AwdShTLx415

I have a 2010 TL SH AWD and I only drive it on the weekends or my days off work. On the weekdays I have a DD ( BMW 328i) to work or to do any errands, & etc.

Question?
Is it ok to leave my TL sitting for 5days straight without starting it? or should I start it every 2 days just to get the fluids running & mixing and so the battery won't drain out? Like i said, I only drive it on the weekends.

I would disconnect the battery cables so the battery don't drain but I don't want to mess up the electrical stuff.
When I leave it for 5days sitting, it starts right up again when i go start it, no problems.

Inputs or thoughts please.
Thanks guys, appreciate it.

KeithL

Some of these new cars sit weeks on end on dealer lots, I would not worry about letting it sit 5 days, but when you do run it make sure you let it get up to temp for a while before you shut it off.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

5 days...nothing. my TL sits now a lot. buy a battery tender and drive her on those weekends as you have been.

idling the car isn't good for the car. it really needs to be driven. so if you start the car...the car needs to be driven.

i have my TL on a battery tender. she starts right up even after a month of sitting in the garage and she runs fine once i drive her around.

Domm

Maybe invest in some fuel stabilizer. Gas has an expiration date so the stabilizer will extend that expiration date if you don't use it all within that period.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Maybe drive it more often......

Treblig

Mine sits from October to end of March. I too have it on a battery tender. I start it once or twice during that down time and if there is no snow or rain on the ground, I will drive it out on the pad and up and down my driveway.

Edward'TLS

Agree. Battery tender is a great invention.

I had it hooked up after going away for 3 months, and still the car started up right away when I finally came back home.

No dead battery, and/or no need to go thru the hassle of reseting all my electronic presets after connect back up the disconnected battery.

AwdShTLx415

thanks, i will keep that in mind.

Thank you, I will invest a battery tender. Any suggestions for one or any good one out there?

I don't think the car will be sitting for that long to get a fuel stabilizer, but thanks for the advice. i will keep that in mind.

thanks!

sounds good, i'll invest in a battery tender and call it a day. Thank you!





Thank you everyone for your time and input.
Much appreciated!

weather

^^^ Anyone that knows me also knows that I am also a bit of freak in not driving my TL and RDX in the rain and winter so these 2 vehicles stay parked for long period of time as well. I am in the same situation as TLtrigirl....I have a battery maintainer and for me, this little gizmo is simply amazing. I know I talk a lot about here but it is such an easy to use and is so well built and used by many, and is getting amazing review:

Its the CTEK3300

http://www.amazon.com/Multi-12-Volt-.../dp/B000FQBWCY

Best of luck and keep us posted.

AtotheZ

Nice thread, I learned something.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

there is a battery tender/trickle charge thread somewhere in the 3G forums...it was a recent one. lots of good info there.

i have a battery tender jr hooked up to my TL.

BEAR-AvHistory

Maybe I am missing something but why would you not drive a car in the winter or during the week? I can see leaving a car with summer tires parked with snow on the ground, I do the same & use a 4X4, but otherwise its whatever is not blocked in goes.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

P.S. I love TLtrigirl!
she always has the best information

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Man, I would go crazy if I only drove my car every 5 days. After just a couple days of not driving it I'm going through withdrawals

C8N

My TL is also a weekend warrior and garage queen since I commute via bus to work on the weekdays. I've had the car for 4 months now and I have experienced no problems starting her up on the weekends. I will mention that when it does get started up, its going out for an hr drive at least. If you are concerned about battery drain, should drive the car at least once a week for 15 minutes of uninterrupted highway miles with all electronics off. This should charge the battery up nicely.

parasitius

Funny, I had thought the big issue with parking long periods was the tires... didn't even know about the battery issue.

Is there any concern about the tires?

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

^^^ I believe that's only for extended periods of parking...not quite sure how long but definitely longer than a week.

weather

Th ereason I don't drive my TL or RDX is just because I baby the hell out of it. I never drive them in the rain, even less when the roads are covered with slush, salt and sand. It makes the spring that much better when I get the TL out...almost like the first BBQ of the season Yeah I know, you folks living in warmer climate can BBQ year round, please don't burst my bubble.

Me too

Try not driving the TL since December excep for maybe aday here or there. I am getting really twitchy and itchy! I drove the RDX alittle bit more during cold and very dry period this winter...In fact, i was able to drive it to work this morning. What a great feeling

Not a concern per say but see what I just said about the flat spots..

C8N

With the amount of electrical devices on the modern car, there are things such as alarm, sensors and etc that are constantly running even with the ignition off and will drain your battery in minute amounts. Extended periods of the car just sitting, will kill the battery.

