Cars left in longterm carpark

cryptogram pretended :

Solar charger in the window, if outside?

keep a spare battery or jump pack in the boot, when you come back just conect that and start up. All long term car parks have a jump start service IME Most cars will last for several weeks if the battery is good in the first place, problem is that because modern cars start easily a low battery is not detected early.

ks at an airport, has anyone any good tips for avoiding the pitfalls such a= s run down battery, loss of memorised data (ECU, windows, etc), having to j= ump start?

Having worked away for many years all the cars I've owned have been left standing left for minimum 2 weeks on a regular basis. As long as the battery has been good I've never had a problem. I did try one of those solar chargers once and and that's the only time a battery failed on me after using it a couple of times. I did wonder about it overcharging the battery but couldn't confirm this and I stopped using it. The main thing to remember is leave the handbrake off and put the car in reverse gear instead. This stops the brakes binding on while standing. I carry a set of jump leads just in case but have used them more for helping others than myself.

Bob

at an airport, has anyone any good tips for avoiding the pitfalls such as run down battery, loss of memorised data (ECU, windows, etc), having to jump start?

Those solar chargers usually plug into the lighter sockets. Modern cars isolate these sockets so they don't work anymore.

As for charging you can use a one or two amp charger over long periods without any detrimental effect on the battery, some people keep the battery on charge if they store cars.

In message , cryptogram writes

Make sure you have a decent battery in it. My Mondeo started first touch after 7 weeks lying idle while my leg was in plaster.

Disconnect the battery. At least then it should start when you return. If you're worried about it losing 'data' then the only way would be to fit an extra battery or two. And if you do flatten the battery and leave it like that, you'll likely need a new battery as well as losing the data.

I have a pal with a place in Spain, who leaves his (new) A3 for several months at a time. We asked Audi how long it could be left, and they didn't know. Some BMWs have a maximum of three weeks, I've read. I keep an eye on said pal's house, so charge the battery every three weeks. It lives outside on the street so can't leave it on float.

an airport, has anyone any good tips for avoiding the pitfalls such as run down battery, loss of memorised data (ECU, windows, etc), having to jump start? I left my A3 in an aiprot car part for 2 weeks, and the Ibiza before that for nearly 3, and it was fine.

an airport, has anyone any good tips for avoiding the pitfalls such as run down battery, loss of memorised data (ECU, windows, etc), having to jump start?

As an aside, the long term car park at Heathrow is directly under the flight path. Expect a film of aviation fuel on your windows etc when you return.

In message , The Revd writes

And if there's a dent anywhere it could be from frozen pee. :-)

I saw a deal somewhere at a hotel for £120 B & B plus free parking which is almost as cheap as the car park charge. Worth looking for, but the one I saw was at Gatwick.

they also run you to the airport in the morning/collect you on return.

Thanks everyone for your replies. The following is a digest of them, and my responses.

1. Use a solar charger, but as they go into a cigar lighter and modern cars (mine's a year old) disconnect this when the ignition's off, that's out.
2. Use a hotel, which will take you to the airport. I've done that and it was very good, but you've still got to get there and leave your car, so back to square one.
3. Disconnect battery when leaving the car. Ok, but many car parks get you to leave the car and your keys and they park it for you.
4. Have a spare battery. Same difference. In the past I've left a car for three weeks and it's been fine, I left another for 3 weeks and it needed jumping (for which I had to sign a disclaimer to allow the parkers to do it), and more recently I left one for a month and that was fine. I'm now about to leave one (2010 Passat) for 5 weeks. The battery is fine at the moment as you'd expect at this age, and I'll have to hope for the best, as far as I can see.

I left my A3 in an aiprot car part for 2 weeks, and the Ibiza before that for nearly 3, and it was fine.

I was in New Zealand from 9th December last year for nearly 4 weeks, so my Touran TDi stood outside in temperatures that dropped to -19C and was covered in snow for about a fortnight. On return I gave it 3 applications of glow plugs and then it fired instantly. To be honest I would have been surprised if it hadn't done that.

cryptogram presented the following explanation :

It has nothing to do with modern, some modern cars disconnect the socket some don't. My current two do not disconnect the socket.

Given that modern cars run their batteries down when left for several weeks at an airport, has anyone any good tips for avoiding the pitfalls such as run down battery, loss of memorised data (ECU, windows, etc), having to jump start?

If you use the valet parking service, I think they will keep the battery well charged up for you as they use your car to run staff about, collect customers and go shopping etc.

Well, if "Watchdog" is anything to go by. A flat battery is going to be the least of your problems.

Some give you the choice.

Yes, so I see.

In article , Gordon H writes

My parents' Mondeo started first time after 6 months laid up.

In message , Mike Tomlinson writes

So who needs battery chargers? People who have dud batteries.

No alarm/immobiliser?