Battery over the winter

[mkauffman]

Hi folks.

So I cleared out the garage and squeezed the Fiat in for the winter, and am curious what people do about the battery during lengthy storage. Disconnect it? Put it on a trickle charge? Leave it alone? And if disconnected, should it be removed from the car, and if so, any rules on where/how to store it?

I know there isn't one right answer, but I'm curious what all of you do. (FYI, I'm in Connecticut and looking at about four months' storage.)

[baltobernie]

I've got a master disconnect switch, and some other Northerners have a terminal disconnect. If you don't have one of these, I suggest pulling the fuses for clock, radio and other accessories. I use a float charger (not a trickle charger) on a one week on/off cycle. Harbor Freight sells them inexpensively.

[grittracing]

I have been storing cars and motorcycles for years battery disconnect is the best. but if your short on money just take both battery cables off. and a trickle charger works the best it extends the life of the battery. you can buy the ones from harbor freight but the battery has to be disconnected or it will kill your battery. they run about $5.00. if you buy the battery tender brand it is the best. they run about $35 there is no need to disconnect your battery unless your just in a habit of doing it. I still recommend it any way.
Another area you don't want to forget about is the fuel. Before you park you should use a fuel stabilizer. put in at the gas station. just before filling the tank. put the correct ration of stabilizer to fuel . than fill with fuel, than go for a long drive at least a half hour out and a half hour back that way. this will make sure the fuel stabilizer has completely worked through your system. than go back to the station and top back off with fuel and stabilizer than store car. a half empty tank draws moisture. causing the tank to rust and the water to go through your fuel system. no some people clam you should run your car out of gas. that is bad info. with nothing in the system the left over fuel that you cant get out of the system turns to a white powder. than you put fuel in at the beginning of the system and that powder goes threw your system and get stuck in smaller places like jet and injectors. causing head aches for you.

it is also not a bad idea to jack your car up off the tires doesn't have to be very high just enough to get them off the ground

that is my 2 cents

[majicwrench]

A fully charged battery in good shape should have no issues with storage, at the most I would just disconnect it. I have two vehicles that sit all winter, I'm in NW Montana, I disconnect on my Fiat ( it has a clock that works sometimes) and have been leaving my 64 Chev PU hooked up. Both these vehicles sit outside under an awning. Wish I had room in the garage or shop for them!
Keith

[baltobernie]

I would not recommend placing the car on jackstands over the winter. I think it's bad for the shock absorbers. Maybe a few extra psi in the tires if you want, but modern tires can return to round after you get some heat in them come Spring

[grittracing]

if you place the jack stands on the rear end and in the front under the lower control arms the car will be no differnt than if it was sitting on the tires. the only thing the battery tenders do is keep your battery topped off full charge. which extends the life of the battery. also recommend starting the car every week or so and letting it run a bit. like i said before just my 2 cents worth.

[red107]

Being Military I have had to store vehicles over the years prior to deployment. I'm currently storing my vehicles while we are stationed in Okinawa. With that said, Prior to storage I change engine oil, put in Fuel stabilizer. I also topped off the fiat because it has a metal gas tank. My other three vehicles have plastic tanks. So those have a 1/4 tank of fuel. On this tour of duty I did my research on fuel. There are a number of theories out there. What I found out is that if your fuel has ethanol in it, It will start to break down after 6 months of storage. All other fuel have a shelf life of seven years before they start breakdown. Granted this is for tank storage. They are not talking about cars. So I assumed much less. 2 of My vehicles are on dollies which can be purchase at harbor freight fairly cheap. I also have a vehicle on jack stands but they are on the axles which keeps weight on the shocks and springs. As for battery's I always remove for long term storage. For short term I just disconnect. Extreme heat and cold are all bad for batteries. The older the battery the worst they get. Also moth balls and traps are a must. Critters love bedding down in vehicle. This is just my experience with storing vehicles.

[mkauffman]

An excuse to go to Harbor Freight? That works for me!

Thanks for all the tips.

[DUCeditor]

Lots of good ideas here. The only one I firmly disagree with is that of running your engine from time to time.

Every time an engine runs moisture is created. (You can see that dripping out of an exhaust pipe on a cool day.) If the engine is brought up to full operating temperature that moisture is boiled off. If not it sits in the motor and exhaust system doing its nasty deeds.

It takes more than ten or fifteen minutes to get everything hot enough to boil off the moisture. Ducati riders, and others who'd bikes have glass oil level windows, often learn that to their dismay. Bikes that are used for short hops get something owners have named "spooge" - an ugly white slop that covers the oil level window. It is created by water mixed into the oil. Heaven alone knows what effect that has on lubrication of the valve system. I expect it is not good. Nor is a rusty exhaust system.

Trickle charges put out a constant low amperage charging current. If left on these will cook the battery or at least boil off the water/acid until the tops of the plates are exposed. Sulfur will then cover the plates (caused by the sulphuric acid) which permanently damages them. So called "smart charges" eliminate this problem by monitoring the battery's condition and modulating the output to match. The Battery Tender is the best known of these but other brands are available at a lower price. My own experience is that the cheaper ones fail, BTs do not. Your mileage may vary.

All the talk about fuel failing and going bad with time suggests that we use a stabilizer. I do. But some folks I know do not and their machines start and run fine. One friend has had the same fuel in his rarely rridden Ducati for about 6 years. Amazingly it still starts and runs fine.

The best thing we can do is to pray for an early Spring. I just put my Spider (and bikes) away last week. I miss 'em already!

-Don

[NJFIAT1981]

Darn! Now I have to go to Harbor Freight and buy something!

[wikkid]

Duceditor, you need some heated gear for Christmas!!! (me too, actually, as I love to ride in colder weather).

[DUCeditor]

Duceditor, you need some heated gear for Christmas!!! (me too, actually, as I love to ride in colder weather).

I have an electric vest and love it. But here in the Monadnocks the snow comes early and stays late. My driveway, which curves through a pine forest and never sees the sun, typically isn't ice and snow free until early to mid-April!

If my posts start to become irrational around the middle of March I expect you'll all understand.

-don

[grittracing]

I personally think that Flannel lined jeans are the greatest invention since pop ! great for riding the motorcycle on cold cold day with a nice pair of chaps I can ride almost in 0 degree weather. and it feels like I am wearing my pajamas all day. I have a pair just for when I have to work on a car out side and a dress pair. and a couple i wear to work in the winter. work on loading docks and it stays about 40 degrees in the winter on the dock. sometimes i have to work out side. nothing like them. if your hunting you can wear a pair of long johns. but I have only did that once it warmed up to 20 later in the day and I was sweating.