battery shutoff switch for storage......

[Roadster Guy]

For storage I usually leave a battery minder hooked up through the winter, This year I installed Corvette Central battery on/off switch, charged the battery up and then turned off the switch. I plan to top up the battery charge every 6 weeks or so but with the negative terminal disconnected there should be no drain, but I want to make sure it is charged.

I suspect the only things I will have to do in the spring when I turn the battery switch on is set the clock and key in the radio stations. This I had to do when I got a new battery a couple of years ago. Someone told me my Vette may idle a little roughly when first fired up until the computer gets re-sorted.

To those of you who disconnect your batterys for storage, does this sound about right to you?

RG

 

[tonylong]

I used somebodys batt disc switch before. It was basically two pieces of copper with a wide thread screw that shorted the two pieces together to make the connection. It was a good idea but corrosion kept getting into the space between the two pieces and often cutoff the batt when I didn't wabt it to. I had to remove the switch and went back to the battery tender. Just my .02

 

[Roadster Guy]

Mine appears to be a brass like metal with clear plastic spacers and a screw knob to make the connection. It looks pretty good. But thanks for the heads up as I will now keep an eye on that connection to see if any corrosion develops.
RG

 

[WhalePirot]

.... Vette may idle a little roughly

The ECM is reset by removing power from it for more than 10 seconds. This means that it resets to factory settings, dumping the 'block learn' (adjustments made to achieve near-perfect fuel.air ratio) based upon your engine, as dictated by the oxygen sensor inputs.

This can be good or bad, but will not likely be huge. I reset my ECM many years ago after failing a SMOG test; then the car passed. I discovered this by accident, when the shop wanted to charge me over $50 to pull the code(s). That particular code was a non-issue, but the car magically passed the test with no other changes; so I did it again the next time, with same result.

The engine had been slightly modified, which effected a drop in vacuum. that fooled the ECM into thinking the throttle was open wider than it actually was; the mixture was richened, erroneously. See, my chip was not redone properly to compensate for the mods and the block learn could not fully adjust the fuel input. Returning to factory coding allowed a better mixture and the passed test.

 

[Red Vette]

I have been doing the same thing for several years for my C4 and C5 when storing them. The only thing that may be different is that the battery cut off switches I use have a 5 amp bypass that keeps the clock running, radio tuned to my preset stations, and some juice to the computer. I purchased them from MAMW. I than check the cars at least once per week to make sure that the battery tender is working (green light on). I may go several months without starting them while in storage. So far, I have had no problems with starting, idling, or with the computer or radio when I bring them out of storage in the spring.

Barrett

 

[Roadster Guy]

The ECM is reset by removing power from it for more than 10 seconds. This means that it resets to factory settings, dumping the 'block learn' (adjustments made to achieve near-perfect fuel.air ratio) based upon your engine, as dictated by the oxygen sensor inputs.

This can be good or bad, but will not likely be huge. I reset my ECM many years ago after failing a SMOG test; then the car passed. I discovered this by accident, when the shop wanted to charge me over $50 to pull the code(s). That particular code was a non-issue, but the car magically passed the test with no other changes; so I did it again the next time, with same result.

The engine had been slightly modified, which effected a drop in vacuum. that fooled the ECM into thinking the throttle was open wider than it actually was; the mixture was richened, erroneously. See, my chip was not redone properly to compensate for the mods and the block learn could not fully adjust the fuel input. Returning to factory coding allowed a better mixture and the passed test.

As the car is stock and as things seemed to go well after the last battery change a couple of years ago which was more than 10 seconds of disconnect, I assume things will be ok after reconnection in the spring......

However, when you say "dumping the block learn" adjustments, I assume you mean that these are the adjustments made by the computer from the sensors (example oxygen sensor) over time that were lost when the battery was disconnected and then will slowly be relearned again over time as the computer monitors the sensors?

thanks,
RG

 

[Roadster Guy]

I have been doing the same thing for several years for my C4 and C5 when storing them. The only thing that may be different is that the battery cut off switches I use have a 5 amp bypass that keeps the clock running, radio tuned to my preset stations, and some juice to the computer. I purchased them from MAMW. I than check the cars at least once per week to make sure that the battery tender is working (green light on). I may go several months without starting them while in storage. So far, I have had no problems with starting, idling, or with the computer or radio when I bring them out of storage in the spring.

Barrett

I opted not to get the bypass when I got the shutoff because in the winter I am away often for weeks at a time on business and pleasure, so I wanted to make sure the battery stayed charged and there was no drain at all. When I come back I will put my battery tender on it to make sure it is at a full charge.
I figure keying in the radio stations and clock in the spring are not a big deal.
thanks for the feedback.
RG

 

[muddywaters]

Hi, I just disconnect during winter lay-up, throw the batteries on charge in the spring and no problems, if they were left connected, they would dead for sure. My 88 is garaged at another property and I prefer no power in/to the car when it's sitting.............Have fun

 

[navy2kcoupe]

RG, I live in Massachusetts and keep my C-5 in Florida. I disconnect the battery every time I leave Florida, and reconnect it when I return. Usually it's about 6 to 8 weeks, but over the summer it was 3 months. It fires up every time, and I don't use a battery tender or charger. Since this is my first Vette, and I've put less than 5000 miles on it since I bought it 18 months ago, I don't have much "seat time" to be able to tell if it's running slightly worse right after I reconnect the battery or not, but if it IS, it's not noticeable to me. All I can offer is "try it and see". If it's not to your likeing, go back to what you were doing before. I also used one of those battery disconnect switches (with the big green knob) on a 2001 Lincoln Continental that we used to keep in Florida. I put it on in June one year, and when we went back 3 months later, it was so corroded that I couldn't put the screw part back in. Took it off, threw it away, and haven't used another one since.
Andy

 

[Roadster Guy]

RG, I live in Massachusetts and keep my C-5 in Florida. I disconnect the battery every time I leave Florida, and reconnect it when I return. Usually it's about 6 to 8 weeks, but over the summer it was 3 months. It fires up every time, and I don't use a battery tender or charger. Since this is my first Vette, and I've put less than 5000 miles on it since I bought it 18 months ago, I don't have much "seat time" to be able to tell if it's running slightly worse right after I reconnect the battery or not, but if it IS, it's not noticeable to me. All I can offer is "try it and see". If it's not to your likeing, go back to what you were doing before. I also used one of those battery disconnect switches (with the big green knob) on a 2001 Lincoln Continental that we used to keep in Florida. I put it on in June one year, and when we went back 3 months later, it was so corroded that I couldn't put the screw part back in. Took it off, threw it away, and haven't used another one since.
Andy

Andy, that is the second battery shutoff switch corrosion warning so far......thanks. I'm really going to watch that terminal. And thanks to muddywaters too....I think just disconnecting the battery and reconnecting in the spring is the way to go........anyway, I'm trying it this winter.
RG