Trickle Charger

#1

Storing my 2019 Subaru Outback for Jan thru April in Chicago.
Can I just disconnect battery or would it be better to hook_up a trickle charger.?

#2

A trickle charger can burn out a battery, a battery maintainer would be a better idea. I do not know how much your average battery drain is, My car did 2 months just fine. The problem wit disconnecting the battery is some cars do not like it, and then you have to reprogram radio etc. and the car needs to relearn programming. Remembering auto whatever for replacing daughters battery, I am impressed you use a memory saver, Store policy he said after we had to replace the brains in a car to the tune of $1300

#3

I would do nothing for now. Put a slow charging battery charger on it if it doesn’t start. Chances are it will start right up.

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#4

I bought a ‘battery tender’, I’m happy with it.

#5

A trickle charger and a battery maintainer are the same thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-Maintainer-Trickle-Charger/dp/B015KBIHDU

Tester

#6

Maybe now. Old style trickle chargers didn’t monitor charge levels, did they?

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#7

If this was an early-2000’s or older car, I’d say do nothing at all. But today’s cars have a lot of computers and sensors which draw power even when the car isn’t in use. I’d say that after 4 months of sitting idle, the battery will be too low to start the car.

However, there’s an easy solution: disconnect one of the battery leads, and tuck it out of the way so it can’t accidentally make contact again. That will prevent any parasitic draw, and the amount of charge lost in 4 months will be so negligible that it won’t be necessary to use a trickle charger or battery maintainer to top it off.

#8

Contact the dealer, and ask if there are going to be any problems with disconnecting the battery.

https://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_disconnect_problems.htm

Tester

#9

A basic “dumb” trickle charger and a household timer (like for turning on lights) set to charge an hour or two per day.
That’s how I did it way back when.

#10

Providing the dealer says it is ok to disconnect the battery, doesn’t affect the warranty etc, what I’d do is remove the battery from the engine compartment, fully charge it with a battery charger, then just store it somewhere safe it in a warm area. It’s only 3-4 months. Charge it again before re-installing in April, you should be good to go. Having any sort of power source connected to an automobile battery that’s not being monitored on a daily basis is something I’d avoid as being unsafe practice.