Winter Battery Storage

[R N.]

I'm concerned about battery fumes causing damaged within the engine compartment or my car cover while the battery is being charged over winter storage as I keep the car covered and at 50* F.

I have one of these Battery Minders to keep a charge on my repro-battery for my '66 and wonder what's best. Remove the battery from the car, or keep it in the car?

Thanks,

Kurt Neiman

[Tony H.]

Re: Winter Battery Storage

Kurt,
If you are not going to drive the car for more than 30 days at a time, I would remove the battery from the car and store it in a place that is going to stay above freezing temperatures. Keep the battery off concrete, in a well-ventilated area and away from sparks.

[Duke W.]

Re: Winter Battery Storage

Assuming a Battery Minder is effectively the same as a Battery Tender, the charge current is only about 0.5 amp, and if the battery is in good condition it should not outgass significantly or spill acid, but I've heard that those repro batteries are not of particularly good quality.

50 degree storage temp is okay and will minimize the discharge rate. (The discharge rate increases with increasing temp.) Removing the battery from most C2s is a pain because you usually have to remove the heater hoses, so it's okay to leave it in, but disconnect one cable or switch it off if you have a cable switch.

Duke