Leaving car for 10 days in the winter
10-28-1999, 03:05 AM
#1
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Leaving car for 10 days in the winter
I'm planning on leaving my car at the Indianapolis airport parking lot for about 10 days at the end of december. It's a '96 A4, and I'm not sure about the condition of the battery (I just bought the car second hand last month). How can I prevent not stranded at the airport with a dead battery when I got back (other than leaving my car at home, 70 miles away from the airport)?
Does a high voltage (about 13.5 V) at the voltage meter necessary means that the battery will last?
If I disconnect the battery, is it going to cause any problems when I reconnect it (alarm, radio, etc)?
PS: I know it wouldn't be wise to leave my beloved car cold at a parking lot for 10 days, but even if I park it at home, it wouldn't do any good......I got no garage or whatsoever.....poor car
Does a high voltage (about 13.5 V) at the voltage meter necessary means that the battery will last?
If I disconnect the battery, is it going to cause any problems when I reconnect it (alarm, radio, etc)?
PS: I know it wouldn't be wise to leave my beloved car cold at a parking lot for 10 days, but even if I park it at home, it wouldn't do any good......I got no garage or whatsoever.....poor car
10-28-1999, 04:15 AM
#2
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I'd do the following
Turn the ignition to on w/out starting the car. What voltage do you have on the voltmeter? Should this prove to be below 12, I'd play it safe and replace the battery. That way, you will not have to worry about what might happen to you battery after a 10 day rest.
HTH,
Peter
HTH,
Peter
10-28-1999, 04:57 AM
#3
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Problem with just checking the voltage is that a weak battery may show 12-14V, but be unable
to start your car. Take it to a Auto Zone / Pep Boys / Sears type place. They will test it for you free of charge. Their test puts a load on the battery and sees how it responds. A lot different than just checking the voltage with no load.
Mark P
Mark P
10-28-1999, 08:29 AM
#6
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Re: Leaving car for 10 days in the winter
Bring it into a garage/shop, have them do a load test on it to see if it is good or starting to go. If it is marginal, replace it. This is best test for any battery. If battery is non-sealed type (you can open the covers above each cell to check/add water), you can buy a simple hydrometer and check each cell. They should ALL read fully charged; if not, replace the battery.
Agree that simple voltage check with engine off is probably not the best way to check it. The fully sealed batteries generally give no warning of deterioration and seem to die rapidly. On old Coupe Quattro, car started fine in AM, drove to work. Whn left work in PM, battery was totally dead - couldn't turn starter. Was parked on hill, did a rolling/bump start. Drove to Sears, alternator voltage read 14V and all appeared OK. When tried to restart car to pull into service bay, wouldn't start. Battery was truly shot; new one cured problem. Just shows you how fast it died.
Agree that simple voltage check with engine off is probably not the best way to check it. The fully sealed batteries generally give no warning of deterioration and seem to die rapidly. On old Coupe Quattro, car started fine in AM, drove to work. Whn left work in PM, battery was totally dead - couldn't turn starter. Was parked on hill, did a rolling/bump start. Drove to Sears, alternator voltage read 14V and all appeared OK. When tried to restart car to pull into service bay, wouldn't start. Battery was truly shot; new one cured problem. Just shows you how fast it died.
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