Going out of town for 5 weeks, better to disconnect the battery or OK to leave alone? Bought it used & worried afmkt stereo has a password when i reset it, but dont wanna drain the battery either. thx for help

 

Unless something is using power when the car is off, why would it die?

 

I would disconnect the battery for a 5 week period. The alarm system will probably have the battery drained by the time you get back.

Most aftermarket radios don't have a password, that can't be guaranteed. You can look up the specs for the radio and see.

There are small solar trickle chargers that would keep the battery charged if the car were parked outside.

 

I would leave it connected. Don't see how the battery would be dead after 5 weeks.

 

I never disconnect the battery on my truck and it sits more then it drives. Never had an issue, but it does have a heavy duty battery..

 

If the car sits for 5 weeks and it's not started and driven during that time, more than likely the battery will be dead when you get back, if you leave it connected. I'm willing to bet on that.

 

You will surely need a boost after 5 weeks the alarm system,weather temperature will def. drain it,if you can, just give the keys to someone who can start it for you once a week, or if you know you are able to get a boost once you come back than leave it connected

 

The ECU and BCM draw a little power for the memory and clocks. 2 weeks is usually enough to drain a normal battery. Disconnect it.

 

I work for Honda. We have inventory cars that haven't been started in 4-6 months. Most start just fine. Of course they are new cars and batteries, but almost all of them start.

 

I've been out of the country for over 3 weeks, car starts perfectly fine.
My bike sits for several months in the winter yet starts every spring.
My buddies Corvette has been in my warehouse for just about a year now.
It starts just fine once a month for it's exercise ride around the building.
The Vette goes on trickle charge every 6 months to make sure it's fully charged.

Two weeks for a battery to die? Can you imagine how many cars would be dead at the local airports long term parking?

 

If I were you, I would dis-connect it for 5 weeks. You have nothing to lose and a fully charged battery to gain.

Also, keep in mind, for that logn period of time, the ECU will forget everything, stored codes and any intimate understanding of your motor will be gone.
This is not a big deal.....just that your car will run $hitty the first time you start it up. The ECU will re-introduce itself to your motor, re-learn and be good as new after like half an hour of driving.

 

I routinely leave my Maxima undriven for 5 week periods due to my work travel schedule. I have done this no less than 10 times in the past 2 years and it has started right up with no trouble. Not even a hint of struggling. I will say I had a 07 335i and it did not fare as well when left for 5 weeks... but it has a lot more electronics and I think the battery was weak anyway.

 

Dang, no consensus.

I know way back when, I had a 93 max and it sat for awhile with the battery connected and when I got back after about a month it was dead.

I left my current 4th gen for about 2 wks with aftermarket alarm with the battery connected and when I got back it started right up. I have a good battery tho.

I honestly dont know what the right answer is here...

 

I left my Maxima sitting for 1 months and it started with no issue after.

 

Just disconnect it, only takes a minute.
I left mine untouched for over a month and it was dead, but I had an aftermarket alarm with multiple sensors and 3 amplifiers, so you know..little power draining going on there.

 

just disconnect the negative battery cable, if any of my stuff is gonna sit for more than 2 weeks i disconnect the negative terminal. that way the battery wont die on you, when i park my summer cars in October i disconnect the negative terminal and in April or May i connect it again and they fire right up

 

if the battery gets drained so much after just 5 weeks that it doesn't start right up, something's wrong with the car (eg weak/old battery, charging system not up to snuff or too much parasitic drain, etc.).

 

My GXE 98 drains about 35mA. After 5 weeks, that is about 29AH. A typical battery has about 37AH to 50AH. Car may start after 5 weeks, but if you want to be sure, disconnect the battery. Or keep a jump starter in the trunk.

 

All depends on the health of your battery. A healthy battery with no major draws on it will easily last 5 weeks. Since you have an aftermarket HU with a password, I'd invest in a battery tender. I have all my cars hooked up to these. Work great.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deltran-Battery-Tender-Jr-12V-Maintainer-Charger-12-Volt-Trickle-Junior-021-0123-/231063708746?pt=Battery_Chargers&hash=item35cc78644a

 

ended up buying a battery disconnect switch from amazon. will report how well it works/doesn't work. thx for all input

 

If it's the turn **** style one..they suck.
Big American flag sticker on it.

I got one that has a large bar you can swivel over and lays flat so I can still shut my hood.
I work on my car so much its paid for itself IMO.

 

Why? Do you plan on doing this very often? Simply disconnecting the negative terminal takes a whole 5 seconds...

 

Hahaha, that was my first thought considering I just left my car at the airport for 15 days and no problem at all when I got back. This was three weeks ago.