hi. i am going out of hte country and wont be able to turn my car on for a month. how do i prevent the car battery from dying or other problems to take place.
2006-09-14 17:05:45 · 14 answers · asked by UZ 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
If you are not going to put it on a trickle charger, then your best bet is to disconnect the NEGATIVE terminal. That should give you your best chances of being able to start your car when you get back.
2006-09-14 17:09:29 · answer #1 · answered by mtbman1016 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, a JUMP is not intended to act as a battery, it's intended to "BOOST" the available power. If you try to start a car JUST off the booster cables (jumper cables) you're not going to have any success. If you left a door open all night and drained the battery completely then you won't be able to start the car without charging the battery first, which will take several hours. But if, as you say, all the lights come on then it's not a battery problem. It could be a loose connection on the battery or on the starter or even a bad ground going from the battery negative terminal to the engine block. OR you could have a bad starter. Since you believe the battery is the problem you didn't describe any other conditions that would clue us in on what the real problem is. All anyone here can do is guess. If you have a volt meter or know someone with one, check the battery voltage before you do anything else. If the voltage is above 12 volts then things are looking good for the battery. Next, turn all the lights on, all the electrical, everything you can think of. Check the voltage again. It should still be above 12 volts. But if it goes down to 11.8 or even slightly lower, the battery may still be good. But if it falls below 11.5 then the battery is either a factory defect or is not charged properly. And stop taking battery terminals off while the engine is running. That's not good for any of the electronics. It DOES prove the alternator is giving a charge but it doesn't indicate if the alternator may be slipping on the belt. If it slips on the belt then the alternator can't recharge the battery. Eventually the battery will be so depleted it can't start the car again. AND putting a dead battery on an alternator can damage the alternator. The battery can draw more current than the alternator is rated to handle. You may end up blowing out the alternator. But that's not common. Not rare either, but it does happen Start checking voltages and grounds and the connection to the starter. After you have more information, if you haven't solved the problem post another question. Be thorough describing what you did so we can rule out things that aren't going to be the problem. Some important information is what type and age the car is. Some cars have starter relays that are powered through low amperage fuses. If the fuse or relay is gone the car won't start no matter WHAT the voltage is on the battery. If the car makes a clicking sound, if it tries to turn over, if it turns over rapidly but doesn't fire - there's lots you need to tell us or we can't help you. Sorry. Hope this helps. 'av'a g'day mate. '')
2016-03-27 01:56:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your battery is in good shape you shouldn't have a problem with it. It should hold its charge for at least that long.
You should make sure it is reasonably well charged, which it will be in normal operation. In other words, drive it a little before you leave.
You can disconnect the positive terminal (red and/or the "plus" sign) if you wish during the time you are gone. This will cause your radio to require re-programming when you reconnect it and you will have to re-set your clock. Make sure your terminal posts are clean.
Make sure you keep your car in a safe place.
2006-09-14 17:18:41 · answer #3 · answered by Warren D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A battery should hold a charge for longer than a month, but if you are worried about it get a trickle charger that automatically shuts off to prevent overcharging.
Check your local parts or battery store
2006-09-14 17:08:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
what i do when i am gone for awhile is i have a close friend or a family member take my car keys and drive my car about every two to three days, just to keep he parts moving and keep the battery working. Even if they only drive it for 2-3 min, it still helps.
2006-09-14 17:10:21 · answer #5 · answered by substance 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Disconnect it and bring it in to the house. Kept warm with no load being drawn on it the charge will remain the same.
2006-09-14 17:14:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you disconnect the battery it shouldn't die as fast as if somethine were connected to the terminals.
2006-09-14 17:23:08 · answer #7 · answered by LP460 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is just for a month let it stay in the car. One thing for sure though, if you decide to take it out anyways, DO NOT let it sit on cement as cement will drain it dry.
2006-09-14 17:08:56 · answer #8 · answered by The_know_it_all 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It should last a month without a problem, but you could unhook one cable to make sure nothing drains it. Also have a jumper box with you when you pick it up just in case.
2006-09-14 17:08:06 · answer #9 · answered by bigbadb 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is in a climatized location it will not die. You can purchase a trickle charger and attach to your battery HAVE FUN ON YOUR TRIP!
2006-09-14 17:07:15 · answer #10 · answered by Stan the answer Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