ARMS

How long can a battery last without running the car?

I am traveling for 2 weeks and afraid it will be dead by the time I come back. I have a stock 06. the only mod i did was changed the stereo head unit to an aftermarket one. I also put in a 2way pager alarm with motion sensor. other than that it's all stock including the battery! so what are my chances to survive if i let it sit for 2 weeks??

btw to charge the battery i believe you can't just run the engine on idle, you have to actually drive around the street correct?

loftust

Driving the car for a good few miles will charge the battery more than if the car is idle.

The battery life is dependant on several things, temperature, the load, any dark current, and age, to name a few. The best thing to do is get a charger to make sure. You can even get solar trickle chargers, I know they do them on Ebay over here, and will post to the states as per this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12v-Solar-Panel-Batt...A1%7C240%3A1318

Make sure you get the correct one for your type of battery.

HTH

Scott Evil

I have an Optima yellow top and also have an aftermarket stereo. I have parked my car for two weeks and it is fine.

You could also pick a battery tender to keep it charged. They are cheap and worth the money.

Nick.

disconnect it.

RollerBoy

slalom44

Before you disconnect the battery, make sure you have the radio code handy.

Your alarm system puts a little drain on the battery. If you don't engage the alarm, a good battery won't have a problem sitting for two weeks.

I like the trickle charger idea. Better yet, get a desulfator. That will extend your battery life a significant amount. I hook up a BatteryMINDer to my battery any time it sits for more than a day. Of course, you need an outlet to do this. If you park outdoors, PulseTech makes the Solargizer.

Kirpich

^ Why before disconnecting? If he has a code, he'll be able to punch it back in upon reconnecting the battery.
If he doesn't, oh well, at least he can still have his car in running condition, but without the music. Until he gets around to calling the dealer, that is.


BTW, he did mention he has an aftermarket stereo...

CoralDoc

2 weeks!? That's nothing. Stop worrying about the battery and enjoy the trip. When I go away for more than a month I charge the battery overnight on low current (2A) disconnect the battery while I'm gone and top it back up before I re-connect it. It's that easy.

Like others have mentioned, make sure you have the radio code before disconnecting the battery.

vtec9

2 weeks. stop worrying. I wouldn't do anything

Uncoolron

Yup. I left for 5 weeks, just park my car in the garrage with OEM battery on it and did nothing. Came back started the car ran for about a minute and off I go .