Storage Experiment

[ClawSS]

Make this a poll... I would like to see the tally of "true believers" and "skeptics".

I say it will reluctantly start.

[Highland Ranger]

google: lead acid battery no load discharge rate

first hit:
Do lead acid batteries discharge when not in use?
Yes. All batteries, regardless of their chemistry, will self-discharge even when no load is present. The rate of self-discharge for lead acid batteries depends on the storage, operating temperature and condition of the battery. At a temperature of 80 degrees F, a lead acid battery will self-discharge at a rate of approximately 4% a week. A battery with a 125 amp-hour rating would self-discharge at a rate of approximately five amps per week. Keeping this in mind if a 125 AH battery is stored for four months (16 weeks) winter without being charged, it will loose 80 amps of its 125-amp capacity. As a result of being undercharged, the battery will also have severe sulfation, which causes additional loss of capacity.

I beleive AGM's are slightly better and other chemistry batteries perform even better (lithium) but the OEM battery is lead acid.

[SWAT]

Originally Posted by strych9

Mine sat for 6 months last winter, no tender, etc. No problem. Fired up like it was stored the day before. My garage isn't climate-controlled, either.

+1

[Sp00ner]

Originally Posted by Highland Ranger

As a result of being undercharged, the battery will also have severe sulfation, which causes additional loss of capacity.

To me this is the larger issue. Whether is starts or not it will be hell on the battery.

[fz4k98]

A few years ago I had to buy three batteries in one spring for items stored over the winter. I now have total of 4 trickle charge batteries plugged in (atv, mower, cycle, Camaro) and let them go all winter without issues. The right charger will self maintain without causing issues.

[SMITTY8]

the dealership does it all the time!

[Trob85]

Why not just go out once or twice a month and start it for 5 min or so you don't need to drive it just break the rust (figuritavly speaking)

[Rock-It Man]

I don't know whether it will start, but what exactly is your reason for not spending the short money on a battery tender?

[JohnnyC]

A good healthy battery should start your car after a long storage, given it wasn't low enough in charge that it froze. The true concern is the strain that you put on your charging system if the battery is in a low state of charge. An alternator putting out full amperage to get the battery up to full charge creates a large amount of heat which will shorten its life. That is why even when you boost a vehicle you are supposed to leave the boosting vehicle hooked up to help the charging process.

[angryv6]

It would suck that my 02 Santa Fe sat for 13 months while I was in Iraq and it started right up and the Camaro wouldn't in six.

[steakmaker]

It will start ! I store my SS from Oct - April,in Upstate New York since I bought it new in 2010,polebarn isn't heated.I am bringing a power pack jumper with me this year though.

[J-vette]

It will start bc it's still new (battery) & the voltage should not have dropped that much as long as you didn't have the factory alarm on during that time.

[MBS]

2014 model I think you will be fine even in this -30 below crap, Now if you had a 2010 it might be questionable , My has fired up all winter long as it is a DD.

[OrangeVert]

Originally Posted by strych9

Mine sat for 6 months last winter, no tender, etc. No problem. Fired up like it was stored the day before. My garage isn't climate-controlled, either.

+1, same here.