Car Standing-Battery Dying-Kill Switch

[anditsoundslikebells]

My car isn't a daily so sometimes sits for a number of weeks in our open car park on the ground floor of our building.
Some guys tend to drink beer down there at night and on occasions, someone kicked down the old chain that used to close the space when my car was in the Shop.
The homeless guys seem harmless and only leave their beer cans there.
I had this barrier fitted so it can lock my car in its space. I'm now happy the car is safe as can be.

In the winter I won't be driving it much and on two occasions the battery has died in two weeks.
I spoke with a colleague of mine who has a 964 and it seems to be a common issue with older cars that aren't driven.
A trickle charge is the solution, but that'll have to wait until I move and (one day) have my own garage.
I'm thinking to fit a battery disconnect switch so the battery won't drain.
I was thinking of an OMP EA/460.

Has anyone done something similar?

[Shoppinit]

How many amps will it take? Looks a bit on the small side. You can get similar switches for tractors. Might be worth investigating those.

[anditsoundslikebells]

I think you are correct.
My battery is a Bosch S4 013 800A
Hella make an alternative which is 1000A @12V rated (002843011):
http://hellahd.com/index.php/default/el ... roduct-11/

I am thinking to avoid the complication of a 6-pole switch (OMP EA462).

Electronics are not a world I'm comfortable in. Do you think the Hella switch would be sufficient?

Is there any risk of me damaging anything by switching off the power? I guess it's the same as disconnecting the battery so although annoying should be OK?

[Shoppinit]

1000A would be fine. But where would you put it?

[HPsauce]

Where to fit it is always the issue. Someone I know fitted a battery isolator to a 2002 vintage A4, the screw-down knob type, it fits easily in the battery bay behind the engine.
Similar to this type that Halfords sell: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-a ... 49628.html?

They isolated it early in the first lockdown almost a year ago and never drove the car at all until it needed an MOT last month.
Parked outside on the road. Fired up first time.

[steve2003rs6]

HPsauce. That looks like a nice piece of kit.
A quick install at a very reasonable price.

[Shoppinit]

Problem is, the battery is in the boot. How will you lock the doors once the battery is disconnect? Can you open the boot with the key? I can't remember.

[Shoppinit]

They isolated it early in the first lockdown almost a year ago and never drove the car at all until it needed an MOT last month.
Parked outside on the road. Fired up first time.

Must have been a good battery. I disconnected the battery in my Rangey and 6 months later it was dead. Couldn't even charge it. Binned.

[steve2003rs6]

Got me thinking. I have never replaced my battery. Bought the car in 2012.
Not aware of the PO changing the battery either.
So god knows how old it is.
I have never gone this long without changing a battery.
How long should a battery last ?
Now I really have put the jinx on it.

[Shoppinit]

If a battery lasts 8 years, that’s a pretty good innings.

[Mɐʇʇ]

Reckon mine must be similar age.

[IchBautAuto]

I mentioned this with my car about a year ago. The major source of my drain was the alarm horn battery. I removed that to check and the current drain dropped to the minimum. Nevertheless, the car design with the alarm system (motion detector etc) activated still uses power so it is not possible to get to a zero battery consumption state. Furthermore, if you log the battery state, you'll see a significant battery drain every time you open the door or boot and it takes some time for the current draining items to switch off. Even if you just let it sit you'll still need to top it up every month or so if you wish to prevent long term battery damage and possible cell reversal.

I did consider a cut off switch and there are plenty of options but in the end the benefits are clouded by the disadvantages which have been mentioned above. The penalty you pay for a more fully equipped car.

[Shoppinit]

Yup. Mine is now snug in the garage again with its IV CTEK.

[anditsoundslikebells]

I was thinking to run cables from the battery connection to the left-side storage space where the CD player used to be:

There is a channel of space between the polystyrene and the bodywork where the cables would go.
Having got them into the left-side storage space I could connect them to the switch and mount it where the CD player used to be.

The benefit of this over the Halfords Dis-Carnect is the ease of access. The downside is the headache of install, drilling holes into the metal shelving and generally more ballache.

I guess the Halfords option is also safer as I'm not running the power anywhere other than where it already is.
I'd also like to not drill any more holes anywhere.

[anditsoundslikebells]

That said, having the fire extinguisher where I do makes opening the wheel-well lid a bit of a pain.
If I'm looking for the battery cable extension wire, what gauge and max amperage are I looking for?