Disconnect Battery While on Vacation?

It is a well known fact that running a battery completely dead will shorten the life of the battery. How much it shortens it is not an exact science. However, with a really old battery, it can end it’s life. Now, will the ECU and radio memory completely drain a battery in 3 weeks, probably not, but why take a chance? The short pin is there for a reason. The dealers are supposed to remove it on new vehicles that sit on the lot for a long time.

 

I get stuck at work for a month at a time at least twice a year, and my 7 year old battery has never failed to start. If anything just disconnect the negative and call it good.

 

Learn something new every day! Always wondered what the short pin was for.


To the OP. If you are not in garaged parking, its even more of a reason to remove the battery, bring it into the condo and stick it on a tender... not necessarily for the batteries sake but the whole vehicle sitting for 3 weeks not moving is a prime victim for theft IMO.

 

Muddinfun got any photo of "short Pin"?

 

New to area, and not garaged.
If you have an alarm leave it in. Jump it if it dies.
If not, lock up the truck and remove the cables.
My 2 cents.
Safe journeys

 

Just go on vacation. That battery was sitting on the shelf longer than 3 weeks without dying.

 

Yes, disconnect the positive lead from the battery. Get back home, reconnect, and able to start your vehicle.
If you area away for 3-4 months, your battery will likely be dead. I've experienced that. If you are concerned about it, go ahead and remove the positive lead. There is no harm in that.

 

Three weeks is nothing to worry about. Park and go on vacation.

 

Pick up a trickle Charger/ maintainer such from the mfg "Battery Tender " from your local auto parts store . No need to disconnect your battery cables and the Battery Tender will keep your battery at optimal condition

My Camaro when not being driven uses a Battery Tender 24/7/365

 

Thought: I’m not sure in Tacos, but in other vehicles the ecu will shut off at 9v. So even it it’s a parasitic drain it won’t kill a battery...you won’t start at 9v likely but the cells will not be damaged.

 

Somebody go remove your short pin an see if the truck will start. If not, there’s an extra level of security. Although it would take a pretty smart thief to get past the immobilizer, I doubt he would look around in the underhood fusebox to figure out why it won’t start.

 

Thank-you

 

Battery wont come close to dying in that time. However, if you were going to be gone for a much longer period of time, why not take out the battery and throw it on a battery tender in your condo? It's nice to have a battery tender just in case...

 

I’ve left mine for 5 summers in a row for 3 months at a time. A friend starts it every 3 weeks and let’s it run for a few minutes. I’ve never had a problem.

 

He is in car port no access to power unless he puts it in the house. Idk if he wants to do that.

 

Don't worry about it. I'm away from my trucks several months at a time. Neither one of them have issues and they aren't even new batteries. If your trucks tends to drain batteries I'd say disconnect. Enjoy your trip

 

Yall are WAY overthinking this. 3 weeks? Park the truck and come back to it 3 weeks later and drive it like normal. If it was 6 months you can start thinking about doing something special.

 

You can pull the short pin if you really wanted. But 3 weeks it should be fine. Or
Get a trickle charger

 

This is silly. Just leave it be OP. Its three weeks not three months. THe guys telling you to put it on a trickle charger/ disconnect it are