One of my previous cars was a 11 Honda Ody. I had problems with battery being drained because the car would just sit in the garage for weeks at a time. I am not sure how much of this will apply to the TL but the Honda service advisor informed me that the Ody was designed to be driven about 50 miles per week. I would have to imagine that it would be pretty similar to the TL considering they are both Honda.

dwest1023

I have two cars that sit during the winter. I can't really add anything but to reinforce getting a battery tender. If you do not, you will be buying lots of batteries! My 2006 miata has had 4 so far. I would not start the car up unless you are going to drive it and get the engine and oil at operating tempts. All you will do is cause moisture to build up in the oil. If there is no salt or snow on the ground, then I will take my TL out for a spin and run it. Other then that, it sits with a cover on it.

ucf_bronco

iTrader: (1)

Well, I guess that's the trade-off of being surrounded by crazies in Florida. Snow free winters and year round use of the TL. It doesn't hurt that our roads are also in great condition (when sinkholes aren't making them disappear).

weather

It is scary on how much alike we are....I offer wonder if you are not my lost twin brother (the uglier one of course) *lol* JUST TEASING BTW...Are your vehicles outside with the cover on? What type of typical temperuates do you get in the winter (as an average)? For me, I would not like the Acura outside in these type of temperatures where it gets to minus 20 to minus 25 at night and minus 10 during the day time (for the typical winter months)

Treblig

I overinflate my tires to just under the max inflation rate during the car's downtime.

BEAR-AvHistory

Agree, we run the grille three or four nights a week all year round. That being said I did live in Jersey for almost 50 years & never parked anything but did hate the salt.

BEAR-AvHistory

Agree, we run the grille three or four nights a week all year round. That being said I did live in Jersey for almost 45 years & never parked anything but did hate the salt.

weather

^^ Was the double post your attempt to rub it in and burst my bubble? *lol* You know, you may just have to invite me for supper and get me a nice Filet Mignon on the BBQ. Being an East Coast guy, I'll provide the lobster and we'll have a nice Surf and Turf

Little Gator

My TL is a once every few weeks car. And when I do get it out, I am sure to get it up to full operating temp. by driving it for at least 20 minutes (not stop & go stuff) to get rid of the mositure in the engine which will mix with the oil. I put it on a battery tender when not driving it and the battery still went bad. Acura replaced the battery, but the tender was not what clued me in that it was going bad. The tender has just a few lights and does not give an idea of just how border line it might be. I have Solar BA5 tester that I use on all my cars to know exactly what their conditions are.
See this:
http://www.toolbarn.com/solar-ba5.ht...FY-iPAodnw4AGA
I live in Dallas so sometimes it gets down below freezing like in the 60's, sometimes as low as 50s in January, so I place 12" square sheets of 1/4 thick plywood down on the garage floor so the tires don't sit directly on the cold pavement and absorb the mositure. The wood acts like a insulator. This Monday, it finally got up to a livable temp. of 88 degrees again. I don't know how I survived growing up in Michigan as a kid with the cold and snow and salt rotting out all the cars.
This is how cruddy my car is after 3 1/2 years:

BEAR-AvHistory

Double post was an accident meant to edit after I counted up the years up on my fingers.

Sounds like a plan, used to be a real good Surf & Turf place Shrewsbury NJ called Charlie Browns, not sure if it still exists but was a regular night out with the wife.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

you must be related to weather.

dwest1023

Im in Washington DC and it never goes below zero. Trust me if I had a garage my cars would be parked in them. So the covers are the best I can do for now. after the winter is over I have all my vehicle professionally clean and polished. Yep, I'm super anal. I won't even drive through a puddle.

weather

TLtrigirl... *LMAO* I was thinking to myself...OMG, I have met my maker!

Little Gator....If you have been seeing any of my thread/posts/pictures, you will understand what TLtrigirl is referring. I am as anal about my vehicles and never seen one drop of rain and I get underneath and clean its under body as well. And like you, like in a nordic climate and experience snow and crap....My Acuras just never get exposed.

Nice under body BTW

dwest1023

wow, that is pretty good. Do you get under the car and wash it??

weather

You know, I am starting to feel better knowing I am not the only one that babies its vehicle *lol* I may need to print some of these posts because my work colleagues think I am nuts!! My saving grace, being a weather man, I never get caught in an unexpected rain event or a situation when dew starts depositing on the roads despite dry weather conditions. Its quite common for us to see that happen here at night and then the roads get wet.

weather

I am not sure about him but I know I do.....

Little Gator

The guys at work hassle me for keeping the car clean. They say I shouldn't bother as it was built to be driven, not washed. And I usually respond by asking them something like "parking at the grocery store is driving it?", or "using it to sit in stop & go traffic to work & back is driving it?". I have never washed the bottom of the car, but I do have to wash off bugs off the front bumper all the time. For the photo shown earlier, I just wiped off some road dust off of some of the bits.

Here is another photo. I think I missed a smudge on the left exhaust pipe.

dwest1023

Ha Ha, I use to be a weather watcher for the local TV channels here. My friends think Im crazy too. I make myself sick sometimes, Im so anal.
Im even afraid to take my car in for service. My dealer knows I will flick off if they scratch my car.

dwest1023

I go to the laser wash and get the bottom sprayed. I will wash out the fender wells, but you got me beat when it comes to the underside, I think

KarKraze

Much relived to see that i have some company when it come to keeping the ride super clean,tbh i opened my car yesterday and it still smells brand new lol.

Edward'TLS

This is the battery maintainer I use :

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

It is basically a 2A battery charger, and when the battery is fully charged, it will automatically switch to trickle charge mode. So the battery charge is topped up indefinitely for as long as the device is connected up.

g37guy01

You don't want your car to outlast you. Whether in traffic or not I enjoy being in my car.

An associate has a $110,000 Porsche that is the daily driver. Rain, sleet, snow (with salt on the road) you name it. Why buy a car to "save it", by keeping it "nice and new" in the garage?

None of these vehicles are collectors items.