Coronavirus car not used, battery charge?

[riby]

Hi all, I've no need to use my car in the Coronavirus lockdown, but thought I better start it every now and again to keep battery from going flat.  Its a MK 3 fabia 67 plate, automatic, parked on the driveway,my question is should I let the engine tick over for say five minutes every week, and is leaving it in Park with handbrake on the way to run it, or should I put it into neutral whilst I run it this way?

Stay well everyone.

[rum4mo]

As you have it parked in your driveway, I'd be getting a battery charger that is safe to leave connected to the battery and only switch that off once a month and take the car for shortish but "justified" run to warm it up - then park it up and reconnect the safe charger, maybe stretch to a well known brand like CTEK that includes "RCOND" in the charging options.

 

As for "mode" when parked for longer periods, as I don't have a DSG equipped car, I'll leave that to others to help you out there.

 

Warning:- as said in other areas of this and other forums, make sure that the charger supplier does have stock as these things are said to be flying off the shelves right now.

 

For anyone wanting to buy a quality charger cheaply, wait a few months after this is all over and maybe used ones will appear for sale?

 

Edit:- sorry I miss interpreted the "what mode to leave it in" or when to leave it in that mode, but I'll leave that for others with DSG to answer should it ever become relevant if you take my revised advice.

Edited 4 April, 2020 by rum4mo

[OldBoyScout]

I have seen these issues on another thread. Probably not for Fabia but most of it will apply to most models. I would also advise keeping the tyres pumped up perhaps a bit higher than normal. Re DSG in P or N, I am no expert but suspect it wouldn't make much difference either way. I would agree with rum4mo that a battery charger, if you have one, is a better option than running the engine to top up the battery. I think that starting the engine occasionally is probably a good idea to be sure that the car remains in running order, but starting the engine from cold without going for a proper drive to really warm it up is not going to be all that good for the engine, so I would do this sparingly. Move the car a little way now and again so it is not always resting on the same bit of the tyre. Leave the handbrake off - the DSG will hold the car in place if it is in Park. Use chocks for extra safety if required.

 

 

[Ootohere]

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/479418-advice-for-storing-mk3-during-uk-lockdown-battery-drain-kessy-etc

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/479629-best-in-place-battery-charger

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/479279-hints-on-protecting-cars-that-arent-being-used

 

[riby]

Thanks everyone for the replies and good advice, think I'll just start it up every week and leave it to run for 5 mins or so, and move it a few feet each time. Drive is on a slight slope so might just leave it in 'P' all the time with handbrake on - or to stop brakes locking could chock wheels and leave handbrake off and still in 'P'.

[Ootohere]

@riby

Starting and running for 5 minutes is not charging the battery enough. 

You are putting very little into the battery sitting ticking over for 5 minutes.

 

Also not helping the Oil, as the coolant might show 90*oC but the oil is not getting hot really.

Best get a charger IMO. 

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

 

[Blackcountryman]

£25 or whatever spent on charger is money well spent ,when you consider the hassle if the car won't start.........

Mine is left in the garage with a power supply,but even on a driveway ,a slow charge of 2 -3 hours will lift the charge back to near fully charged state.

Just make sure you connect up  properly for earth  if you have stop/start facility on the engine.....

Edited 4 April, 2020 by Blackcountryman

[xman]

20 minutes ago, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

@riby

Starting and running for 5 minutes is not charging the battery enough. 

You are putting very little into the battery sitting ticking over for 5 minutes.

 

Also not helping the Oil, as the coolant might show 90*oC but the oil is not getting hot really.

Best get a charger IMO. 

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

 

 

Totally agree, 5 min causes far more damage than good especially if only idling as the CAT will not get to temperature. The danger is you'll leave raw petrol that is over/late injected for the CAT warm up phase, in the cylinders where it will wash the thin film of oil off the cylinder walls. (Bore wash)

 

 

 

 

[riby]

OK, thanks again, will get a solar charger of at least 4w power - there's lots on Amazon.

