Hi, I don't know if this is 100 series specific but I'm looking for some advice on how to maintain my 100 series in the cold when I'm not allowed to drive anywhere.
Here's the situation: Where I live we're currently under a strict quarantine lockdown and nobody is allowed to drive unless you have a special pass (which I don't have). I keep my car parked outside on the street and we're seeing temperatures as low as -40 this week. During the day I think we're at something like -20F. Sometimes a bit warmer.
Here's the vehicle situation: I have a 2000 V8 petrol 100 series. In the back of the car under drawers I have 2x 100AH auxiliary batteries in addition to the starter battery. I have a chinese coolant heater (like a webasto) that's hooked up to the aux batteries. I also have 70 watts of solar on the roof that can trickle charge both the aux and starter batteries, but this time of year and with the snow it's been putting in something like 0.1A at noon-- so practically useless. I park on the street with no electrical hookups nearby.
We were under lockdown for about 3 weeks--during that time I went out to start the car for about an hour once a week to warm it up and charge up the batteries. Once when my webasto gsm remote wasn't working I started it up without preheating and it was pretty sluggish to get going. Is starting it up like that to maintain the batteries a good thing? Or am I doing more harm than good by starting it up and just idling it without driving anywhere? It looks like our lockdown is going to be extended even more so I'm hoping to do everything I can to make sure my car will start and run well when I'm finally allowed to use it again.
Here's the situation: Where I live we're currently under a strict quarantine lockdown and nobody is allowed to drive unless you have a special pass (which I don't have). I keep my car parked outside on the street and we're seeing temperatures as low as -40 this week. During the day I think we're at something like -20F. Sometimes a bit warmer.
Here's the vehicle situation: I have a 2000 V8 petrol 100 series. In the back of the car under drawers I have 2x 100AH auxiliary batteries in addition to the starter battery. I have a chinese coolant heater (like a webasto) that's hooked up to the aux batteries. I also have 70 watts of solar on the roof that can trickle charge both the aux and starter batteries, but this time of year and with the snow it's been putting in something like 0.1A at noon-- so practically useless. I park on the street with no electrical hookups nearby.
We were under lockdown for about 3 weeks--during that time I went out to start the car for about an hour once a week to warm it up and charge up the batteries. Once when my webasto gsm remote wasn't working I started it up without preheating and it was pretty sluggish to get going. Is starting it up like that to maintain the batteries a good thing? Or am I doing more harm than good by starting it up and just idling it without driving anywhere? It looks like our lockdown is going to be extended even more so I'm hoping to do everything I can to make sure my car will start and run well when I'm finally allowed to use it again.
