nausetjim

i will be leaving my '13 es300h hybrid in our garage for the winter (more than 4 months).

is there anything i should be aware of or concerned about, in trickle-charging the non-hybrid battery on my es while it's unattended?

lesz

I don't know whether there is anything to be concerned about with a hybrid, but I have used chargers and stored my 2 ES vehicles (and other cars) for the winter every year without any issues.

I would make sure, though, that I was using a reasonably high quality charger. Some of the cheap ones operate at a constant charge level and can continue to try to charge even when the battery is fully charged. The better chargers monitor the battery's charge level. Then, they reduce their charge level as the car's battery approaches full charge. They stop charging completely when the battery reaches full charge and resume charging only when the battery's charge level starts to drop again.

My experience has been that Battery Tender products are very good. I've been using the Battery Tender Junior, which is a bit less expensive, but it has gotten the job done. They can be bought at places like Walmart for around $25.

I would also suggest that, before you put the car into storage, you overinflate the tires to around 40 psi. That will reduce the chances that they will develop flat spots.

Htony

Hi,
That is very good idea. Even if car engine is shut off car's brain is not really in sleep drawing some current from the battery.

bc6152

Another prominent member of our forum had a mouse family take up residence in the engine compartment inside his garage. believe it was in a vent. Caused a bad smell...
I found by storing classic cars for over 30 years that throwing a few dryer sheets in the engine area and inside the car helps prevent squatters. Put a reminder on your steering wheel for the Spring to remove the sheets from your engine...

lesz

That would be me.

The nest was huge, and it sat on top of the cabin air filter. When I tried to remove the cabin air filter to clean out the nest, a big part of the nest, including several baby mice, dropped down into the climate control system fan, which is below the cabin air filter.

I spent well over $100 to have the fan removed and cleaned out. But, by that time, parts of the nest and the baby mice that were in it got chewed up by the fan and spread through the ducts that feed the air to the in-cabin vents. It took several months and numerous cans of various spray disinfectants before I was able to completely get rid of the odor.

Putting dryer sheets in the engine bay can be a somewhat effective deterrent. I just make sure that I place them away from the areas that get hot from the engine, and I hold them in place with zip ties. This winter, I'll also be putting dryer sheets on top of the cabin air filter and inside the cabin of the car. Additionally, I now have numerous boxes of d-Con and other rodent poisons placed at various locations around the garage. Besides the time it took to get the odor out of the car, it also took me several months before I felt comfortable that I had rid the garage from the mice. It took me part of that time to find the spot where they had gnawed their way into the garage.

Htony

Mouse don't like smell of strong Peppermint oil, Moth ball, Irish spring soap bar smell(mre effective when bar is sliced in thin pieces).

TechNut

nausetjim

Thanks, great advice!

lesz

Yes, moth ***** can be an effective deterrent to rodents. Also, I've found that Irish Spring (or Coast) are an effective deterrent to a variety of pests. My home is tucked back into the woods. During the winter when there is heavy snow cover on the ground, the deer can't get to their most desirable foods, and they will strip the lower branches of the pine trees and arborvitae near the house. Years ago, I started hanging strips of Coast or Irish Spring from those lower branches, and, after doing so, I haven't seen footprints from the deer in the snow anywhere withing 8 to 10 feet of those trees. When I put the ES in the garage for winter storage this year, I'll have to remember, in addition to the dryer sheets, to put some strips of the Irish Spring or Coast in the engine compartment and other spots where there appeared to be mouse activity last winter.

Caydoc