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Regardless the condition of your battery, I'd use a trickle charger.
Mine isn't daily driver and is on Battery Tender whenever parked in garage.
Same goes for F-150 truck and BMW moto...
My car was frequently stored and I used to do it all the time. I specifically wanted no power to the PS pump while stored so I disconnected the battery and dealt with the inconvenience of resetting stuff. The only things I noticed were losing the mileage on the trip odometer, resetting the clock, and having to reset the windows after connecting the battery again. I added a quick disconnect switch on the battery so it didn't require tools every time. I also have the emergency hatch release cable under the back seat. If you don't, you'll have a hard time getting back to the battery unless your rear seats are folded down.
If it's a one time thing and you want to save money, I would disconnect the battery. If you'll be doing this more often, or you sometimes have battery issues, get a battery tender.
I also have the emergency hatch release cable under the back seat. If you don't, you'll have a hard time getting back to the battery unless your rear seats are folded down.
you are GEN2? it does not apply to you, but for GEN1 folks .... maybe. GEN1 S, battery is in the boot AND
in short, if the battery is dead you can't open the boot. And if the back seats are up and in place and the parcel shelf also in place, it is 'difficult' to get into the boot area to get to the battery .... on most you lift the back seat and find the boot emergency release and case closed but early cars like my 02-S did not have an emergency release under the back seats which you can access to open the trunk in this situation. Seen as an omission it was added pretty quickly but it was not a safety issue so cars without were not retrofitted.
it CAN be done - been there and have the t-shirt ... pop the bonnet and hook up jumper cables ... poof, you have power! It is also possible to snake a skinny arm 'tween the seat back and the parcel shelf and get the latch if you forget about the jumper connections under the bonnet . . .
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if your battery is good and this is a one time thing you should be fine parking it for a month. I do it at least once a year. If it is going to be 2 months or a routine thing consider a tender. BUT a tender means you are parking where you can get to electricity and ideally indoors as the battery compartment should be open/ventilated anytime a charger is hooked up .. .
OPTION ... got some one who could drive the car for an hour or so once or twice while you are gone? Problem solved. I have friends who motorhome travel for a couple of months at a crack. I drive the car they leave behind every couple of weeks to keep things happy . . .
... early cars like my 02-S did not have an emergency release under the back seats which you can access to open the trunk in this situation. Seen as an omission it was added pretty quickly but it was not a safety issue so cars without were not retrofitted
Yep, and the basic info about his storage question still applies. The emergency hatch release cable info was so far off, I don't know why it caused him so much confusion. I would have just ignored it knowing the battery is under the hood with its own release.
I wouldn't worry about doing it one time. My R56S has gone as long as 6 weeks without being opened or started up after major snow storms and it fires right up. I don't have an alarm system so the only system using power is the remote door lock.
07-31-2016, 10:22 AM
