Truck won't start (again), will the battery be okay for several weeks if not charged?

[zoldos]

The last time I had my 2005 XLT fixed, the battery drain issue seems to have been corrected, and a brand new battery was installed as well. But now, the starter seems to have gone bad again, and it won't crank, won't even turn at all.

So the question is, will the battery be okay if I don't charge it or anything until April, when I'm taking it back in to the shop?

Last time I tried to crank it (last week), all the electronics (such as the radio, etc.) came right on, but I heard the now familiar metal "ding" and it won't crank.

On a side note, the mechanic put this purple spray "stuff" on the battery leads and the connectors. What is this?

Thanks!

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

The last time I had my 2005 XLT fixed, the battery drain issue seems to have been corrected, and a brand new battery was installed as well. But now, the starter seems to have gone bad again, and it won't crank, won't even turn at all.

So the question is, will the battery be okay if I don't charge it or anything until April, when I'm taking it back in to the shop?

Last time I tried to crank it (last week), all the electronics (such as the radio, etc.) came right on, but I heard the now familiar metal "ding" and it won't crank.

On a side note, the mechanic put this purple spray "stuff" on the battery leads and the connectors. What is this?

Thanks!

If you wont be doing anything with the vehicle for a while, I would disconnect the battery.

The purple spray-stufff is a corrosion inhibitor, which coats the exposed portion of the battery terminals and their connectors. The spray is a lazy-way to coat them, and makes a mess.

For years I have cleaned the terminal connectors and posts yearl with a battery terminal brush tool, and used anti-corrosion pads for the terminals. They are inexpensive, easy to remove and don’t create a mess on the connectors and terminals.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

For years I have cleaned the terminal connectors and posts yearl with a battery terminal brush tool, and used anti-corrosion pads for the terminals. They are inexpensive, easy to remove and don’t create a mess on the connectors and terminals.

^^THIS^^

When I was younger, I used to use a spray also, but somewhere along the line, I switched to the pads, and never looked back since, nottaproblemo cause my terminals stay clean & shiny for 1-2 years between pad replacements....

 

[GaryH]

A couple or 3 weeks sitting shouldn't hurt your battery. But, any longer than that, you might consider putting a charger on it to bring it back up to full power. Letting a battery go completely dead or extremely low is hard on them and can shorten their life span. Or you might consider a solar powered trickle charger like this one: $39, but way cheaper than a new battery. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5ZFB1C...OT5KHO12E&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

 

[zoldos]

Thanks everyone!

I couldn't get the black connector off the battery (the mechanic must have tightened it with an impact wrench) so I disconnected just the red. Will that work? That's what I used to do when it had the drain, and I would just hook it back up right before I would drive it. Course, then the battery apparently went bad, even though it was a $200, top model Motocraft less than a year old. Not sure if it was because I kept unhooking it, or maybe because the starter was bad? Hmm....

Anyway, soon as I get it fixed, I'll get those pads and the cleaning tool, and the Mocha Frappe I really wanted.