Looks like you just plug it into the cig. lighter socket and leave the solar panel on the dashboard or parcel shelf and away you go?  But they all have clamps coloured red and black, to go on the battery terminals - presumably if I do the cig lighter way these will not be used?  I'm a bit confused here.

Also, my car has a button stop start ignition, not a key one, does this make any difference to the charger I should be getting?  Looked on some of the reviews on Amazon but couldn't find out about this point.

[OldBoyScout]

6 minutes ago, riby said:

Also, my car has a button stop start ignition, not a key one, does this make any difference to the charger I should be getting? 

 

I would also like to know the answer to this. I have a charger that is a few years old that I use on my old Octy MK2, and imagined I would be able to use it on my 2015 Scout with stop-start. Now I am not so sure. Fortunately the Scout started OK today, despite having the original battery from Dec 2015.

 

3 hours ago, Blackcountryman said:

Just make sure you connect up  properly for earth  if you have stop/start facility on the engine.....

 

Please clarify.

 

[xman]

2 minutes ago, OldBoyScout said:

 

Please clarify.

 

 

Connect the negative (black) lead to the chassis tab on the bulkhead and NOT directly to the battery negative terminal. This way you don't bypass the current sensor which is integral to the battery negative terminal connector and so confuse the state of charge monitoring leading to problems.

 

The positive (red) wire can be connected direct to the positive battery terminal.

 

Although not definitively proven, general concensus seems to be its ok to connect a solar charger, maybe even a proper charger, via an aux 12v socket. Bear in mind, solar chargers don't work at night, in garages, under any cover, poorly/not at all in shade, clouds, tinted glass. They also need to be mounted and track perpendicular to the sun to maximise output. So unlikely a 4w panel will ever produce 4w and averaged over a typical dreary english day maybe not much at all.

 

For information, after 30 months of monitoring I can confirm (my Superb SEL) with a fully charged EFB battery, stood,  takes as little as 8 - 9mA, with regular bursts of around 50mA for around 30 seconds a few times an hour from the cars systems. Easily under 15mA average I think which gives around < 0.36Ah discharge  per day.

 

That is with a 100% charged healthy EFB battery, at 13.44 volts, 12 deg C. It may increase with lower voltages, age, state of discharge, and certainly increasing )temperature.

 

Also remember, because of the start/stop micro hybrid scheme. The car charging system attempts to keep the battery at around 80% charge (to allow for energy recovery on the overrun). You probably need a minimum of 40% charge to avoid permanent sulphation damage to the battery and to start the car reliably.

 

So my standard 59Ah battery, I have would, in normal use, only have around 25Ah standby capacity to avoid problems which is well over a month.

 

I've read somewhere car manufacturers choose car battery capacities to last at least a month on standby.

 

[DEL80Y]

I use these for my jetski batteries and for stored cars from Aldi

£13 

[SurreyJohn]

Ideally pump the tyres to higher pressure, if not try and move the car a bit to avoid flat spots.

 

Ideally don’t use the handbrake to avoid brakes binding (park in gear or P) but if your drive has a slope, then old fashioned chocks (or spare housebrick wedging wheels)

 

Switch the interior lights off manually, also the infotainment (you don’t want car seeking Bluetooth etc as it will be a battery drain).   Locking the car should turn things off, (but possibly pop the inside bonnet release, just in case you do let battery go flat and can’t unlock passenger door)

 

Ideally put on a trickle charger for a while, each week.   If you have automatic version like CTEK won’t be able to overcharge, but it is possible with basic chargers so don’t use simple chargers too long.

 

 

[Eeeekkk]

Bit late to this one after my car has gone flat for a second time. 😃 When charging the battery, am I meant to put the negative on the bolt like this? The manual isn't that helpful?

