winter storage

Post Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:53 am

hi i want to take my cabby off the road for the winter ,i have a garage but there is no power in it,im planning to disconnect the battery but i read somewhere about si bord batteries??anyone know anything about this or anything else apart from the tyres that i need to do before i put it to bed??thanks

Post Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:18 am

Two different versions of the SI board. One has NiCd rechargeable batteries, and if they are in good condition there will be no problem disconnecting the main battery for a few months.
The other version uses non rechargeable Lithium batteries, and I estimate these are good for about five years in total with the power disconnected. How they will fare depends entirely on how long they have been left without power since the board was fitted.
Both types of battery are easily replaced (soldering necessary), but the important thing is not to let the NiCd version fail and leak corrosive liquid over the circuit board.

Post Tue Oct 28, 2014 7:52 pm

corkie wrote:hi i want to take my cabby off the road for the winter ,i have a garage but there is no power in it,im planning to disconnect the battery but i read somewhere about si bord batteries??anyone know anything about this or anything else apart from the tyres that i need to do before i put it to bed??thanks

Because you don't have power in your garage is no reason to disconnect the battery. Providing you have no power leakage faults on the car, a battery in good condition will retain it's charge for months, & it's no real hardship to take it out & home for a charge occasionally.

This is a question I was going to broach myself.....recommendations for......"Laying-up the car for winter"

Some things to consider-
what to do about lead-free petrol in tank on 86 Cab designed for leaded fuel (thinking about ethanol affecting the tank, pipes & seals in the fuel system)
depressurize the fuel system
hood up or down
car raised from the ground
battery connected or not
all other fluids
is it advisable to run engine through this period or not
carpets & leather
engine protection (eg. remove plugs & introduce redex into cylinders)
starter motor, altenator
general body & rust protection
etc etc

I have looked on Wiki & can't find this topic, I do think it would be a very useful one to have definitive guidance on.

All advice & ideas welcomed.
Cheers

Post Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:31 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:Two different versions of the SI board. One has NiCd rechargeable batteries, and if they are in good condition there will be no problem disconnecting the main battery for a few months.
The other version uses non rechargeable Lithium batteries, and I estimate these are good for about five years in total with the power disconnected. How they will fare depends entirely on how long they have been left without power since the board was fitted.
Both types of battery are easily replaced (soldering necessary), but the important thing is not to let the NiCd version fail and leak corrosive liquid over the circuit board.

Thanks ,I knew there was something about them,where can the si board be found (92cabbie 325)and what happens if they go flat? Thanks again

Post Thu Oct 30, 2014 6:23 pm

SI board is in the front half of the instrument cluster, and contains 90% of the electronics for the gauges and warning lights. If the batteries go flat, the SI system, tachometer, temperature gauge and econometer are likely to be affected. If left flat, they are likely to leak a corrosive liquid, which will destroy the circuit board.

Post Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:26 am

Cheers Brian,it looks like I can't sorn it then. :?can't believe those batteries haven't died already then,as I sometimes leave it up to six weeks before charging it up and driving

Post Sat Nov 01, 2014 2:15 pm

Like I said earlier, six months is no problem for GOOD NiCd batteries, and it will take several years to cause a problem if you have the Lithium type.
If the batteries aren't good, then change them. Just service items.

Post Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:02 pm

Buy a solar trickle charger £15 delivered from eBay,external mount the panel on garage roof/wall/door or inside window - anywhere it can get sunlight, and run the cable (you'l have to make it longer) to the car battery

And no need to worry about car or battery

Post Sun Nov 02, 2014 3:43 pm

I very often lay up my cab because I work abroad sometimes for long stretches. It's on sorn in a drafty garage right now. I think the drafts help keep an airflow through the garage. It's never damp in there and the roof is sound. The battery is disconnected via a device on the earth lead that allows you to undo a brass screw. I spray everywhere under the bonnet with WD40. The cab seems naturally aired but cracking open the windows a tad helps keep the inside ventilated. Silica gel bags are a good idea to soak up any airborne moisture. The underside has been progressively cleaned de-rusted (as far as it's ever possible) repainted with epoxy paint and 'Waxoyled.' Filling the tank up with fuel before laying it up prevents, as much as possible, condensation in the tank. This lot works for me. Hope this helps. JJ