Battery advice for low mileage driver

[Kremmen]

Just my thoughts as well

In my MK4 experience, if I didn't use the car for just 2 weeks then CTEK took between 5 and 8 hours to complete its sequences so the 12v battery was well down

If you don't use a hybrid for many weeks then a hybrid is not the answer if you don't have access to a charger, as good as the MK4 is to drive

Also, if you allow the 12v to completely drain then it can become useless, again from personal experience

[emp]

So I have no experience with this but I asked Google and it came up with this solution:
https://ctek.com/en-us/blogs/ctek-magazine/no-power-at-your-storage-location-no-problem

which has a smart maintainer mode.

only problem is that you can not hook it up to the cigarette lighter because it is not "live" when the ignition is turned off. And forcing it to go "live" is discouraged.

so you have to hook it up to the battery using cables like this one:

https://ctek.com/en-us/products/connect-eyelet-m6

Only issue is that there does not seem an easy way to set this up in a permanent way for it to be easy to execute.  Meaning, to have this cable sit inside the car and for you to just plug the CTEK into it

[Kremmen]

The OP has no access to a mains socket as he lives in a high level flat

But, you can setup a CTEK, as I did, where I just lifted the bonnet and plugged the 2 ends together

[Marco1979]

Could you find another person in your apartment block that has a similar car usage and share a car? For nearly no additional costs the Jazz could serve multiple people’s needs and the battery would last longer.
Or put a monthly roadtrip on the group activities  .

[emp]

The OP has no access to a mains socket as he lives in a high level flat

But, you can setup a CTEK, as I did, where I just lifted the bonnet and plugged the 2 ends together

this is the CTEK CS FREE. It is a portable car battery charger. So you load it up at home and then take it to your car, doesn't need a wall socket. Also you can hook it up to solar cells and also to a secondary 12V battery.  If I understood it correctly you can leave it on for instance for a month and keep the car battery topped up. If the CTEK itself needs charging it can get power from a solar panel placed on the dashboard or from a secondary 12V battery. There are some videos on youtube.  I will  try to find a video on this specific use case of keeping the car's battery topped up for a month without having access to a wall socket.

[Wonder]

Hi everyone—I don’t want to jinx myself, but my car is from 2020 and still has its original battery (I don’t even know the brand). I only drive about 5,000 km (roughly 3,100 miles) per year, and I’ve never had any issues—though it’s worth noting that the car is always kept in a garage. Should I be concerned? And if the battery were to die, would a friend be able to help me jump-start the car using jumper cables?

[Apologies for any errors; I used Google Translate.]

[Lord Voltermore]

The Ctek would be a better solution if its possible to power it using one of the large capacity  portable jump starter devices with a convenient carrying handle. Rather than a heavy  conventional lead acid battery. . Easier to carry up to his apartment  and may be ok to leave in the car whilst driving short trips. They may have safer battery types that could safely be recharged in an apartment. Recharging an lead acid battery inside an apartment is not a good idea, unless on a balcony etc.   It involves  some faffing about and some expense  , but running a newish car  for very few miles per year is  an expensive luxury anyway.     

[emp]

yeah carrying a heavy donor battery + the CTEK CS FREE to you car is maybe not a good idea. Then maybe hooking it up to a solar panel you put in the dashboard would work but if there is no sun maybe also not a good idea.

It is a nice device but expensive, here a video

[5thcivic]

re double locking - it will not save any 12V battery drain, since it does not put any further systems to sleep. It just engages the deadlocks which mean you cannot open the doors from the inside by breaking a window.

[aphybrid]

On balance with the originators problem I would tend to advise the route of others to sell the car and uses taxi's etc. where required.

If health reasons limited my use of my car this would be the route I would take also.

At the same time I too like my Jazz and current yearly mileage is about 5000 and would be reluctant to not have it, just because of the freedom it allows me whenever i like to travel.

Had my first Mk4 for 4 years @ 6000 miles/year and never had a battery problem, leaving the car in  a Scottish east coast airport over Christmas/New Year for 3 weeks sometimes and no starting problems.

I was frightened by other tales on the Forum regarding this battery problem and decided after considering options on forum to buy an MSC Overland Car Jumper & Power Bank - https://www.mobilesolarchargers.co.uk/shop/details/overland-waterproof-car-jump-starter

Never had to use this on my Jazz{s} but used twice on my wife's Fiesta which had been left in garage over winter holiday times.

I check the units state of charge every couple of months and it is held in glovebox ready to go.

In our little town in Perthshire we have a volunteer "Patient Transfer" service. Anyone requiring transport to hospitals etc. can for a fee be taken by volunteers car to appointments etc. The volunteers are given a mileage payment. Being rural there is practically no direct public service to hospitals and this saves both money and more importantly time, and also comfortable transport. Maybe more reliable than taxi, certainly cheaper.

Maybe have an ask about in area if something similar

[rom007]

Timely update Re taxis : I learned not to “book” Ubers for appointments like dentist or optician let alone doctor or hospital- they’ll just randomly cancel on you at the last minute. But I have just today heard that City Cabs - Edinburgh’s black cabs, who could be relied upon - have recently adopted the same “we’ll turn up if we can be bothered” approach.

Much as I detest Uber, City Cabs prices are so much higher that their reliability was the only reason I stuck with them.

Enshittification strikes again.

[Kremmen]

You need to find a good local independent, if they still exist

I wouldn't touch Uber with a bargepole

[aphybrid]

If anyone in Edinburgh has medical/age related travel problems google search the following.
I guess there will be similar for many other cities/towns/rural areas

Several charitable organizations and community transport services in Edinburgh offer car lifts

[Kremmen]

For me, I compared annual running costs, fuel, parking, insurance, depreciation and the maths does point to public transport if like me you are/were a very low mileage driver

[coldstart]

I can understand your reluctance to let go of your car (I'm getting older as well and - while still being able-bodied - the car somehow represents "freedom")!
Have you considered using a portable power station to occasionally power a charger of your choice yet?
Of course: "It ain't pretty" - However: As long as it would get the job done...

You would have to incur the chore of periodically carrying the power station (plus charger) to and from your car in the public car park.