Removing the battery (or not?)

[DaraSue]

So I guess I have no choice but to accept that winter is here, and I see that most people recommend taking the battery out. But I'm having a hard time getting it out, and I notice the list of safety instructions on the side of it specifically says "do not tilt."

It doesn't seem to be horrifically cold in my garage (it's attached to the house and has a room above it), would it be terrible to just leave it in there for a couple months with the covers off of the battery compartment and the fuse box and trickle charge it from the jump posts? I'm afraid I'm going to damage it getting it out and dragging it around...

(It has a cutoff which I've turned off already.)

[opethmike]

Yes, remove it. Batteries outgas, and with it sitting right below the electrical area, I believe that's why so many DeLoreans get such bad fuse box corrosion.

[Elvis]

I've also never taken it out and yes we do know what winter is in Black Forest Germany.

[David T]

For a car in storage IMHO best practice is to remove as much of the fuel as possible and take the battery out. Store the battery on a piece of wood in a warm place and trickle charge it for 1 day once a month. Cover the car and make sure nothing can fall on it. Over-inflate the tires to prevent flat-spotting. Keep insurance on it in case of theft, fire or damage. Treat the leather surfaces with Leatherique Rejuvinator. Clean the car inside and out. Make sure rodents and other critters can't get to the car. If necessary place mothballs under the car NOT inside it. Do NOT park the car on dirt. I also use small wooden blocks to lift the windshield wipers of the glass so the blades don't "take a set". Flush the brakes and clutch. Change the motor oil and test the coolant. In this condition a car can be stored for many years before age/storage related damage appears.

[dmc]

If you use a quality battery tender there is no need to remove the battery.

[DaraSue]

Gave it another shot this morning and finally wrestled it out. Hopefully it's not going to poison us if I leave it on the kitchen counter. (It's several feet from where people normally prepare food and it's in a cardboard box. The counters are laminate.)

Is my battery unnaturally huge or something? It was really awkward getting it out of there.20171217_122810.jpg

There's some corrosion on the negative terminal: 20171217_124123.jpg

And a lot of whitish crud on the floor of the battery compartment. 20171217_123605.jpg Obviously I didn't want to touch it to try to figure out what it was, but could that all be corrosion residue? If not, what else could it be? (Obvious tasteless jokes aside.)

The battery is an Exide 75X "Nascar Extreme" and the date stamp says it was made in Feb 16.

[Elvis]

I was told by an expert to fill up the fuel tank as much as possible.

That's valid for metal tanks, especially motorbikes.

Of course I asked about plastic tanks and I was told the
fumes are much more harmful than the gasoline itself therefore - fill it up.

For a car in storage IMHO best practice is to remove as much of the fuel as possible and take the battery out. ...

[dn010]

When my car was stored in New York for some winters and the years I was in the Army, the battery was left in, fuel left in the tank and every other week either I or someone else while I was absence, got in the car, fired it up and let it run for a little while, pumped the clutch & brake pedals and that was it. I'd suggest Sta-bil in the tank now that we have ethanol in our fuel, that is what I have in my 57 Cadillac tank that is in storage and I have 0 issues. When my D was stored outside one year it was parked on pavement and wrapped in a tarp - pain in the ass to uncover to start it up but worked out fine for me.