What to do with Battery when car is off the road (SORN)

katy123

Hi Guys

Just declared car off road for 2 months. I was wondering what I need to do in ensure the battery doesn't die when we declare it back on the road in 2 months? We can jump start it of course but would leaving it for 2 months cause irreversible damage to the battery? It's on our driveway, so i can always start the engine every so often and rev it a little for 10 mins? Would that help? If I should do this, how often should it be? Thanks.

forgotmyname

Starting the engine will take a lot of power from the battery and you will need to run it for a long time to recharge it.

If its on the drive with easy access i would get a small charger 4 - 6 amp and stick that on for a few hours every fortnight or month depending on the car.

If its a modern car that may drain the battery then once a fortnight should be plenty. Older car with less electrics then once a month will be OK.

Having an engine sitting there running with no load it bad for it.

colino

While you should start the car every few weeks and bring it up to full running temperature, and move it slightly to make sure you don't mis-shape the tyres, you should hook the battery up to a conditioning battery charger too. These are on sale from time to time at Lidl/Aldi and are about the only thing electrical worth buying from those shops.

shaun_from_Africa

It's also worth making sure that when it's parked up, you don't leave the handbrake on.
Over a couple of months, this may well seize on if left applied and it's far better to leave the car in gear instead.

Gloomendoom

I have a couple vehicles that are used infrequently used and one that is has been SORNed for a while. I have motorcycle type 1 amp battery chargers connected to their batteries permanently. The automatic type that have a maintenance mode. They cost around £15 each off ebay.

EssexExile

It's only 2 months, it'll be fine.

Gloomendoom

It may not be if it is left connected. It depends on the drain on the battery.

mgfvvc

There are modern chargers/conditioners that are designed to be left connected and maintain a charge. Ctek is a brand that reviews well.

=rizla=

I've got a cheap maplin 12v solar charger, not good enough to charge a flat battery but certainly good enough to keep a battery 'topped up'.

fat-pudding

Disconnect the battery terminals and then reconnect them when you need it again. It'll be fine, there's nothing you need to do other than that. Many cars sit on dealers forecourts with nothing done to them for months at a time.

You certainly don't need to run the engine or move the tyres for only two months of it sitting.

EssexExile

Depending what car it is you may have to jump through hoops to start it again after disconnecting the battery.