Long term storage and battery tender

[Balr14]

I have used a CTek charger/tender/maintainer for years. When I parked the Porsche for the winter, I just left the driver's window open a little and plugged the CTek tender into the console outlet. It worked perfectly. Porsches are the worst cars I have ever owned when it comes to draining batteries. CTek is expensive, but worth it.

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[Bulldog9]

Not weird at all, as cars grow more complex with layers of computers, processors, systems and memory, going old school and pulling a battery for a year, or swapping out for a different type of battery can create all kinds of problems. I'd prefer to avoid that.

This won't be a problem on my truck or other cars/motorcycles.

So there are no 'embedded batteries' in the computer systems like on my wife's Mercedes? Her main battery drained over the winter and not driving due to COVID, and has created all kinds of sub systems problems because the system was completely drained. That is what I am trying to avoid.

 

[NoVaGT]

....pulling a battery for a year can create all kinds of problems.

No, it absolutely cannot. That's not how this works.

 

[NoVaGT]

So there are no 'embedded batteries' in the computer systems like on my wife's Mercedes?

No, there is not.

Pull the battery, and the car is completely dead.

What was the cure for your wife's Mercedes? What batteries had to be replaced to fix it?

 

[Bulldog9]

No, there is not.

Pull the battery, and the car is completely dead.

What was the cure for your wife's Mercedes? What batteries had to be replaced to fix it?

There was a separate replaceable auxiliary battery buried in the dash above the glove box, and one soldered into one of the control circuit boards, I think for the auto stop-start. Almost all the sub systems were powered by these, and the dealer said, they can stand a main batter being 'dead' or disconnected for a short period of time, but after sitting dead for a couple months it created all kinds of issues.

Not a full cure yet, the 'accident alert' system with the radar and lights in mirrors still throws codes, and works only 50% of the time. They have reflashed the computers, changed all the batteries, to no avail.

Being new to the S550 Mustang, I wasn't sure, so figured I'd ask. New car, new tricks.

 

[NoVaGT]

There was a separate replaceable auxiliary battery buried in the dash above the glove box, and one soldered into one of the control circuit boards, I think for the auto stop-start. Almost all the sub systems were powered by these, and the dealer said, they can stand a main batter being 'dead' or disconnected for a short period of time, but after sitting dead for a couple months it created all kinds of issues.

Being new to the S550 Mustang, I wasn't sure, so figured I'd ask. New car, new tricks.

What year is the Mercedes? Did you get the batteries replaced?

Batteries don't die from being discharged once. They die from use, age, and repeated discharge/charge cycles. Your wife not driving the vehicle didn't ruin the batteries. It was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[Jason304]

Then don't leave the battery anywhere near the car. When one explodes battery acid goes an amazingly long way. Not a good experience...
Battery tenders, the modern smart ones, have a lot of safety features built in unlike the old basic trickle chargers. I've left them on batteries in motorcycles for very extended periods with zero issues.

Had a tender on my Ram truck for about 3-4 months. Disconnected the tender and hit the start button. BANG! Sounded like a gun shot. Blew both ends of the casing off. Acid all over the engine compartment and garage floor. A damn mess. Had to hook a charger to the battery leads to jump the truck and get it out side so I could wash the acid off.

 

[Rapid Red]

Make your own decision, Battery Tender document.

Thinking the manufactures information is legit .

View attachment Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 12.35.17 PM.png.pdf

 

[Bulldog9]

What year is the Mercedes? Did you get the batteries replaced?

Batteries don't die from being discharged once. They die from use, age, and repeated discharge/charge cycles. Your wife not driving the vehicle didn't ruin the batteries. It was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

It is a 2015 GLA. All original batteries.

As I understand it, the main battery and electrical system keeps the sub batteries charged. Not running the car and sitting from October to February drained all the batteries. She works from home, and when we went out was in my truck. I jumped it, started and ran and drove the car, and the main battery recovered, but the accessory batteries never did, and wouldn't hold a charge. I replaced the aux battery behind the glove box, but was still getting error codes. Took to dealer, said it was common, and re-flashed the systems, no change, then the main ECU and still no change. Then they changed the board/box with the embedded battery which cleared all but the intermittent error warnings and 50% function of the system.

