I just returned home from a 6 week trip away at work. My '01 cat had not been touched at all during this time. I put the battery on charge for half an hour and started her up without any problems.

I have read several threads about problems with XK8s being left idle for some time, and it seems that these problems can start on some cars after only a few days without use.

I am wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences where their car has started without problems after a long period of idleness, and if it can be attributed solely to the age and quality of the battery?

During my 6 week sojourn away, my local weather has included several days of sub-freezing weather, and I know batteries don't like being cold (just like me).

 

I've left my 1999 XK8 sit for up to 3 weeks and not have any issue starting. The one time I did have an issue, I found that the courtesy lights stayed on after turning off the car and shutting the door. After charging the battery several times, I finally noticed that the lights stayed on. I then hit the security lock and the lights went off. So from now on I always hit the lock button on the fob.

No problems since.

Regards,

Don

 

Age and condition of the battery play a large role in how long you can let the car sit untouched before the battery discharges beyond recovery. I don't like to let our vehicles sit for any longer than a week without driving them....