I'm looking forward to spring-time, I wonder how you take care of your car during the winter. I've got a 3 to 4 week routine. I start the car let it run idle till the cooling fans start their work (about 10 min.). Then drive it for 100m, hit the brakes and put her back asleep. I never do this when it's wet or it rains. After she has cooled down I put the black (!) tailor-made satin cover on her again, lookes great on her. I was advised to do so, the short drive should save the wheelbearings and tires (no flat spots).
Today, well just half an hour ago I did something like that. A few weeks ago I did something stupid and the battery went empty. So charged her up on the 2 connection points at the right rear section. (As you know my battery is hidden in the front of the car. My car didn't run for a least 4 months, so I was anxious to see what would happen, also due to the fact that the battery had been empty (wrong navi connection). I am really amazed... I turned the key and it ran within the same second. No bad noises, right away smooth as new, like it came from the factory yesterday. Ok, only 40.000 km but remember it's 13 years old ! I love it...
Haven't you got a ... (don't know for sure think it's called) trickle loader (dutch: druppellader). Alex (www.forzaservice.nl) supplied me a LBC-200 (http://www.proostenelectronics.nl/). Het did a nice job with the connection aswell. He used the hole in the rearside of the ...airbox? (dutch: luchtfilterbehuizing).
I have a tickleloader, but I read here everywhere that it wouldn't be so wise to put power backwards through the tricky 348 wire system, so I didn't put it in the cigarette lighter. It wouldn't have been very hard to put the tickleloader on my batteryconnections in the rear, but I didn't expect it to neccesary. My garage is 15C degrees all the time, during the winter. My battery is in the front (pic a) and my car has seperate batteryconnections in the rear, but perhaps all 348's have that, I haven't checked it. (pic b) I was busy with my radio / navi and left it by accident on.... so after a few days the battery was dead as expected... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
348holland, I'm curious, you said 100meters why not for example 10 or 50 kilometers? It's dry outside so no problem, so what I'm alway's doing is when it's dry , I'm driving it for about few hours and put her back till the next dry day. Because I'm afraid that there is still water in the engine or the exhaust.Rob
In Prague I used to leave the trickle-charger connected for the whole winter. Here. I do not have easy access to electricity in the garage and so only do an overnight charge every 4-6 weeks. I also start the car and let it run for at least 30 minutes to ensure that all the condensation has evaporated before I cover it up again. MARK
I have to agree with Rob. It is definitely better to take the car for a longer ride and heat up the engine properly.