[Robbydazzler]

If it is "stop start" then connect to  a body earth point not the negative battery terminal. Trickle/smart charges are okay to charge the battery while it is still connectedbut if your charger gives a heavy charge disconnect the negative battery terminal and then connect charger to battery terminals.

[Eeeekkk]

I think it's a smart charger but I've borrowed it (again) so would have to check.

[AGFalco]

The nut that sticks out that you have the charger clip attached to, is painted.

 

You need to have the charger clip touch the end of the earth lead that the painted nut clamps on to the inner wing.

This lead goes down and towards the back of the engine bay.

 

If the charger clip just touches the painted nut it won't charge the battery. 😮

 

Thanks AG Falco

[lowedb]

Hardly worth saying again, but idling on the drive isn't good. What is worth saying is that you mustn't leave it unattended. Ignoring the fact that someone might take a liking to your car and remove it (with your insurance refusing to pay out) but the highway code is clear you shouldn't do it (Rule 123) as it's bad for the environment. Unlikely, but possible you could get in trouble over that.

A smart charger is the way to go. The Aldi and Lidl ones are great but don't keep them in your garage as the mode switch gives up.

You have to be careful with power or cigar lighter sockets. Some are switched electronically so power won't go backwards through them. Others are switched with a relay, and only allow power during the time the relay is on. Some are permanently connected. For the F3 I don't know what we have.

 

EDIT: remembered I'd got hold of the circuit diagrams, and they say the cigar lighter has no relay or switching, so should be good to go.

Edited 30 May, 2020 by lowedb

[Eeeekkk]

On 29/05/2020 at 18:53, AGFalco said:

The nut that sticks out that you have the charger clip attached to, is painted.

 

You need to have the charger clip touch the end of the earth lead that the painted nut clamps on to the inner wing.

This lead goes down and towards the back of the engine bay.

 

If the charger clip just touches the painted nut it won't charge the battery. 😮

 

Thanks AG Falco

Thanks, that would explain why it started after I charged it, but wasn't very charged and stop start didn't come on even after twenty minutes of driving around. 😃 After I moved the clip I was just wasting my time! 😮

[Guest BigJase88]

I would leave it in Park, handbrake off, choke the wheels with some bricks. And just take the battery out. 
 

job sorted.

[rum4mo]

On 05/06/2020 at 17:46, Eeeekkk said:

Thanks, that would explain why it started after I charged it, but wasn't very charged and stop start didn't come on even after twenty minutes of driving around. 😃 After I moved the clip I was just wasting my time! 😮

 

If you think that you will need to repeat this, just clean the paint off a couple of the flats/faces on the domed nut, ie the ones that are easiest to fit the crock clip jaws over, that is all I have been doing on my wife's 2015 VW Polo, maybe apply some Vaseline over these faces to prevent them from becoming corroded during winter weather.

 

Most if not all charger will give you adequate warning if the crock clips are not making contact with both a +VE and -VE point.

[Eccles]

I would just add that you can be well ripped off for a replacement battery if you don't do some proper searching. My battery is now over 5 yrs so I am thinking of replacing with a Yuasa EFB before next winter. £75-£85 seems about right but I have seen some thieves trying to charge twice that amount.

[rum4mo]

3 hours ago, Eccles said:

I would just add that you can be well ripped off for a replacement battery if you don't do some proper searching. My battery is now over 5 yrs so I am thinking of replacing with a Yuasa EFB before next winter. £75-£85 seems about right but I have seen some thieves trying to charge twice that amount.

 

Well that is the same for any "distress" purchase I'd think.

[sikejsudjek]

I got a 10w solar charger and plugged it into the 12v cigar lighter socket. Took a few days but got the charge up to full.

[rum4mo]

3 hours ago, sikejsudjek said:

I got a 10w solar charger and plugged it into the 12v cigar lighter socket. Took a few days but got the charge up to full.

 

Good, I'd think that too many people just buy the cheapest and so the smallest O/P solar chargers and get disappointed - or live too far North to get adequate sunlight!!