Do you disconnect the battery from your Cadillac in between uses?

[chrisntam]

Given Joe's recent tragedy, do you disconnect the battery on your Cadillac?

Currently, I don't, but I'm rethinking it.  The only downside is that my newly refurb'd clock will have to be reset each time I get in it.

What do you do?

[76eldo]

It certainly can't hurt.

I disconnect the battery on my 60 and my 70 for the winter and the charged battery is still charged after sitting for months.

I keep others on a battery tender.

It can't start a fire with the battery disconnected, that's for sure.

Brian

[CaddyShackPA]

Always - all the old cars have battery disconnects. The scarier ones - like the Jags - sit outside until they cool before being pulled inside and disconnected. With all the horrors that can befall you in life, a car fire in the garage is one I'm determined to avoid.

[Glen]

Always - all the old cars have battery disconnects. The scarier ones - like the Jags - sit outside until they cool before being pulled inside and disconnected. With all the horrors that can befall you in life, a car fire in the garage is one I'm determined to avoid.

With that..has anyone installed automatic sprinklers in their garage?  I have considered it but it seems the supplies are not available for DIY.   

[Chuck Swanson]

Always - all the old cars have battery disconnects.

Absolutely agree.  Every one of my classic cars has a battery disconnect and I disconnect every time I finish driving them,  Takes 10 seconds.  I never leave them connected when in garage.  For that matter, when I park the car at cruise night, car show, etc...I always disconnect.  Only time connected is when I am driving the car.   Chuck

[55 cadi]

A lot of new homes are required to have sprinklers in there, in California in a lot of areas new homes are required to have sprinklers on the roof, yes the outside on top, and in multi family homes throughout the inside, garage and all,  which would have saved a lot of homes in the fires they had the past years.

Look into these. I highly recommend everyone have. I saw at a store and thought it was great.

It is a self ignited fire extinguisher, it sits above your car or install anywhere there is a possable fire.

You install on ceiling and when fire heat rises it sets it off and it will shoot down on whatever is below it. So install above the engine compartment in garage.

There are a couple, I googled and found these:
1. watch dog automatic fire extinguisher
2. Fire blitz
3. Flame defender

[Steve Passmore]

First thing I do to any old car I own, a battery disconnect switch.  After being out with a friend some 30 years ago when he had an under dash fire in his 39 Ford convertible, it scared the hell out of me the time it took to get the seat out, unscrew the floor pan and look for a tool to undo the terminals. A lot of damage was done in that time.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

No.   I even have the installed Trickle Charger connected to the mains.

Got to keep the battery charged as the Clock requires power to keep on working.

Bruce.

[gary griffin]

I will install a switch, mounted in the dash so it can be turned off  from the front seat in an emergency. At for the clock the 40's clocks need to need to be off when not being used for a long period f time, they will last much longer that way.

[Rich Iannelli]

 I installed the painless remote master disconnect switch with latching solenoid. I have a small momentary button under my dash and I disconnect the battery every time I shut the car off. There is a wire to connect the clock so when you disconnect the battery the clock is still running.

[EAM 17806]

NO! I keep a 12volt automatic charger on all year long on my 76 deville; this has been for the last 10 years and it works perfectly as long as the charger is okay.  EAM

[D.Yaros]

No.  Connected to a Battery Tender Plus unit when garaged.  Been doing that with my rides for over a decade now.

[olds34dude]

I had a bypass around the shutoff with a tiny fuse so there was just enough to hold the radio memory.
I mounted the switch on the firewall in front of the passenger, I could reach it from the drivers' seat.
Just because you turn off the battery power going into the car doesn't mean that you can't use a tender, you are charging the battery, not the car. Dave

[Bill Ingler #7799]

The older the wiring is in a car the more cautious the owner should be in not leaving the battery connected when not using the car. After viewing the results of the fire in Joe`s beautiful car, one should step back and ask how safe am I in handling the battery when not using my car. Even though I have all new wiring harnesses in my 47, I still rely on using a battery disconnect. When on a car tour or any time I drive the car, the battery disconnect is used anytime I am away from that car. I mounted the disconnect switch on the splash apron behind the right wheel as I did not want to raise and lower that big hood on the 47 each time I wanted connect or disconnect. Moisture does not affect the switch in this location. If I were to redo the battery disconnect I would place the disconnect under the dash on the firewall so as to have it closer for quick response. Whenever the car sits for a time in the garage, I have it wired for a battery tender. I never have a battery tender connected to a car unless I have the battery disconnect switch in the off position. It probably takes less then $50 to buy a good lever action switch and the necessary battery cables to protect your car. Nobody wants the results of a fire.  Bill

[57eldoking]

Nice setup Bill, we have a very similar setup on our Biarritz and placed the switch up in the passenger side footwell. Even painted the switch knob red to make it blend in with the carpet.

How are disconnect switches treated during judging? Do they incur deductions or are they given a free pass?

[Chuck Swanson]

Nice setup Bill, we have a very similar setup on our Biarritz and placed the switch up in the passenger side footwell. Even painted the switch knob red to make it blend in with the carpet.

How are disconnect switches treated during judging? Do they incur deductions or are they given a free pass?

No deduction from AACA-guidelines below.  I believe most other clubs are the same as I have never seen deductions for them. 

Also, all indoor shows that I have been to require them, or need to remove cables.  Chuck

7. Turn signals and battery shut-off
switches
are accepted as safety items,
so long as the installation is done in a
workmanlike
manner in keeping with
the design and era of the vehicle, using
authentic wiring,
and in good taste.

[55 cadi]

Bill,

A little extra precaution, you should cover the electrical ends on the backside, use something like "liquid tape" to prevent shorting out.

In case enough water gets there to create contact between the two posts it will short out, even dust can make an electrical connection between the two, don't think you would get enough dust build up, but the water is possible since it is on the splash apron.

Just a little input to help prevent.

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Thanks for your input on the liquid tape    Bill

[David Greenburg]

Even before Joe's tragedy I had been thinking about this, and am now ready to act.  I like the idea of a remote switch up in the wheelwell, as my garage situation makes raising the hood when parked somewhat inconvenient (I park rear end first if I'm planning on opening the hood).  An interior switch is the most convenient, but since what you are doing is essentially extending the battery ground cable to several times its original length, it seems like you would need to use some extremely heavy gauge cable to make that work; a much shorter run to the passenger side wheelwell avoids that problem.  Besides, my '60 seems like it has a whole lot of room up under there to mount the switch.  I haven't done any shopping yet, but it seems like Jegs or Summit would be good sources for a switch.   

[76eldo]

For those that have a battery tender or similar device, I assume you realize that that should be wired to the battery post or clamp, but you can still have a disconnect switch on the cable coming off of the battery that feeds the car.

You can have both.

Brian