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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: philo_beddoe on December 18, 2017, 01:03:56 PM
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Should battery be disconnected for winter storage? Or leave connected to start every couple weeks?
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Probably depends on your climate and how cold it can get. I would get a battery tender/maintainer to be on the safe side so not to ruin battery.
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Unless you have a slow drain of battery happening I would leave it connected. May not be the proper thing to do but my yellow truck has the same battery since I bought it Sept 2010 and only had to put the charger on it after 6 months of sitting a couple of times. I probably jinxed myself now but that's my story and I am sticking to it.
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For my vehicles that will not be used during the N.E. winter months, I remove, and store the batteries in my heated utility room. If you have a sufficient "battery tender," you can keep them in good shape. I'm too frugal to take the latter approach...
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Great discussion. Good battery health is to not let them become dead but by keeping them in the cold it slows down the chemical reaction an pro-longs life. I remember reading about this and all my trucks batteries have lasted a good 10+ years treating them this way. I buy the cheap ones from Walmart. Forgot to mention this has all been in NW Indiana, basically Chicago, both out doors and in un heated garage conditions
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Typical new england winters here, we have cold snaps and warm spells throughout. As long as every couple weeks i can find a day the roads are clean enough to take a quick spin. Then that will be fine, but rarely are the roads clean around here. One drop of anything and they pour on the salt!
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i'd start mine once a month and let it warm up totally with the heater blasting for about 20 minutes, never had an issue the 5 months of YUK on the roads. The other times I would run it around the block which was about a 5 mile run or a cruise in
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Hi Philo:
I start and idle my truck at least once a week if I am not using it. I think it keeps the battery at full charge and exercised. Probably more important it keeps the coolant flowing through the system to prevent rust from starting and fuel flowing through the carb to prevent gunking up the float chamber. I would not try to start it when the temperature is below freezing if you dont have to.
Regards,
Henry
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My trucks sit a lot. I only disconnect the battery if I am doing work which would require me to do so. Battery tenders have their place but a decent battery charger is all you need once in a while. No need to drive on salty roads, let it hibernate, start and run through a complete warm up cycle, move it around your property but driving it on the salty roads will only help preserve nourishment for rust.
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Great advice, thanks. I'll warm it up once a week, and move it around a little. Should be fine.
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Started right up, roads are clean and dry....for now. Took out for a quick breath of air.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180217/1848dc1219f00f1195ef37277fbbb58a.jpg)
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great picture. It was in the 70's here on Thursday, rode my 3 wheeler. Woke up to snow this morning...
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Hi Philo:
Great looking truck...your photo looks like a Chevy ad in Popular Mechanics from the 70s!
Regards,
Henry
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Thanks! And thanks, love those old chevy ads. The 70's were awesome, no internet-no cell phones. People actually did stuff! Oh, and everybody had a carburetor!
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Livin the dream. Looks good!
I terrorized the neighborhood today on a test drive after replacing the lifters in pinky. It sucks to have to put these babies away for the winter but the stuff they put on the roads eats bridges let alone our trucks. Now another half a foot of snow fell over night but it's supposed to hit 65° this week so maybe this is the light at the end of the tunnel.
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I am certain it IS the beginnig of the end! I can actually smell it in the air. As i type, its raining again, salt is once again flushed away. And yes, now it says 67 on wed!! Wow, maybe we should put up our pools, lol. I know, stinks the trucks have to go into hibernation for a few months. Not much left to tinker with! Although i love the change of seasons in new england, it would be nice to have that southwest or california weather now and then. 75 and sunny, every day!
Oh yeah, when it started pounding sat night, we were at chucks on 32. Took nearly an hour to get home in the versa, shoulda took the pathfinder!
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You didn't know it was going to snow? It came down fast. Chucks has gone down the drain, if you like Mexican check out Fiesta Mexicana, they are real Mexican food and their drinks are worth it.
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Yeah we knew about the snow, took our chances. Funny you say that about chucks, our friends said the same thing, and they have been going for years. I got a steak, i wouldnt order Mexican at a joint that is founded on beef. I'm a Mexican food connoisseur however, i will certainly check out Fiesta Mexicana. Not much REAL Mexican in our parts, not like San Diego or El Paso...
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Yeah well Fiesta Mexicanna is the best around, definitely go there and check it out. I can't say on here what I said to them last time I went to Chucks but I haven't been back since. I never order steak when I go out, because no one can make one as good as me 8) so to avoid disappointment I try to order something relatively easy not to screw up.
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We'll be heading to Fiesta real real soon. I know what you mean, we never go out for pizza anymore, they cant make it as good as my wife can.
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Aww man, I keep telling my Mother to retire and just sell 10 pizzas per day. She's from Italy and holy cow can she cook
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So was my mom! Thats where my wife got her world class recipe.
May go to fiesta this weekend. I'll let ya know how it is.
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Nice