Battery in Cold Weather

[Huw Powell]

Tihol Tiholov wrote:
>> Left 1986 Type 44 Turbo Quattro 3 days at temps -20C to -10C without
> starting. When it was -12C, car engine turned over slowly. Radio indicated
> "code", One boost from the CAA and car started quickly. Battery is 1 year
> old from the Canadian Automobile Association. I start car every 2 days and
> run for 10 minutes.
> 
>> Don't use the car much. But if the temp is that cold for days, then was
> advised by CAA man to start every day and let run.
> 
> What Mark said.  Plus, if you don't have a significant voltage drain, this
> battery's no good. 

Quite true.  My loader sits all winter and the battery (last year, 
anyway) was able at about 50 F in April to crank for minutes, until I 
opened the fuel valve :) so it could start.

My trucks sit unstarted sometimes for weeks at a time, and routinely 
start just fine when it's cold and time to plow the parking lot.

There is a product out there you can attach between the battery and the 
main hot cable that disconnects the battery when you're not using the 
car, the high current demand of running the starter turns it on.

If you're going to "wake the car up" once in a while for peace of mind, 
you should run it *at least* until the coolant is up to temperature, 
which would take forever at idle in winter.  Idling for ten minutes just 
fills the exhaust system with acid.  It's not even enough to scare the 
squirrels and mice away...

You should also have some fuel stabilizer in the tank.

And, as was pointed out, a battery tender hooked up to the car, or 
bringing the battery inside to store (on a tender?) would be a good idea.


-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/