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Long term Bentley storage
I’ve been all around the site but have not seen an answer for my particular situation. I have a 2010 GTC Speed. I am taking it to Florida where it will sit in the secure underground garage at my condo for 4 to 5 weeks between visits. There is no way to hook up the battery tender, so what is the best option? I’m now kind of regretting my decision buying this car. Can I turn off any of the devices that drain the battery? Alarm? Disconnect one or both batteries? Thanks for any help or suggestions. |
Greg: I wouldn't think 4 - 5 weeks un-battery-tended should be a problem if the batteries are reasonably fresh. I personally haven't pushed the limits, but my 2008 GTC has been sitting in my neighbor's shop un-battery-tended since "about Halloween"... he forgot to hook-up the battery tender and extension cord I supplied him... Anyhoo: It started just fine last night... with no "low battery" indicator on the DIC. The right/start battery in my GTC is new this past summer, but I suspect the left/"consumer" battery is OEM, and was stone dead when I received the car about a year ago... thus likely sulfated up a bit... or more than a bit.
If you want to test in the safety of your own garage, I'll suggest leaving it unlocked with the driver's window down and the bonnet unlatched. A caveat is that I don't believe you can cycle the bonnet release lever with the driver's door shut... so if the driver's door locks and the batteries go dead... you'll still have the bonnet unlatched and can then access the main power junction on the right side of the engine... there's terminals on both sides of the firewall... that would allow you to charge at least one, maybe both batteries without power access to the trunk (boot). That is "I think" anyway... maybe others here could confirm (or dispel) my theory. And I think, even if the driver's door locks, the mechanical door release on the inside will release the door even with it locked and dead batteries... "I think". |
I suspect you’re correct if the doors are not locked. I think the alarm system really draws a lot of power and will drain the main battery in short order. Not sure how to preserve the system to prevent all the codes/issues once it is started. This is a poor design |
On the VAG cars that I have had a Cayenne and current an Audi for the wife , I think if you lock them with a key on the drivers door ,they just lock with zero alarm function - to do with temp leaving pets in etc . Not sure that’s available with KESSY you will have to read the thick handbook .There is usually a way of disabling the alarms .? aside my Bentley and Ferrari for that matter often are left unused for prolonged periods .Ok I have them hooked up to mains bat tenders . But I do use a solar powered charger at airports and marina carparks , place the thing either on the dash or tge rear parcel shelf . if you google “car solar powered chargers” or and “solar charger “ and go from there . obviously the light in a garage is not as strong as outside but you could do some re search on the sitting drain with or without alarm function . so let’s say a bat tender on mains puts back 100 % drain , the gold standard, car can sit for 6 months or longer bat wise ? May be sit years ? A solar in the Cote d Azur or Miami , CA puts back 80-90 % so gives you 4/5 months or that % of the “ gold “ puts back most of the sitting drain , For you maybe ( after calcs ) 2x solar tenders connected up in a artificial lighted garage -guess 40/50 % of the gold standard or more ? Then they should cover the 6 weeks of so . basically “half a loaf is better than no loaf ar all “ The prob is batts just not go bad like a switch , one day good ,next bad - there capacity gradually reduces bit by bit day by day . 1/2 a dozen deep dischargers accelerating the process. So with a new ( ish ) set of bats in the B , you will be fooled initially that 6 weeks or what ever is fine it just fires up . But you will reach bat hassle sooner than the guys who tender there’s or have say a week dead time without a tender. Personally I think 6 weeks untended is pushing it . The Ferrari forums are full of threads of knackered ECU ,s being fried by tow truck guys jumping them , I think Bentleys arn,t far behind and it’s not worth the risk(s) as well as the hassle opening the trunk , pulling the rear seat squib etc etc.on a dead Bentley. For me 2days Max untended ( mains or solar) and anxiety creeps in - “ will it or won’t it “ |
Any 12 v battery will work for this scenario. Take a battery jumper with alligator clips on one end. Have someone install a male cigarette adapter to the other side. Connect clips to correct poles of the independent battery, plug other end into the cigarette port in the trunk. The supplemental battery can be charged wherever. Should keep things good for a month. Dont drive around with this loose battery. The disadvantage, is lugging the supplimental battery around. Obviously charge the supplemental battery between visits.
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Originally Posted by 1eapplebaum
(Post 4758614)
Any 12 v battery will work for this scenario. Take a battery jumper with alligator clips on one end. Have someone install a male cigarette adapter to the other side. Connect clips to correct poles of the independent battery, plug other end into the cigarette port in the trunk. The supplemental battery can be charged wherever. Should keep things good for a month. Dont drive around with this loose battery. The disadvantage, is lugging the supplimentsl battery around. Obviously charge the supplemental battery between visits.
