Battery care while parked for long period

My 110 Td5 has been parked in storage since December 23rd 2016. I have no access to it (it's in Uruguay, I'm in Germany). The man taking care of it (and various other vehicles) starts it up and idles it for about 20 minutes and may drive it for a very short distance (he cannot take it on public roads due to the insurance).

He mentioned something about taking out the main battery in order to charge it periodically but I don't know if he should do this, if this is a good idea. I said I'd let him know. I'm worried about the electrics, about messing up in that respect.

My vehicle will be there until August 2017. What is the best way of caring for the battery? We can't get into the business of solar charging, I think, since he doesn't have one of these and I don't think I can expect him to look for one on my behalf.

The engine battery was new last December. How can it best be kept in the best possible condition for the next six months?

Just get a battery conditioner and leave it plugged in...

I would be cautious of a 20 min idle, as it wont get it fully up to temp and Diesels are notoriously bad for short runs/idles.

Agree ref the short run time dont do it, either run it until proper hot or dont run it at all, if its under cover just forget it and dont run/move it and accept it will need a new battery come august, if its outside then I dont see you having much choice but to continue letting the guy do what hes doing.
Iirc after an engine start its something like 20 odd minutes of driving to fully recharge the battery.
We have lots of trucks left outside mothballed for 6/8 months at a time, the batteries actually last well, but the brakes arent happy and seized/seizing callipers/pads are normal.

A fully charged battery will last longer. How long will the Defender be left for.The previous owner of my Defender used to leave it in my barn for three months from 12th December to the 20 March each year for about five years. It has a battery isolation switch. Used to start on the button when he came back.

Just get a battery conditioner and leave it plugged in...

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the LR is in Uruguay and that I'm in Germany and that I didn't think I could bother the guy to ask him to get a solar charger.

A fully charged battery will last longer. How long will the Defender be left for.The previous owner of my Defender used to leave it in my barn for three months from 12th December to the 20 March each year for about five years. It has a battery isolation switch. Used to start on the button when he came back. (mikescuba)

The vehicle has a battery isolation switch. So would it be better to just isolate the battery and not try to charge it? (But until August 2017??)

Thanks for all replies.

Agree ref the short run time dont do it, either run it until proper hot or dont run it at all, if its under cover just forget it and dont run/move it and accept it will need a new battery come august,

if its outside then I dont see you having much choice but to continue letting the guy do what hes doing. (lynall)

The vehicle is in the open but under a covered roof, so we can say it's outside. If weather has anything to do with it (if that's why you mention under cover or outside), the day / night temperature as of now is about 28 / 19 degrees Centigrade, and in July, the coldest month, about 14 / 8 degrees centigrade.

Does your advice still stand? Or how about Isolating the battery?

In December I bought two new batteries (twice the price there as in Germany or UK) so would not look forward to that outlay again, next time.

Well I have two old land rovers both tdi powered and they can stand for weeks and even months, one has a battery isolator thats cuts the whole cars electrics dead, the other has the same BUT also has a immobiliser thats always powered, the one that cuts it all always starts much better as the battery is still good, but both batteries are now old, one at least 6/7 yrs and the other 5 yrs so they are both getting towards the end of their life.

Yes by standing I assumed it was damp, but its obviously not.
The mothballed trucks I mentioned earlier used to stand outside on a concrete pad, but for the last 8 months or so were stored on a grassy area. loads more issues with damp and drakes seizing.

popotla said:

A fully charged battery will last longer. How long will the Defender be left for.The previous owner of my Defender used to leave it in my barn for three months from 12th December to the 20 March each year for about five years. It has a battery isolation switch. Used to start on the button when he came back. (mikescuba)

The vehicle has a battery isolation switch. So would it be better to just isolate the battery and not try to charge it? (But until August 2017??)

Click to expand...

A few years ago I travelled to South America and was away from home and vehicle for 6 months, after I parked the vehicle up, just in a carport in our home front yard, I disconnected the battery negative terminal lead from the battery, when we returned home simply reconnected the negative terminal, started up no worries. As you have said you have an isolator that should be fine, I have now fitted isolators to both my 4x4's and I an often away for 4-6weeks at a time.
It possibly will be ok if you could have a battery charger on the battery about once every month for 4-6 hours, then leave disconnected, and no need to reconnect for charging.