Q.
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If I remove my MGA batteries, is it OK to store them directly on the cement floor in the garage? |
A.
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An article from Honda's S2000 website (www.s2000.com) stated that in the old days, the rubber cased batteries would actually leak a little, or the non-sealed batteries (with caps) allowed a non-visible amount of acid to dribble down the side of a battery. Placing this battery on concrete set up a very minute current draw to the concrete, accelerating battery drain. Newer sealed batteries do not suffer from the malady. But just like the old ones, they lose about 1% of charge per month. After a long winter, this could be just enough to prevent a car from starting. Perhaps the worst part is that if you do not maintain a charge, the plates will sulfate. After some point, this condition is irreversible. Some technologies, like Solargizer, can reverse a lot of this, but the best advice is to get a low amperage, self regulating charger, such as a Deltran Battery Tender and leave it on all the time. Good battery tenders will not boil the battery, like standard chargers. And by maintaining a full charge, you will not lose efficiency. Batteries have been know to exceed their expected life using this type of device. Unless the battery plates shake loose, sulfating is a prime cause of battery failure. In cold climes, batteries will freeze due to low specific gravity. Otherwise, cold slows down current loss in a battery without a drain on it. So before storing your batteries on the concrete garage floor, check the specific gravity of the cells. As a test for leakage, set the batteries on newspaper. If the paper turns brown, you have an acid leak. Otherwise, its OK to set them on the concrete floor. |