Battery during vehicle storage

Mooseman

Original poster
Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I'm about to put the Caprice in storage for the winter. It will be in an unheated farm storage with no electricity or light. The batteries (2) are in the trunk and a PITA to remove. They are 6 years old original ACDelco and are in great shape according to my tester. I won't be able to put any kind of trickle charger or even solar charger.

I will be disconnecting them at the very least but should I bother to take them out and bring them home? Personally, I haven't really seen any difference in longevity by putting a trickle charger on batteries stored over long periods.
 

linneje

Member
Apr 26, 2012
404
Every winter for the last 7 years the battery in my trailer is disconnected in October and reconnected in May (no heat). I have never had a problem with the battery still having a really good charge remaining in May. However, that is a deep cycle battery so I cannot vouch for how a standard battery would do without a trickle charge.
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
WTF are there 2 batteries? My SS only had one.

Anyway, I'd be inclined to take them out and bring them home. Just don't put them on bare concrete.
 

Mooseman

Original poster
Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
This is a police vehicle remember? Second battery is for police equipment (with plans for use with amp later).

I'm on the fence. I've even read one article that said as long as it's disconnected, the cold will preserve them.
 
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Reprise

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Jul 22, 2015
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Definitely disconnect. Depending on expected low temps / duration of same, you'll want to bring them inside (bad news if battery freezes, and sitting outside unused for months through a Canadian winter increases risk)

Cold slows down chemical reaction, but other than that, it does nothing to preserve a battery (lead-acid, anyway)

Before putting them back in the trunk, top them off with a charge. If you do leave them outside, make absolutely sure the electrolyte isn't frozen when you hook up the charger.

If you do bring them inside, but don't want to leave them on float, charging them a bit 1x /mo is better than no charge for months on end (and subsequent monthly cycles will be much shorter than the first)

If sitting idle never harmed a battery, they would only put the date stickers on when the battery was placed in-service, IMO.
 

Bow_Tied

Member
Dec 21, 2014
453
London, ON
Are they sealed/maintenance free? If so, I would just disconnect them and leave where is. I have been doing this for 25 years with my Chevelle. My first battery that came with the car (AC Delco maintenance free) lasted 11 years. Same for deep cycle. If an old school open top, and you have added water to it, maybe then I'd take it inside. JMO
 
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Mooseman

Original poster
Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
They are the the sealed type and my tester says they are in excellent shape. I guess they should be sealed if in the trunk.

Researching this a bit, most say to take it out but there are a few that say that leaving it in is OK as long as it's disconnected.

I think they'll be OK left in. They're in the trunk so they've had a comfortable environment to live in as well as the car having only 92k km so they've had an easy life. The secondary battery is basically still new since it's only for police equipment that it never had.
 
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Shaw520

Member
Sep 20, 2017
289
Northeast
Several sub-zero night up there in the great white north could be taxing,... I have a 4 bank deep cycle system in my boat and I wouldn't think about storing them without a smart charger on them. This is the system I use and I am thoroughly impressed,..this unit has maintained all 4 batteries (interstate Marine Deep Cycle group 29's) to their top condition for 7 yrs now. I didn't pay nearly this price.
https://www.hodgesmarine.com/Promar...lkid=I7Gh64WsjwCm&ppcsu=xhg7f5djqeniramsegdoh

I realize you stated you have no power out in the storage barn,... but if you really love those batteries id try to at least get a solar trickle charge on them,.. any way to run something up on the roof of the barn ?
 

Mooseman

Original poster
Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
No possibility of that neither. Anyway, just brought it in this morning. Unhooked the batteries and then tried to remove them. Screw that! Panels are held by a bunch of push pins and they are hard as hell. If they die, so be it. They're fully charged and disconnected so no external drain.

I'll update this thread in the spring when I get her out of storage.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
We pulled the batteries put of our boat once. The generator one is the original from 2005. The one in the little boat is the other starting battery that's left out of the 4 that were in the big boat. When I ran out of gas in the spring I cranked that boat over for 5 minutes. They never got stored inside other than that one time. The big boat stays on a house converter/float all winter and the little boat I drop the ground. I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you have bad batteries there isn't anything that can actually freeze inside. Well I mean they can but I would be worried about your block at that point. A battery should be good to at least -10. In reality -25.
 

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