Battery Disconnect While Car Sitting

[nvrau]

Hi Group! I'm considering a purchase of 2001 147 Selespeed Twin Spark Auto but after reading several posts mentioning ECU reset procedure, it may not be the car for me.

I live and work in the CBD and thus rarely need to drive; I put 5K km on my current car in three years. This means I disconnect my battery while parked or it will be dead when I go to drive it, which could be once every couple of weeks to the grocery store.

I'm just looking for verification that in-fact this model car will require the ECU reset procedure each time the battery is disconnected?

Cheers!

[bazzbazz]

No, for this model of Alfa this is a falsehood.

Just make sure of the following -

1/ Battery voltage is critical in these cars so make sure it is always well charged.

2/ When disconnecting and reconnecting the negative terminal always make sure it is done cleanly and if possible avoid any
    sparking or arching as it is possible to blow one of the many computers in the car if you zap away like your welding!

3/ For gods sake, never forget to remove the key from the ignition first before connecting/disconnecting the negative terminal.

And a good choice for a city dweller, the 147 is small, nippy and a blast to drive, you'll have a ball.

if you ever need any assistance I am but a phone call away and have PM'ed you my details.

Baz

[nvrau]

Thanks for that, Baz!

Speaking of a clean negative disconnect, I previously drove a Mercedes Benz and I was told by a Benz mechanic I should put my headlights on "Parking" before disconnecting.  More importantly, to ensure it was in "Parking" when I reconnect, to help protect the ECU.

Is there anything I can do on the Alfa to help reduce the risk of damage caused by a spark?

[bazzbazz]

Just push down firmly and keep it on firmly as you wiggle it down onto the terminal.

[poohbah]

Learned the hard way in my first 156 when I forgot to disconnect the negative terminal when swapping in a new stereo head unit. During removal, one of the wires must have brushed the metal bracket. No sign anything was amiss til I turned everything back on - new stereo worked fine, but the clock, fuel and temp gauges, and tripmeter were all dead. The main fusebox had been fried by the short, which cost a lot more to fix than my "cheap" DIY stereo installation. I was lucky the car was otherwise still driveable and it was just a temporary inconvenience.

[bazzbazz]

NOW we know the REAL cause of the fire!   

[poohbah]

A year afterwards ... must have been a slow burn!

[Craig_m67]

Why disconnect?
A healthy new battery will easily cope with a three month wait between runs.
When I brought the 156 over from the uk it didn't arrive for probably (I actually can't remember) 12 weeks... Started first time, they drive it out of the container.

If in doubt get a trickle charge, they're like a dollar (man maths involved) these days.
unless you leave it on the street...

[Citroënbender]

If this is the $1500 red car currently for sale in QLD, it would be worth Bazz doing a pre-purchase check. (This is not any inference but a statement based on general experience of cars this model and age.)

Potentially an apparent bargain, it might simply lead to hindsight and disappointment.

Assuming the car would be parked off-street, is there facility for either a trickle charger as mentioned, or even a solar panel type booster?

[nvrau]

Thanks for the input!

It is the $1500 one in BNE. I looked at it yesterday and didn't even drive it as it's not the car for me. Quite rough, inside & out. You can see over-spray under the bonnet near the passenger shock tower/firewall.

[Citroënbender]

Glad you were able to see it and form your own opinion. From my exposure the number of well-kept 147s is thinning. A lot are carrying the burden of deferred upkeep or years visiting disinterested workshops.

Sure you want a 147? I don't know your criteria but small, zippy, fun cars on a tight budget can include the Citroën Xsara. Biggest issue with them is a longwinded heater core replacement process.

[bazzbazz]

There are some excellent condition 147s for sale in Brisbane at the moment, but you'll be paying a little more than $1500 for them.

[nvrau]

I'm not looking for any brand/model in particular, just a <$3k car in the BNE area in decent condition that I can keep the battery disconnected without causing issues. I just joined this Alfa group researching known issues, so I could have a little knowledge when I went to see the car.

As I stated above, I have to keep my car's battery disconnected as it's kept in an underground locked garage with no access to power-point to keep a trickle charger on it. Really, it is too nice a car to sit there depreciating. I just need to get to the grocery store every couple of weeks.

[Citroënbender]

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/safety-beach/cars-vans-utes/citroen-xsara-999-neg-must-sell-this-week/1172634582

Offer $600-700 cash in hand.  The panels are tinny and easily dented but they are fairly composed on the road, point well and the 1.6 is satisfyingly buzzy.

Window is usually a broken lifter clip, fixed with a $15 Fleabay part.  Bazz would likely have no issues sorting it quickly for a RWC.

Wiring on these is CAN-VAN which in plain English means "less computerisation".  So, less risk of a mishap with electrics.