Well, disconnecting the ground would certainly solve any potential slow discharge.
But, most cars will go for more than 2 weeks without any issues. Modern cars are worse than old ones, though.
Don’t think you’ll have any issue at all. Just drove my sister’s car back to Portland, OR from ABQ, NM, it had been sitting for well over a month with no use. Only issue was the tires all have slow leaks int them, but battery was just fine. No idea how old the battery is, though do know the last oil change was 2022 (rectified that before I left ABQ). You’ll be fine if the battery is that new. I would say to unplug any accessories that might be in there. Even a USB port in a cigarette lighter will draw a small charge. Not necessarily enough to worry about, but it can’t hurt.
3 - 5 years is the figure I get for reasonable lifespan of a modern car, so you’re past the 3 years minimum expectation, but no, I would not expect any issues leaving it for two weeks.
One thing I would happily mention, is that depending on the lot and airport, is that they may provide free jumps!
My major semi-local airport, DIA, does so, and I’d check if the airport you plan to use does so as well. If something does go wrong, they’re a lot closer than AAA will be.
But yeah, I’ll also second @Dogginit’s mention that if you have Bluetooth or charging dongles that plug in to fully disconnect them prior to leaving, all the drains do add up.
And to add anecdote - was in ABQ for 3 weeks tail end of June/first part of July, my 2006 Chevy Silverado sat here at the house unused, but fired right up when I got home - 4 year old batteries. And my 1997 Chevy Tahoe (emergency backup vehicle) often sits for over a year at a time, never had a problem starting it in times of need.
I have a 2013 Chevy Impala. I regularly leave the car sit for 2 or more weeks at a time either at the airport or someone’s house.
I’ve never had an issue starting upon return.
However, I did dig around to see when the battery was last changed (December 2022) since I am leaving for a 2 week trip to Ireland in the morning and my car will be parked at a friend’s house.
My car has been an absolute monster on repairs the past 2 years and I don’t trust to drive it very far anymore. But it always starts lol.
One thing we can also discuss is how does @Lucas_Jackson feel about the battery. Sometimes, when you have this sort of anxiety, it’s because you’ve noticed something else that’s triggering it. Maybe it took a moment longer than usual to start recently, and deep down, you don’t trust it. Depending on where you bought the battery, perhaps they offer a free test? I know some auto parts places and dealerships offer them for free/token amounts, and others charge a good bit, but it might be worth it to soothe the anxiety if nothing else.
Oh, and FTR, I just noticed on my prior post I said:
So, I apologize for my stupid brain to finger failure, it should have been “lifespan of a modern car BATTERY” but sometimes the brain is moving onto the next sentence and the fingers fail to type the rest of the current one out.
I’ve left my wife’s car unused for 4-5 weeks many, many times, when she’s traveling overseas. Maybe 8 or 9 times in the last 25 years (model years 1994 to 2014).
Was I not supposed to do that? When she gets back she just jumps into it and drives. Never had an issue.
Most batteries should be fine over 2 weeks. But your battery is starting to get into the old range. And with the hotter temps, batteries tend to age quicker in the heat. You can test your battery before you leave. Many auto part stores have free battery tests. They can test it to see if it’s doing well or if it’s weak.
In case your battery does die, the parking lot may provide a free jump start service. Having a dead battery is probably a relatively frequent occurrence at airport lots. Look for the way to contact the parking attendant when you park your car.
Good suggestions all. Thank you. The battery is reaching the break over point so I thought, what the heck, and bought a new one.
But of course, I snapped the battery current sensor putting it in. Arghh! There wasn’t one available locally so I ordered one but it won’t get here in time. I hope it will run fine without it.
@Lucas_Jackson when do you leave? Can you leave your CR-V in your driveway for 2-3 weeks without using it and see if the battery holds?
Your battery should be fine. Except, if you have a small current draw when it is parked, that could drain a weaker battery. Maybe even a new battery since you now have that. It depends on how big the current draw is.
Disconnecting the battery will preserve it and obviate any current draw, but you may lose your radio presets and clock and maybe other things. Those would be annoyances but your car will start — as long as you can get into it when you return and the battery is disconnected.
Plan B: Uber or Lyft home if your battery is dead, possibly?
Last year my wife and I left our 2011 Honda CR-V at the airport for eight weeks. It was a little sluggish about starting after that, but it did start (it was May, so the battery was warm; a winter trip might have had less favorable results). The battery was maybe two years old at that point.
They’re $40 bucks and they work great! I have one in every vehicle I own including my motorcycles. You don’t have to dick around with disconnecting the battery or getting a jump start.
I have one in every vehicle I own including my motorcycles. You don’t have to dick around with disconnecting the battery or getting a jump start.