Draw on battery when car is not driven for a few weeks

[Silver_TT]

Did a search and see a bunch of related post but I don't see anything that answers specifically the following....

Since buying my 2002 C4S I have driven it pretty much every day. However, for the next 3 weeks she will be sitting in my garage while I'm traveling. I have read that the battery drains pretty quick on these cars and had two specific questions:

1. How long can the car sit without being driven before you have to worry about the battery draining? I have a Interstate battery purchased within the last year. I'm asking this question more thinking ahead for if I leave the car at the airport, etc.

2. I bought a CTEK Charger - Multi US 7002 after reading good things. I was going to hook it up to the car the night before I leave for 3 weeks but the shipper made a mistake and now it won't be here in time. Pending the answer to my first question, if 3 weeks is too long to leave the car sitting without driving it because of battery draw, is my best bet to just disconnect the battery while I'm gone? I don't want to come home to a dead battery and I've also read it's not the best thing for the battery to drain completely and have to be jump-started.

Thanks in advance.

[barlowdo]

If it is in the garage and you disconnect the battery just don't close the front trunk lid.

[Long Islander]

Did a search and see a bunch of related post but I don't see anything that answers specifically the following....

Since buying my 2002 C4S I have driven it pretty much every day. However, for the next 3 weeks she will be sitting in my garage while I'm traveling. I have read that the battery drains pretty quick on these cars and had two specific questions:

1. How long can the car sit without being driven before you have to worry about the battery draining? I have a Interstate battery purchased within the last year. I'm asking this question more thinking ahead for if I leave the car at the airport, etc.

2. I bought a CTEK Charger - Multi US 7002 after reading good things. I was going to hook it up to the car the night before I leave for 3 weeks but the shipper made a mistake and now it won't be here in time. Pending the answer to my first question, if 3 weeks is too long to leave the car sitting without driving it because of battery draw, is my best bet to just disconnect the battery while I'm gone? I don't want to come home to a dead battery and I've also read it's not the best thing for the battery to drain completely and have to be jump-started.

Thanks in advance.

In my experience, 3 weeks is usually enough for the battery to go dead if it's not connected to a charger. If you disconnect the battery, that might make it last longer. However, if it does go dead, I don't think you can attach a jumper cable to the fuse box and get the front trunk or rear lid open that way, so you'll surely be stuck. If you want to disconnect the battery, then you should leave the front or rear lid open and remove the bulb for that compartment. That way you'll have access to either the battery itself or the charging post in the engine compartment.

[logray]

A battery in good condition and electrical system also in condition will surley not drain a battery in 3 weeks.

The longest I've had my car sit with an older battery in good condition is about 1 month and it did start, albeit it was a slow start. This was without a battery maintainer.

I would bet if you take the car out on a few good long drives before you store it for 3 weeks it will fire right up and you won't have to bother with anything.

[barlowdo]

I read recently in my manual that after a period of time the computer turns off the "Remote Key" function to help save draw on the battery and that then you need to put the key physically in the door lock before the remote function is turned back on

[Silver_TT]

Was gone almost 3 weeks (including in Germany driving on the auto bahn :notworthy:) and I left the car NOT hooked up to the C-Tek charger (after thinking about it didn't like the idea of leaving electrical stuff hooked up when I was gone so long and figured I could always charge it when I was home at night if it was drained). However, I got home expecting that the battery might be drained on the 996 but she started right up with a hungry roar, no problem at all. I don't know what the deal was with all the posts I read saying the battery dies on these cars in a week or two if you let them sit. That was not my expeience at all.

Ironically it was my BMW (that has been rock solid in the last 8 years I owned it) that wouldn't start. Turns out that the engine was flooded. Mechanic told me that this can happen when you turn the car on and then off real fast -- which was the case as I started up the car for only 5-10 seconds and probably gunned it with gas just to quickly pull it into the garage.

Thanks for your guys' input on this.

[logray]

No worries, you read a lot of junk on the Internet, and sadly for the p-car a lot of it is just bunk.

[britdave]

Not really, myself & a p car friend (I have an 02 he had a 2000) have experienced the failure to start routine numerous time in the past. I have a genuine Porsche battery tender (Got it the day I bought the car) and use it when I don't anticipate using the car for a few days. YES, the battery does somehow drain, :eek: believe me ! Cheers Dave.

[Silver_TT]

You may want to have your battery tested...? Doesn't sound right if your battery drains after just a few days; a few weeks might be more reasonable but a few days is crazy.

I have a 1yr old Interstate MTP-91 battery in my 02 C4S and when I came back from a 3 week trip, it started right up without hesitation -- didn't even turn over slow on the start. I was surprised after reading a lot of posts that said what you are describing. I can't comment on that other than to say that fortunately my car doesn't exhibit the same behavior.