ianmcgee67179

hey everyone, I have a 79, L82 automatic and I'm at school right now, and my car stays at my parents house back home. So I only drive my car every so often, meaning every 3 months or so out of the year. Well every time I come back to drive it, I try and turn it on and the batter is drained dead, I was wondering if anyone may know some main culprits of this problem, and may know how to fix it? Recently I have just been undoing the battery so it doesn't drain it every time I leave.

Easy Mike

Three months without charging is a long time. The clock is hot all the time and could cause the battery to drain. You could also have an open short somewhere in the system.

Removing a cable is good while it is sitting. You could also put a trickle charger on it.

doctorgene

Yes Sir; I let my 1957 210, set Approximately the same length of time ( 3 Mos. ) between starts. I Made an easy one step, do it each time. Unhook battery! Battery lasting several years, I don't need all the clocks running anyway. Good Idea, Have a great one. Gene

Vette5.5

You think 3 months is bad, you're lucky to get a month of sitting out of most modern cars, with all of the energy draining electronics. You're right in disconnecting the negative battery cable when your gone. Keep doing just that, put on a battery tender, or get a battery shut off switch. Not sure who makes these, but a big green ****, that mounts on the battery. You gotta take this serious, as if the battery ever drains down to total zero, usually a goner, never to take much of a charge again. Who knows, maybe you already crossed this threshold.

drwet

I have a '79 and I can't leave it parked more than a few weeks without the battery going dead. Dead is not good for batteries. Eventually it will become sulphated and not take a charge. Either disconnect the battery, or get a Battery Tender. Don't use a trickle charger. The Battery Tenders have some kind of smart circuitry that shuts them off when the battery comes up to full charge. A trickle charger won't do that and will overcharge your battery which will kill it faster than letting it go dead too often.

doctorgene

The big green ****, is Mfg. or sold by: Littelfuse, Des Plaines, IL. 60016, Called: Battery Master Switch. I hate leaving power hooked from outside current, Unattended for long periods of time. Leave Memory Loss Fuse out. If you screw it out, a little, it kills Connection, Remove completely, Anti- Theft. to a degree. Have a great Summer.

scottyp99

I agree, disconnecting the battery is the traditional solution. Everytime a lead/acid battery takes a hit like that, totally discharging, it shortens the life of the battery considerably. Nothing like modern lithium based batteries that are meant to have many charge/discharge cycles.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott