[Staves]

My SS has been sitting since 4/18 but I’m on the east coast now staying with my parents potentially for another couple of months (my Dad is sick and is week to week but perhaps month to month).

Car is in gated underground garage in my condo bldg. Battery tender not possible.
How long until I ask my neighbor to start it up? 8wks? 12 wks?
Also should I have him drive it around some too? (Not something I prefer to do).

Thanks for any feedback.

[Mark114]

Originally Posted by Staves

My SS has been sitting since 4/18 but I’m on the east coast now staying with my parents potentially for another couple of months (my Dad is sick and is week to week but perhaps month to month).

Car is in gated underground garage in my condo bldg. Battery tender not possible.
How long until I ask my neighbor to start it up? 8wks? 12 wks?
Also should I have him drive it around some too? (Not something I prefer to do).

Thanks for any feedback.

I’m sorry to hear that your dad isn’t doing well. The car will likely be fine. IMHO starting a car without driving it enough to warm it to operating temperature and recharge the battery is worse than letting it sit. The battery charge is a wildcard. Some cars can go months in storage and start right up while others won’t go more than a few weeks. My suggestion is to buy a decent jumpstart battery to take with you when you pull the car out of storage in case you need to jump it. The car can be jumped from the hood or trunk depending on your access.

[nancygrl]

During the winter, at times have let mine sit for at least 6 weeks or so, never a problem starting it. But others have had issues after only 1 week. So it's hit/miss. When you get back, just be prepared to possibly jump it.

[m6-lt1]

Look up how to put the car in transport mode and ask your neighbor to do it for you. It will last a while before the battery dies when it’s in transport mode.

[Staves]

Originally Posted by m6-lt1

Look up how to put the car in transport mode and ask your neighbor to do it for you. It will last a while before the battery dies when it’s in transport mode.

Good idea. Thanks. Should I put it in that mode now or wait a few weeks?

[TP2SS]

Originally Posted by Staves

Good idea. Thanks. Should I put it in that mode now or wait a few weeks?

You can wait a couple weeks and have your neighbor start and run the car for 20-30 minutes. When they do that, they can put it into TM on the startup.

It's simple. Turn the hazard flashers on; foot on brake; press and hold start button, even after engine starts. Takes about 10-15 seconds and it'll display on DIC "TRANSPORT MODE"; let off start button and it's done. Turn of hazards. Do the same thing to exit TM.

While in TM, you WILL see the battery caution light flashing on the DIC when the car is running, but it's fine, the battery is still charging. I winter store my SS in TM in an unheated storage unit, and run it for 30 min every 4 weeks or so. Never had a problem and it's still the original battery in a 2016.

[Camaro fanboy]

i remember reading somewhere a car battery looses 1 percent a day.

[sengli]

My last several Gen5, and Gen6 cars couldnt even make a month, and were found dead. Guessing it depends on whether your car has a lot of things running or not. And if your battery is good or not. Found mine supposedly had bad batteries at a year or so old. Now they are either on the tender, or being driven.

[Zaqwert6]

If it was me, I would just pull the negative battery terminal off the battery. And let it sit till you get back.

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by TP2SS

You can wait a couple weeks and have your neighbor start and run the car for 20-30 minutes. When they do that, they can put it into TM on the startup.

It's simple. Turn the hazard flashers on; foot on brake; press and hold start button, even after engine starts. Takes about 10-15 seconds and it'll display on DIC "TRANSPORT MODE"; let off start button and it's done. Turn of hazards. Do the same thing to exit TM.

While in TM, you WILL see the battery caution light flashing on the DIC when the car is running, but it's fine, the battery is still charging. I winter store my SS in TM in an unheated storage unit, and run it for 30 min every 4 weeks or so. Never had a problem and it's still the original battery in a 2016.

The south eastern heat is holy terror on batteries.



Like you said though, he is inside and unerground so a little while and you will be ok.

[Staves]

Originally Posted by Zaqwert6

If it was me, I would just pull the negative battery terminal off the battery. And let it sit till you get back.

Not really an option. The only one who has a key to my place and car is my friend who drives a Kia Niro and isn’t especially handy. I don’t want her near the car really except I think she can put it in transport mode.

[zaimer]

It is difficult to say - you could return and it could fire right up or it could be completely dead lol. Much like people, each car can be quite different. My car personally cannot sit more than a couple of weeks, without being putting some miles on or being hooked up to the tender.

If it were me, I would either just plan (to be on the safe side) to jump start the car upon return. I'm not having someone start the car up or drive it around.

[50MileSmile]

My ‘18 has twice sat for 4-5 months without a battery tender during the winter. When I’m ready to drive it, 24 or so hours on the tender brings the battery back to full life. I keep the tires at 50 psi so they don’t flat-spot (I also roll the car forward or backward a few feet every month), put tennis balls under the wiper arms so the springs don’t go dead, put bags of dessicant in the interior and trunk, and add Sta-Bil to the fuel tank. That’s it - and it’s worked for several cars. I never start a stored car without driving it, because it takes a good 20 minutes of driving to get everything (especially the transmission and rear end) up to operating temperature. Just warming up a car for a few minutes can cause condensation to form, which is not a positive thing for mechanical systems.

If your car’s going to be parked a few months, remember to cut back on your insurance coverage too, since it’s not on the road. You could reduce your premium by as much as 50%.

Hope things go well with your dad...

[zirad54]

i have gone 5 weeks parked with no issues.