During Covid restrictions many of us are driving far less than we would usually. Hopefully ‘Danny Boy’ will soon allow us to travel further than a 25km radius, so we can take our cars out for a solid run, or even an extended weekend blast! Here’s hoping. In the meantime, many Porsches have been stored for weeks or even months without being driven. Over time, your cars battery will lose charge, and then may begin to struggle to hold full charge. When we do eventually get the green light to go cruising, you may find that you’re battery is flat and won’t hold charge even if you attempt to charge it over night.
Modern cars (Porsche’s included) can also suffer from batteries with low charge. I have had issues with my 996 where accessories do strange things when the battery is low or nearly dead. Even when stopped and locked, modern Porsches do continue to use the battery to maintain their systems and alarms. Some cars may lose programming if the battery is completely dead.
The best way to preserve your battery when your car is not being regularly run is to hook the battery up to a trickle charger. Modern “smart” trickle chargers have circuitry to cycle on and off to maintain the battery charge at its optimum. The charger can sense the battery condition and will not overcharge the battery. Some also have the added features to recondition flat batteries if they have been run flat for minimum period of time.
With modern trickle chargers and batteries, you can simply hook up trickle charger and leave it until you next use your car.
Things to consider when using a charger:
1. If you have a light under the front or rear hood, and have the hood open to charge the battery, consider removing the globe to prevent continual battery drain or premature failure through being constantly on.
2. The charging process gives off hydrogen and some older batteries require ventilation to prevent the build up/concentration of the flammable gas.
3. We have heard of car fires from use of fast chargers (Note: little heard with low amperage trickle chargers). Recently, in nearby Brighton, there was an older car that caught on fire at the starter motor, likely explained through excessive charging of the battery and poor wiring. Rare but worth noting! With older cars that do not rely on the battery to maintain systems, you may consider disconnecting the battery terminal before charging for long periods.