Or surely, somewhere in a secure underground condo garage there's gotta be AC power. And I'd think longer-term vehicle storage in such a condo garage in Florida would be common among the condo owners... and maybe there's a condo owner's association where it could be brought up at an owner's meeting to install some convenience outlets in the garage for this sort of thing. Maybe there's an AC light in the relative vicinity of the vehicle's parking spot that an outlet could be easily added, and drop the power cord down to the car? Maybe suggest Installing L5-15R twist-lock outlets? |
Originally Posted by John Fiammetta
(Post 4758610)
The prob is batts just not go bad like a switch , one day good ,next bad - there capacity gradually reduces bit by bit day by day . 1/2 a dozen deep dischargers accelerating the process. So with a new ( ish ) set of bats in the B , you will be fooled initially that 6 weeks or what ever is fine it just fires up . But you will reach bat hassle sooner than the guys who tender there’s or have say a week dead time without a tender. |
Not sure how much light you're getting in the underground storage, and unfortunately having to leave it unlocked if it's not a secure area confounds things as the alarm sys seems to suck a battery down in about 2 weeks or so when locked and not plugged in. (Also, the trunk being electric open only, unless you remove the back seat to access the emergency lever, you can get yourself in a pickle. This lever behind the seat is also not foolproof. Thankfully you can jump the car under the hood in an emergency by removing the passenger side (us) air box cover or at least feed enough power to unlock the trunk. ) if if there's bright light, a solar panel cigarette lighter charger might help, but I'd plan on having a stout jump pack and the Torx bits to remove the air box cover handy when you go to pick the car up after the storage period. You might even just plan on the battery being dead and have the airbox cover screws out so you can make a quick job of the jump start after 5 weeks. Jump her back to life, and reinstall the 6 screws and 2 other panels. Theres a YouTube video on how to do this and I'd be glad to post the link if you need. 5 minute job if you have things ready. |
fyi.... how to jump the GT under the hood.... You don't need to remove the whole airbox as he does in the below video, just the cover. Also, I've safely boosted the car to a start using this method, rather than just opening the trunk as he states.
btw... jump packs have gotten very portable with the advent of lithium ion batteries... example... https://www.harborfreight.com/lithium-ion-jump-starter-and-power-pack-62749.html?cid=paid_google_pla_main_newproducts_lo wersales_$70to$100_62749&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInPHbyLT f3wIVGLbACh0RtQMrEAQYASABEgJwkPD_BwE |
My 2 cents: if you're planning on keeping this car and driving it you might as well get a vag scanner from rosstech so you can reset your trouble codes and save money on the long run. You'll still need a laptop with you, however you don't need to do it instantly when you go out from your garage, the car will still start you can do this when you get home.
Just open the trunk and on the left where the main battery is you just unscrew the negative cable. You'll find plenty of info on that on the forum. but basically it's just removing a bolt and moving the black cable and making sure it won't move and touch the battery terminal. Don't touch the starter battery, if you do, make sure to remove black terminal from the main battery first and then remove the black negative terminal from the starter battery on the right ( that's the IETIS procedure, there is a pyrotechnical device in the right starter battery). I don't think you need to touch the right starter battery unless you wanna charge it one day. The car should not draw any current from it when it's off so I don't see the point. Just keep the tool in your trunk all the time and do this. It's not worth putting a tap I'd say it's the same trouble. It takes maybe 10 seconds max to remove, trouble codes can be dealt with the computer and voila. I suppose they don't allow you to charge the cars because it can make some risk of fire or something. If really you don't want to unplug the battery maybe replace battery by one that can stand being empty for a while like deep cycle batteries, I don't know if it would work. |
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think that disconnecting the battery and closing the trunk would be a bad idea as it then becomes difficult, if not impossible to open the trunk to reconnect the battery. You would have to remove the rear seat to use the emergency lever and the jump above would not work since the circuit to the starter (or anything) is not complete. Ive been in this situation before, having disconnected the battery when troubleshooting the parking brake module and closing the trunk in a moment of forgetfulness. Since the battery was disconnected, I had to remove the back seat. The cable release for the trunk would not open the trunk. I had to use a broom stick through the ski-sack to rest the cable end back on the battery terminal, and once I pulled that Houdini maneuver in the dark, I was then able to open the trunk.
If you're suggesting leaving the trunk open, that is another story but I'm assuming in a public space this increases the risk of theft/vandalism and the possibility that someone will close the trunk, thinking they are being a good samaritan. I believe also that A VAG-COM or scanner is not necessary as the car resets itself in a short drive after a disconnected/reconnected battery. Not sure of what needs to be reset. |
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Right I completely forgot you need to either stick a rag to keep your trunk's lock from locking or just not lock the car. Depends how secure the garage is. I'll just attach the IETIS page on disconnecting the batteries.
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