Brutally cold weather and a battery?

[1BAD68]

Is it good for a battery to leave it in the car and keep a trickle charger on it or should I just bring it in during sub zero temperature's?

[resq302]

Ive heard of some batteries freezing so if you are not planning on using the car, you might want to bring it in.  Just be forewarned of fumes and vapors from the battery that come with it being charged.  The vapors are explosive!

[Charger_Fan]

As long as your trickle charger will stop charging once the battery is at 100%, it should be fine to leave outside. I haven't noticed any life difference personally, between bringing them in where it's warmer.
I've got three of these, they work great!

[miamivice]

what if you just disconnect the battery from the car vs putting a trickle charger on it?  that is what i have been doing, is that bad?

[tan top]

take it out & bring it in the house ,  don't put it on a cold stone floor either , all ways place it on a block of wood

[dpm68]

take it out & bring it in the house ,  don't put it on a cold stone floor either , all ways place it on a block of wood

I just discussed that with someone yesterday - I told him that I think it's an old wives tale - am I wrong? Please enlighten me.

[dads_69]

Its been -25 on the average here lately, Alaska, lots of things are freezing up unfortunately for people. Batteries, engines, Tran's blowing up after they don't let the car/truck warm up properly. Last Sunday it was -38 yeah, don't get out unless you have to they say here.
Why am I still here, only for the big $$, when I'm caught up, I'm outta here.

Mark

[DodgeByDave]

take it out & bring it in the house ,  don't put it on a cold stone floor either , all ways place it on a block of wood

I just discussed that with someone yesterday - I told him that I think it's an old wives tale - am I wrong? Please enlighten me.

Yes, it's an old wives tale. Concrete is an insulator, not a conductor.

A battery will freeze, and freeze faster on a bare concrete floor.

Next up, cleaning a battery with soda. Why would you try to clean an acid with an acid? It will rinse it but not CLEAN it.

The best bet? the battery tender or better is a battery conditioner. More for the NiCads we use in scale aviation. Alternately charges and discharges the set to maintain peak voltage.

[67_Dodge_Charger]

I left a battery on a concrete floor over the summer and the charge was gone.  Zapped.  I put a piece of cardboard between the battery and floor after recharging and the battery held its charge.  Even in the cold months here in Montana it held its charge.

[charger490]

i always start my cars and let them run for a while twice a month and that works for me

[tan top]

take it out & bring it in the house ,  don't put it on a cold stone floor either , all ways place it on a block of wood

I just discussed that with someone yesterday - I told him that I think it's an old wives tale - am I wrong? Please enlighten me.

cold damages the chemical reaction  in the battery & reduces its capacity , more so if the battery is laying dormant in a car / truck over the winter .. but on the other end of the  scale  get a battery too hot & its discharging rate will increase .   standing a battery on a cold concrete floor will kill it  as the cold tempreture of the of the floor is transfered to the battery ... 

[2Gunz]

I looked on the net for the answer to this.

It seems that this used to be true.

Back in the old old days batterys where glass jars in wood cases.
The concrete could cause the wood to swell and break the glass.
Then the acid would drain out and dead battery.

More recently but still old.....

The hard rubber battery cases could allow an electrical connection
and create a ground with the cement allowing the battery to drain.

But it would seem with modern batterys that is no longer the case.


Interesting stuff.

[joflaig]

What about a non acid battery? I have a Optima in my car, plugged into a tender. I was told it would be okay for 5 months in the garage over-winter and could stay in the car.

[AKcharger]

Battery heater might be a good purchase if you experience temps like that a lot.

[resq302]

Your themometer is broke.  I think you need to get a warm climate one.       Seriously though, I have never seen one that cold.  And I thought the single digits here in NJ at times was bad.

[AKcharger]

Yeah usually Anchorage isn't too bad but we have't been above 0° in two weeks...it's really starting to get old!

At least we're not in Fairbanks...they haven't been above -25°! WHERE IS THE GLOBAL WARMING WHEN YOU NEED IT!!

[Ghoste]

Over top of Al Gores house.   

[Tilar]

take it out & bring it in the house ,  don't put it on a cold stone floor either , all ways place it on a block of wood

I just discussed that with someone yesterday - I told him that I think it's an old wives tale - am I wrong? Please enlighten me.

It is an old wives tale. What happens is many batteries are dirty and have a little acid across the top of the battery which is actually like a short, and over time it just drains the battery.

The next time you have a battery that is a little dirty on the top, Take a multimeter and touch one wire to one of the posts, and run the other one across the top of the battery and check for voltage. You may be surprised with your results. A really clean battery will have no voltage drain, and will not go dead on concrete or any other dry surface.

If it does have a drain, it will go dead in your car in the same time it would go dead on any concrete floor.

Oh, and a fully charged battery should be fine in sub zero weather.

[Tilar]

Next up, cleaning a battery with soda. Why would you try to clean an acid with an acid? It will rinse it but not CLEAN it.

I've had people talk about cleaning a battery with soda. Baking soda will neutralize acid and clean a battery, but no other type of soda that I'm aware of.

[W4ATL]

what if you just disconnect the battery from the car vs putting a trickle charger on it?  that is what i have been doing, is that bad?

A battery will discharge by itself even if it is disconnected.

[nh_mopar_fan]

I leave the trickle chargers on and the batteries in the cars. Never an issue.

Battery heater might be a good purchase if you experience temps like that a lot.

This is a handy little chart we have up our way....

As Spring approaches here in Boston, it's important to remember a few simple facts:

At 60° F:
Texans wear coats, gloves, and woolly hats.
New Englanders sunbathe.

At 50° F:
New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
New Englanders plant gardens.

At 40° F:
Italian cars won't start.
New Englanders drive with the windows down.

At 32° F:
Distilled water freezes.
Lake Winnapesaukee cools off.

At 20° F:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
New Englanders have the last cookout before it gets cold.

At 15° F:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
New Englanders throw on a "sweatah."

At 0° F:
Californians fly away to Mexico.
New Englanders take in the flag.

At -20° F:
People in Houston cease to exist.
New Englanders get out winter coats.

At -40° F:
Hollywood disintegrates.
New England Girl Scouts still sell cookies door to door.

At -60° F:
Penguins flee Antarctica.
New Englander Boy Scouts hold "Winter Survival" classes.

At -80° F:
Mount St. Helen's freezes.
New Englanders rent videos.

At -100° F:
Santa Claus abandons the
North Pole.
New Englanders are frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

At -297° F:
Microbial life survives on dairy products.
Cows in Rhode Island complain of farmers with cold hands.

At -460° F—Absolute Zero:
Atomic motion stops.
New Englanders ask: "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

At -500° F:
Hell freezes over.
The Red Sox win the World Series.

[ted]

whats very hard on the engine

i always start my cars and let them run for a while twice a month and that works for me