Does leaving a car battery on a cement floor really drain it?

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The Rattler

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
292
I have heard all my life that leaving a car battery on the floor of your garage will drain the charge. Anybody know if this is true or do I need to contact the Mythbusters! [ddd

Rattler
 
agree

nope, old 30/40 year old desiegned ones may have but, with modern materials they will be just fine, l leave mine on the garage floor all the time and never had a problem.

Later:cool:
 
I figured it was a "wives tale" because if a battery is left sitting for long periods of time they tend to drain down and old batteries were probably more prone then the batteries of today.If the casing bled then you would thing it would bleed off being in the car too.
 
It'not the cement exactly that will drain a battery, But what can happen is that if a charged battery is dirty or damp on the outside of the case a circuit can be completed from the negitive post down along the side and across them bottom and back up the other sideto the poitive post which will in time dicharge the battery, a cool concrete floor may cause this circuit to form more quickly due to the temperature differencial between the warm battery and the cool floor this can also happen in the vehicle if the battery tray bottom is replaced with a flat surface and not allow air to circulate around the battery keeping it dry, another reason for proper battery maintenance.
 
from what ive heard, my HD mechanic instructor said that back in the day batterys were made of a canvas or burlap type case and the chemicals in the battery and in the concrete would react through the canvas case and cause it to discharge..... modern batterys are not affected by sitting on concrete....as long as its not frozen.
also back in the day batterys were made with a glass case.... how kool would a glass cased battery be in a rat rod!!! any of you old codgers have any sitting around still???? [cl[cl
 
back in the day batterys were made with a glass case.... how kool would a glass cased battery be in a rat rod!!! any of you old codgers have any sitting around still???? [cl[cl

I knew a guy who had a couple of those.
glassbattercontent.jpg
 

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