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| Thread ID: 109006 | 2010-04-20 05:26:00 | Disconnect car battery | lakewoodlady (103) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 878517 | 2010-04-20 05:26:00 | My elderly neighbour had to go into the hospital and may be there a couple of weeks. His daughter rang me and asked if I could disconnect his car battery for him in case it went flat. I have taken off the Neg lead, but can't shift the Pos one. Will it be ok like that? The car is a 2001 Corolla. Cheers LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 878518 | 2010-04-20 05:30:00 | It shouldn't go flat in 2 weeks... but yeah taking off one is enough. Give it a whack with a spanner or something if you really want to take it off, just last night I was mucking around with a 2001 corolla (show us your coincidence) and it took some serious force to move to positive lead. And remember, always remove the negative lead first, and replace it last. I would tuck the negative well out of the way and leave the red plastic cap over the positive terminal, shut the bonnet and leave it. You will also have opened a bit of a can of worms if it has the factory stereo in it, as these are security coded. Normally the code is the last 3 digits of the VIN #, or the frame # if it is a NZ new car. Grab that number, (it's normally under the bonnet just under the windscreen. When the battery is connected again, flick the key to accessories and press the tune up and '1' button simultaneously, the display should change from SEC to three dashes. Press number '1' repeatedly until the correct number displays, and repeat the process for 2 and 3. then press and hold the scan button, if the code is correct the display will flash SEC and then power off. If it's wrong, ERR will flash and it will remain locked. Or if it has an aftermarket stereo, never mind... :p |
wratterus (105) | ||
| 878519 | 2010-04-20 05:32:00 | Cheers for that. Funny coincidence! :thanks LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 878520 | 2010-04-20 05:41:00 | Hi lakewoodlady Yes, removing one lead is Ok but just for your own personal knowledge, pouring boiling hot water over the stuck lead will clean the gunk and free the lead. A smear of vaseline will prevent a re-occurence. BURNZEE |
Burnzee (6950) | ||
| 878521 | 2010-04-20 05:54:00 | Wratterus, yes I knew about removing the Neg first and Pos last and then when reconnecting do the Pos first Neg last. Yep, tucked the lead out of the way and left red cap on the other and shut bonnet just as you said. I have done my own Honda one a few times when it needed charging. Thanks for the tip about the stereo, The neighbour knows what to do with that, so will leave it for him when he comes home. Burnzee, thanks for suggestion about the hot water. Baking soda and water works well too apparently. Cheers LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 878522 | 2010-04-20 06:00:00 | Just to clarify what others have said, removing one lead will have exactly the same effect as removing both, as either way the circuit is broken. | george12 (7) | ||
| 878523 | 2010-04-20 07:41:00 | No to baking soda - an old (and should be 'dead') wive's tale . Same with grease, Vaseline, spit or urine --> Don't put anything between, on, around, over or under the post and/or the connectors . It's never a good idea to remove battery cables on anything newer than about 1998 or so . You lose the adaptive strategies in the RAM if the ECM goes flat . That requires some driving time behind the wheel to re-set the parameters and you lose a lot of fuel mileage and performance until the ECM can create a profile . You can lose a transmission shifting profile while it tries to regroup and get the TCC and shifting sequence all worked out again, you'll dump the radio settings and maybe destroy some other behind-the-scene adaptives . That can cost a lot to repair . It will have to resort to it's default program and until it figures things out, you pay . You MIGHT get away with it, but if you don't - --- Oh well . When batteries are removed from a modern vehicle, it is always a good idea to install a "Memory-Saver" power supply to keep all that stuff hot and not lose it all . Now ----------- I really mean it - G'nite to NZ! |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 878524 | 2010-04-20 07:59:00 | Well, being an ornery old cuss, I've put a fair bit of baking soda on quite a few battery terminals over the years; the results have been such that I expect I will do it a few more times before I croak. Vaseline I haven't bothered with, but I have used lanoline a fair few times so I don't have to go do the baking soda trick for a long time. Every car I've owned has had 1 or both treatments simply because I dislike soldering on new terminals. | R2x1 (4628) | ||
| 878525 | 2010-04-20 08:11:00 | Some cars have a connection to plug in a 9 volt battery for when you have to disconnect the main battery so the ECM won't lose its profile. Personally I wouldn't bother disconnecting the battery if not being driven for 2 weeks or even more. Have been driving and owned cars for 40 odd years and a bit of a DIY on cars. :) |
Trev (427) | ||
| 878526 | 2010-04-20 08:20:00 | Surfer Joe, Ok Ok settle down, I have only done what my neighbour has done before many times with no problems whatsoever. Baking soda worked absolutely fine on stuck battery leads on my son's 1987 Ford when he needed to disconnect so he could charge it. Neighbour's car is a 5 gear manual BTW. LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
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