If a car sits for 3 weeks - will the battery still be charged? (luxury car, sedans)

[virgo]

Now that many of the cars have heated seats, movie viewing capabilities, backup cameras, navigation systems, etc., what is the life expectancy of a battery now days? If you go on vacation for three weeks, park your car for that time period and then come back, will the car start right up? Do the new fangled gadgets drain a car's battery or are today's batteries beefier to handle the load?

Thanks.

[Crew Chief]

Personally, i wouldn't worry that much. you could have someone start the car every few days. Or you could just disconnect the battery (although you'd lose things like your radio station presets). Bon voyage!

[flmom28]

It should restart. If the battery is new like the car is new, it does not drain as quickly when sitting. The only time that batteries end up dying when sitting is if they are older. Sometimes the heat can make the battery die too because the newer batteries have water in them and when that water dries because of excess heat that will cause it to never work again, that is why batteries do not last as long in the hotter states. Yet another reason why the smaller batteries are supposed to be stored in a cool place, and I guess that is why some people think they will last longer in the fridge. Basically it all just depends on the age of the battery.

[sunsprit]

While there's many factors in a battery's life expectancy ... charge/discharge cycles, climate zone, etc. ... there's few parasitic draws on the battery that will run it down in three weeks if the battery is otherwise in good condition.

A "draw test" can determine if the battery in still in good condition; best to take it to a shop with the tester and let them run the test.

Today's battery technology is much better than as recently as a decade ago, and the batteries are much tougher and longer lasting than ever.

If, however, you have legitimate concerns about your car and battery being able to start after a three week out of service period, you might consider hooking the battery up to a "charge maintainer" if you have access to an electrical outlet by the car. Otherwise, a solar panel "maintainer" may be an option to keep the battery freshly charged up. Both are available at your local automotive parts supply.

[virgo]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

Personally, i wouldn't worry that much. you could have someone start the car every few days. Or you could just disconnect the battery (although you'd lose things like your radio station presets. Bon voyage!

Bon Voyage! Ha! I wish! Crew Chief, are you the truck driver who drives through Louisville, KY sometimes?

My next door neighbor who has a 2000 model car travels quite a bit for work. Sometimes, she is gone for 10 days at a time; however, she has never come back to find the car battery dead. Her assigned space is next to mine, so I know she would ask me for a jump. Her car is not fancy and does not have lots of gadgetry.

A while back (maybe a year or two), I was reading complaints about dead batteries from owners of Acura RLs. They would go on vacation, return, and find the battery/car dead in the garage. At that time, the culprit was supposedly the various systems on the car that were still running even though the car was parked.

As time goes on, the fancy gadgetry is no longer reserved just for the expensive cars, but now can be found on family sedans as well. I was just wondering if a new class of batteries had evolved. Thanks.

[okie333]

ya what crew chief said just disoconnect the battery no worries and enjoy your trip

[yo vanilla]

In my experience with luxury cars... it "should" restart. But too often have I come across a dead battery that, in a normal, less elecro-gizmo'd cars, should have started the car.

The best option is to get a trickle charger to keep just enough juice flowing to the battery. Any luxury brand dealership should have a manufacturer-branded unit for $50 or so. You can disconnect the battery, but left long enough that's a good way to discharge it too.

[TechmanOR]

You can get a trickle charger at Harbor Freight for substantially less. You don't need to buy it from a stealership.

It's like a toilet tank filler. If a leaky flapper lowers the water level, it will bring the water level back up and maintain it there by refilling the lost portion.

[yo vanilla]

Originally Posted by TechmanOR

You can get a trickle charger at Harbor Freight for substantially less. You don't need to buy it from a stealership.

You can. Just saying.

[Franklyn]

If it doesn't, something is very wrong. But that's why you belong to AAA or have road service coverage on your insurance.