Basically as the title suggests. Can I leave my car on the drive with a dead battery without it causing any issues?

 

Last weekend when going to wash the car, the fob wouldn't open the car and I had to use the lock on the driver's door to get into the car. I threw my battery conditioner on it, shut the bonnet and proceeded to wash the car.

 

Unfortunately, I've had to wash the car again this morning due to a passing squadron of albatross, I assume, leaving their mark here, there and everywhere. Again the fob didn't work.

 

Before I washed the car, I took the battery out of the car so it was separate from the car drawing any current from it and checked the voltage. 5.4 volts. Just to make sure my conditioner was working, I attached it onto my motorbike and it went through it's cycle in 15 minutes. Happy days.

 

I hooked it up to the bare battery and I've only just returned to it now to check up on it. 5.3 volts. So this battery is well and truly shot.

 

Now as I still, unfortunately, can't drive my car for just on 4 months, is it worth getting a new battery and plumbing it in, or can I just leave it batteryless until the time comes for it to need one? With all the techno guff in the car I can understand it probably does need one.

 

It won't be a hassle changing it whenever the time comes, as I've a vcds thingymajig to put the new bem code in.

 

 

thanks

 

 

Ian

It's perfectly safe to remove the battery for an extended period of time.

 

However, in doing so your engine management system will lose all system memories and parameters and when you finally hook it back up the various elements will start at factory baselines rather than “learned” settings.

 

So your car may well run roughly, idle fast or slow and get poor fuel economy until the various systems "relearn" the fuel curve for your particular car and driving style.

 

Other minor inconveniences include having to reprogramme your radio stations etc.

3 minutes ago, SkodaVRS1963 said:

It's perfectly safe to remove the battery for an extended period of time.

 

However, in doing so your engine management system will lose all system memories and parameters and when you finally hook it back up the various elements will start at factory baselines rather than “learned” settings.

 

So your car may well run roughly, idle fast or slow and get poor fuel economy until the various systems "relearn" the fuel curve for your particular car and driving style.

 

Other minor inconveniences include having to reprogramme your radio stations etc.

 

I can live with having to reprogramme the radio and the other usual driver settings.

 

Do you think any changes which I've made on my VCDS will get wiped and the car will present itself as if it's just come out the factory?

 

 

thanks

I doubt they will be lost

Those kind of settings aren't held in short term with the battery, they are actually written on writable memory much like a memory stick works.

For same reason it wouldn't just dump a remap because you removed your battery etc. So I doubt you would lose any changes.

 

I'd more more worried about a car going out of use that long, cars don't like sitting really long, but if its only 4 months should be okay ( might be an idea to throw a cover on it or garage though).

Keep in mind it has been a fairly cold winter and batteries don’t like this. The car shuts down things like Kessy and remote quite quickly to protect itself.

 

Mine has complained a lot through lack of use this winter, it had a cheap battery from new but it is less than three years old and I had to put a ctek on it twice this winter. I will replace it with a good AGM soon but I know it will have no problems through the summer now temperatures have hopefully risen, so I’ll fit one later this year.

 

The battery will not like being flat more than the car. Sounds like you have a charger so if you are able to hook it up for 24 hours every now and again then do that. If not then charge the battery then disconnect it.

 

If you are going to replace the battery anyway then it doesn’t really matter what you do the only thing you may harm is the battery itself if it goes flat.

 

If it’s a regular thing and can’t connect it you could get a solar trickle charger but the lousy weather we get and the fact these cars use (compritively) a lot of power when idle mean it has to be a fair size.

1 hour ago, vRSAnt said:

I doubt they will be lost

Those kind of settings aren't held in short term with the battery, they are actually written on writable memory much like a memory stick works.

 

Happy days then

 

1 hour ago, vRSAnt said:

I doubt they will be lost

Those kind of settings aren't held in short term with the battery, they are actually written on writable memory much like a memory stick works.

For same reason it wouldn't just dump a remap because you removed your battery etc. So I doubt you would lose any changes.

 

I'd more more worried about a car going out of use that long, cars don't like sitting really long, but if its only 4 months should be okay ( might be an idea to throw a cover on it or garage though).

 

I've thrown my battery conditioner on it a few times over the recent months just to keep it topped up, however on the last couple of times when I've turned the car on the drive just to reposition the tyres, it's been reluctant to start, even with decent enough temperatures. Plus the dash has screamed a load of errors again stating bits and bobs aren't working.

 

However, as has been pointed out in other threads on various forums, the oem batteries are always a bit on the limp side. I would have thought this one being an agm battery, it would have had a bit more life in it, but hey ho. Bosch batteries are my chosen brand, so it was coming to it one way or the other.

I have this theoretical problem with a car I barely use, a MGF.

I just keep it covered under a car port and always disconnect the battery whenever out of use standing ( having locked the car).

The car itself is behind a gate and possibly up to 2 cars so I don't care about an alarm.

Plus, asa natural defence, its a MG

 

You could combine this with some kind of top up charging.

I have a solar charger but also run the car up occassionally myself, admittedly it was only 6 months ago I got the car but the battery is still good.

Think I'm going to sort the tax and give her more of a spin around now the weathers approaching more suitable and ensure the battery gets a good boost myself!

As a rule, batteries connected to factory spec cars in storage should be checked every 3 to 4 weeks and be recharged if below 12.4 volts.

If the battery is not connected, keep it fully charged away from hot environments and check it every 3 months. Recharge if below 12.6 volts. A battery will stay good for a couple of years if you stick to these pointers as a minimum.

 

Its also a good idea to shake up wet filled batteries, EFB or Standard types from time to time to stop the acid stratifying (Acid decends to the bottom of the battery forcing water to the top which decays the bottom end of the battery materials if left standing still too long).

I'd also suggest disconnecting the battery rather than letting it sit on the car with very little voltage. Less risk of doing harm to the electronics. Just leave it off until you get a new battery.

 

A currently have a Mk2 Octavia SORN for a few months but I'm just leaving the battery conditioner on 24/7

 

Lee

12 minutes ago, logiclee said:

I'd also suggest disconnecting the battery rather than letting it sit on the car with very little voltage. Less risk of doing harm to the electronics. Just leave it off until you get a new battery.

 

A currently have a Mk2 Octavia SORN for a few months but I'm just leaving the battery conditioner on 24/7

 

Lee

 

Yeah, the battery is out and took a trip to the tip!!! I'm just going to leave it batteryless until it needs one putting in. Don't want to buy another battery and then it go funny with it being sat in the car being unused.

On 4/14/2018 at 22:15, tunedude said:

Bosch batteries are my chosen brand

 

Bosch batteries are made by Varta in the same factory. Varta are usually a bit cheaper for the same spec battery and the codes sometimes more easily entered into the system when you program in the new one as Varta tend to do more batteries for OEM. Saves having to lookup or work out equivalents

1 hour ago, flybynite said:

 

Bosch batteries are made by Varta in the same factory. Varta are usually a bit cheaper for the same spec battery and the codes sometimes more easily entered into the system when you program in the new one as Varta tend to do more batteries for OEM. Saves having to lookup or work out equivalents

 

Heinz beans or own brand.......

 

I saw the varta one but for £3 more, it comes with an extra year on the guarantee.

 

All the 096 agm batteries are of a similar price, it's just any vehicle of mine which has needed a battery I've never had any problems with Bosch.