Car Left Standing for Months: the Battery in Málaga

A car left standing for months at your second home

It is one of the most common situations on the Costa del Sol: you leave the car in the garage space at your place in Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Nerja or Rincón de la Victoria, you come back six or nine months later… and it will not start. It is not bad luck: it is what happens to any battery in those conditions.

At Málaga Baterías we can tell you in five minutes whether the battery can be brought back with a charge or whether it is finished. We are at C/ La Orotava, 100 (29006 Málaga), no appointment needed, and we are an Official Varta Distributor.

Why a car that never moves goes flat

• Standby drain: the alarm, central locking, control units, clock and tracker keep drawing current. A modern car uses a fair amount even when it is "switched off".
• Natural self-discharge: every battery loses charge on its own, and the heat in Málaga speeds the process up.
• Sulphation: if the battery spends months half charged, sulphate crystals form on the plates. Beyond a certain point the damage is irreversible.
• Heat in the garage: a closed basement in August is an oven for a battery.

As a guide: a modern car with a battery in good condition can stand for 4-8 weeks. With a 4-year-old battery, it may not even manage three weeks.

What to do before you leave

• Leave it fully charged. One long run before you park helps more than several short ones.
• Connect a trickle charger if there is a socket in your parking space. It is by far the best solution and it costs very little.
• If there is no socket, disconnect the negative terminal: that removes the standby drain (you will lose your radio presets and some settings, and on some cars the windows have to be re-initialised).
• If someone can, have them start it and drive it for 20-30 minutes every two or three weeks. Starting it and switching it straight off is worse than not starting it at all.
• Park in the shade or in a ventilated garage whenever you can.

It is already flat: can it be recovered or does it need replacing?

It depends on how long it has been standing and on the age of the battery. A recent battery that has run out of charge can usually be brought back with a slow charge. One that is four or five years old and has spent the summer flat is normally sulphated, and even if it starts the car it will fail again.

We measure it: with Midtronics equipment we see the real condition (SoH) and tell you, with data, whether it is worth charging or replacing. The check is free of charge.

Be careful about jump-starting it and driving straight off: the alternator is not designed to recharge a deeply discharged battery; you can end up with a damaged alternator and a battery that is just as bad.

Frequently asked questions