Battery storage for a long trip

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am going on a 3 week long trip and was wondering if I should put the battery on trickle charger. The car is parked in an underground garage in NY that usually is at around 50-55 degree. If I take the battery out, I can attach it to the trickle charger in my apartment, which is usually around 70 degrees.

Do you guys think it will survive 3 weeks or trickle charger is the way to go? If it makes a diff, the car has an alarm.

[itdnwiwbp]

I leave my car for two weeks each month and always keep in on a trickle charger. When I've left it in places it couldn't be plugged in I've removed the battery and plugged it in somewhere. Your car will probably be fine but if you can plug it in it can't hurt.

[Spaceman Spiff]

It turns out the rear terminal is not accessible with the top down (which is the case since I have a hardtop), so we will find out in 3 weeks I disconnected the negative terminal which was accessible to knock out the alarm at least.

[itdnwiwbp]

Does your car have terminals under the hood? I know the later ones do but not sure about earlier models.

[keeton]

While a trickle charger would guarantee a full battery when you return, unless your battery is old or you have some aftermarket accessory that draws current, I think for three weeks you will be just fine by parking it and locking it. It is certainly not worth the hassle of pulling the battery and all of the resetting you would have to do when you re-installed it.

Now, three _months_ on the other hand...

[itdnwiwbp]

FYI, all the times I've pulled my battery I've never had to reset anything. Just pop it back in and go.

[Incompatible]

Typically my coupe never sits longer than 2 weeks without a good drive, once in a great while the sit time streaches out to 3 weeks. I've never used a trickle charger, it still has the oe battery which is 7 plus years old, I've never pulled the battery out, and it still cranks over strong. One note is that electrically, the car is stock with no aftermarket electronics. You should be fine.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks guys! As you had predicted the car started normally after three weeks. The hardtop makes removing the battery next to impossible so happy it worked out with just disconnecting it.

[bosstones]

The first couple of winters, I never had my Moupe's battery on a trickle charger or charger and it always fired right up in the spring time. Now that it is older, it has sat for a few weeks at a time and I never had an issue. I'm still on the original battery, too.

[jdoublehcubed]

get one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender...r+charger+ring

You just add it to existing hardware on the battery connections, and leave the end sticking out of the battery compartment. Easy connection without pulling the battery compartment lid each time.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

get one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender...r+charger+ring

You just add it to existing hardware on the battery connections, and leave the end sticking out of the battery compartment. Easy connection without pulling the battery compartment lid each time.

I actually have one just like that but there's no outlet near my parking spot