Dealer is not sure, but say that those systems are flaky and sensitive to begin with, but the extended drain may have damaged a circuit. I'm hoping she will call it quits on the car, I hate it.

I get how cars work, and have been wrenching on my cars and motorcycles for 40+ years. It sounds like the S550 does not have the complexity of auxiliary batteries and removing or disconnecting for a year will do no harm.

 

[NoVaGT]

It is a 2015 GLA. All original batteries.

As I understand it, the main battery and electrical system keeps the sub batteries charged. Not running the car and sitting from October to February drained all the batteries. She works from home, and when we went out was in my truck. I jumped it, started and ran and drove the car, and the main battery recovered, but the accessory batteries never did, and wouldn't hold a charge. I replaced the aux battery behind the glove box, but was still getting error codes. Took to dealer, said it was common, and re-flashed the systems, no change, then the main ECU and still no change. Then they changed the board/box with the embedded battery which cleared all but the intermittent error warnings and 50% function of the system.

Dealer is not sure, but say that those systems are flaky and sensitive to begin with, but the extended drain may have damaged a circuit. I'm hoping she will call it quits on the car, I hate it.

I get how cars work, and have been wrenching on my cars and motorcycles for 40+ years. It sounds like the S550 does not have the complexity of auxiliary batteries and removing or disconnecting for a year will do no harm.

And just to be fair to the Merc, it's batteries are (were) at least 6, and probably more like 7 years old. That's very, very old in battery years.

So, the car sitting without charging was just the final nail in the coffin for those batteries.

 

[Rapid Red]

I have used a CTek charger/tender/maintainer for years. When I parked the Porsche for the winter, I just left the driver's window open a little and plugged the CTek tender into the console outlet. It worked perfectly. Porsches are the worst cars I have ever owned when it comes to draining batteries. CTek is expensive, but worth it.

Have one of those also. Not that I have had any battery headaches. It can charge multiple types of batteries.

No crazy about the plastic case. Battery Tender can be knocked off a bench and survive.

 

[Carbide]

I have used a CTek charger/tender/maintainer for years. When I parked the Porsche for the winter, I just left the driver's window open a little and plugged the CTek tender into the console outlet. It worked perfectly. Porsches are the worst cars I have ever owned when it comes to draining batteries. CTek is expensive, but worth it.

C-Tek is what I have on my GT350. Used it for many years on my C6 Grand Sport.

 

[ezracer]

Gonna be taking another all expense paid fun filled year long trip to the sandbox across the Atlantic this.
summer.

Due to all the computer crap in the Bullitt, my normal routine of stabilized fuel, fresh oil, overpressured tires, and disconnected batteries I normally do in all my cars and motorcycles is likely inadvisable, so I am planning on leaving it connected to a battery tender, and will buy a new one for some extra piece of mind.

Any thoughts on this?

I have an idea. It would be better for the car if it was driven once a week.

I will volunteer my time and I'll pay for gas. I'm in the mid-atlantic area also. Lemmeno.
Just sayin'.

 

[VIPR01]

CTEK get my vote also, past 4 years worked like a champ!

 

[FreePenguin]

Have one of those also. Not that I have had any battery headaches. It can charge multiple types of batteries.

No crazy about the plastic case. Battery Tender can be knocked off a bench and survive.

I have a 4 bank battery tender on my wall in garage. no dropping. its the black and green thing hanging beside the door to the right.

you can use diff lengths of cords, diff connection types etc. the big boy 4 bank version, charges at higher speeds too. got mine off amazon 6 years ago for 150. havnt had a battery fail me, I store the motorcycles and summer car over winter connected 24/7 I used to keep a mower in the garage, but I installed a solar panel on the shed, with a 12v inverter and it keeps the 12v tendered, prob not as well. but it seems to be working over this winter. Lol

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...keywords=battery+4+bank&qid=1618951913&sr=8-3

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