left my 2014 Mustang at the airport for up to two weeks without any issues, but I do make sure to turn off the radio(not just turn the volume down) and turn off the auto lights. Have also left it in the parking lot on base for weeks at a time when we went underway when I was on the ship, never had any issues then. Anything longer than a month though I have made sure to have a friend start it up and let it run for a few minutes once every couple weeks.
Mohonky
Member
On Neogaf? I wouldnt trust most members to know how to put air in their car tyres to be honest.
Someones 'flat mate' filling the fuel tank with oil on their mower was a good laugh.
Cotton McKnight
Member
This thread reminds me that I still need to purchase a portable starter pack (or whatever those batteries attached to jumper cables are called for self starts)
The first week we got our CRV, I walked into the garage to get something out of the CRV. The next day dead battery. I made sure I had everything switched off (I had an 86 Civic that would drain the battery over very trivial things). As it turns out, same situation, there is always something with the electronics that is draining the system. Found out through research that Honda owed me a battery with a higher capacity.
Got it replaced and worry less now.
The first week we got our CRV, I walked into the garage to get something out of the CRV. The next day dead battery. I made sure I had everything switched off (I had an 86 Civic that would drain the battery over very trivial things). As it turns out, same situation, there is always something with the electronics that is draining the system. Found out through research that Honda owed me a battery with a higher capacity.
Got it replaced and worry less now.
because I like to live on the edge
exmachina64
Banned
Fixed.
NekoFever
Member
You'll be fine. I wouldn't even worry about leaving a 'normal' car for a couple of weeks. My dad rarely drives these days and he leaves his (circa 2002 Mercedes) on the driveway for a month at a time fairly frequently.
Make it a reasonably lengthy drive to give it a chance to get some juice in the battery.
davidwhangchoi
Member
this.
though as a another poster mentioned modern lux cars has more stuff that needs re-programming aside from radio codes.
battery drains can happen on older cars for stupid reasons like putting in a non OEM car alarm or stereo/iphone player to even leaving in a simple small phone charger overnight
Dubbedinenglish
Banned
You should drive it so the tires don't rot, and the suspension moves around.
Beer Monkey
Member
Hmm. I've never had to do this before, but my new car is loaded with tech. Android Auto, Adaptive Cruise Control, emergency auto braking, lane assist, satellite services that monitor the car's safety and maintenance needs and so on.
I'm parking for 17 days in October while flying out west. Gonna pull the battery terminal.
I'm parking for 17 days in October while flying out west. Gonna pull the battery terminal.
A low speed crash could kill you in those cars.
Watch some 70s crash tests and compare that to modern cars.
If you drive it that seldom... get a battery maintainer/trickle charger.
Beer Monkey
Member
Anybody willingly using a car as a daily driver that was built before the late 90s is fucking insane. Even a Volvo from the 80s is far more dangerous than today's cars.
nabe_shogun
Member
Luckily I don't have this problem with any of my cars, though the newest car I own is from 1998. I'm pretty sure I could let any of my cars sit for a month and it will still start up.
Sure they're more dangerous, but they're still pretty good. Ever since around the 80's, crumple zones in most cars have been quite good. As the owner of several 80's volvos, I have no problem driving them every day. Also, why did you choose late 90's as your cut off?
Sure they're more dangerous, but they're still pretty good. Ever since around the 80's, crumple zones in most cars have been quite good. As the owner of several 80's volvos, I have no problem driving them every day. Also, why did you choose late 90's as your cut off?
The main draw is usually the keyless go system. If you're going to store it long time there's usually a switch to turn it off and revert to regular remote central locking. When active it needs to continually send a signal looking for the key; it's done this way so the key with its smaller battery can be passive and only respond when pinged.
Beer Monkey
Member
Heh. I just looked up how to deactivate it. It's crazy complicated crap with doors and lock buttons but I'll do it. I wonder why they just didn't put it in the system menu.
Random Painted HIghway
Member
Auto basics 101. At a minimum, What do you suppose powers that blinking red light on your car stereo.
YuriLowell
Member
Another reason modern cars suck.
Yeah, it sucks. I travel enough to where I had to buy a power station and leave it in the trunk of my car. It's also handy for the air compressor as well, so there's that. 5 days will basically require a jump start for me. My last trip was 9 days, so that was a no-brainer jump start when I got back.
B_Spooky13
Member
I thought this was common knowledge. New or old cars its good to start your vehicle at least once a week if its going to sit. Keep the battery charged
Most of those can be reset though. Its not a perfect solution but it is a way to save $$ on batteries and chargers.
AbortedWalrusFetus
Member
Wow that's obscene. I think I'd just disconnect the battery if I needed to leave one of these cars parked for a long period.
Let me guess, the batteries are almost inaccessible on most of these cars too?
Let me guess, the batteries are almost inaccessible on most of these cars too?
ThreePiMatt
Member
Seems like an easy fix since cars are so computer controlled they could do a firmware update to allow for a low-power mode for longer periods of disuse.
I worked for a company that gave me a Ford F150 to use, went to the east cost for a month and came back to a dead battery. Because of the way it was parked I figured I would jump it with another vehicle if I could get it out of the spot it was in. But what was worse was that for whatever reason you couldn't put it in reverse or neutral with the battery dead. So silly, ended up having to get a jump pack.
Theonik
Member
Greigor The Fellhand
Member
a cars battery that goes empty in 9 days. NINE is a failure.
The Albatross
Member
This should be common knowledge, car-ownership 101. I guess the battery dying in 5 days (wut...? Never heard of that) is new but otherwise this is pretty common knowledge, or well, used to be.
My dad has been in and out of the hospital for about 18 months because of a terrible staph infection in his prosthetic hip which has required 5 or so major surgeries, and in that time he's only been able to drive sporadically. So, for the last year I've been taking his car about once every two weeks around town for the day to do errands. It's inconvenient for me to drive over there, swap cars, and drive his (older) car for the day, but w/e.
My dad has been in and out of the hospital for about 18 months because of a terrible staph infection in his prosthetic hip which has required 5 or so major surgeries, and in that time he's only been able to drive sporadically. So, for the last year I've been taking his car about once every two weeks around town for the day to do errands. It's inconvenient for me to drive over there, swap cars, and drive his (older) car for the day, but w/e.
Yeah... although anything less than 7 days is trash tier. We've let the Audi sit for over 2 weeks and it still works. Same with my dads expedition.
FinalStageBoss
Banned
Yea this has happened to me but it took like a month. I make sure to turn my car on once a week if it's going to sit long term tbh
Similar threads
- Locked