Car battery upgrade due to extended parking. (1 Viewer)

[Jay H]

I have an MR2 spyder that doesn't get much winter use (mid-engined RWD + very lightweight + no LSD + no snow tires = very scary winter car) and therefore has problems with the stock battery discharging. I'm wondering about my options:

1) Disconnect the negative terminal to reduce any current drain, no matter how small the electrical system is using (other than the normal parasitic loss of the battery itself)

2) Replacing such battery with a spiral-wound type or something with a much lower parasitic loss. I'm told that the Optima spiral-wound brand is good.

3) Going to a deep cycle battery that can handle the big discharge every now and then

4) Using a trickle charger that wont destroy the battery. I've heard of folks having problems with it and some batteries do not recommend a trickle charger.

I'm open to ideas, I know #1 is good, irregardless of the type of battery but I'm also looking at #2 or #3. I've had my battery get discharged 100% twice already and I'm afraid it's weakened it's life now.

Jay

 

[brentl]

Any thoughts to removing the battery if it's a few weeks between uses?

I understand the problems with doing this, but if access is easy it's the cheapest solution.

Brent

 

[Jeff Gatie]

My mother has a 58' Mercury which was my grandmother's that does not get much use. The restorer that redid the car after my mom inherited it installed a quick disconnect for the negative terminal that comes off with just a twist. This has worked OK for her.

 

[Philip_G]

I run an optima in my miata for the same reason. That battery will outlast the car. It'll sit for 2 months without starting and still fire right up.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Philip for the rec on the Optimas. Have you compared them to the Hawker Odyssey PC680MJT? I've read about that on a couple MR2 boards as it's a bit lighter than the stock battery at ~15lbs vrs the stock ~27lbs. The Odyssey is also about $27 cheaper than the Optima YEL51R that Optima has. The Optima has a bunch more CCA and stuff than the Genesis (500 vrs 210 @ 0degF) but I'm not entirely sure it's really a big deal or not, nor do I think I care too much about the RC, since I don't tend to run the stereo with the engine off that much...

Jay

 

[Philip_G]

I have not. I've had optimas for several years now and have mostly moved the same one from car to car

Personally I wouldn't own anything else. I became a believer one morning in ND when it was -35 (without windchill) and my altima wouldn't start, so we were cranking it for 20 or 30 minutes with some starter fluid and a heater under the engine trying to get her going.

the MR2 battery might be an AGM type batt like the miata, which the optima is an ideal replacement for.

 

[DaveNel]

This is a pain to do but if you have the means, Disconnect the battery and put it in your garage off the floor. If you put a good battery on the ground it will discharge and be no good for anyone. But if you put it on a wood table you are set to go. Then when you are ready just put the battery back in and go