sadly idle marauder

[kurtz]

hi. i have an interesting dilemma. my marauder is sitting in a los angeles car park. it's been there over a year now while i'm "stuck" in south africa. every few months a friend would go and drive it. but last time they went they said the battery was dead and they could not use the keyless entry (the keys are hidden inside). i am going to ask someone to go fix it for me. but i do not know when i will personally return to los angeles or ever drive it again. given that, i have some questions on how to proceed...

should i have the battery replaced and the car driven more regularly (once a month)? will that in theory keep the battery from dying?

or, have the battery replaced, car driven around, then battery disconnected?

or, leave the car dead until i return which could be several more months?

also, how can they get in to open the hood with a dead (or disconnected) battery, dead keyless entry and no keys? i assume AAA or a locksmith can jimmy the door but haven't ever had that done.

thank you!!

[03Merc]

You can jack the car up and put power (12v jump box) to the starter to get the car awake to open the doors.... you should have the battery replaced alternator checked and definitely have it ran a couple times a month for 10 to 15 minutes each time.


You know the keypad door code?

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[kurtz]

You can jack the car up and put power (12v jump box) to the starter to get the car awake to open the doors.... you should have the battery replaced alternator checked and definitely have it ran a couple times a month for 10 to 15 minutes each time.


You know the keypad door code?

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i do know the code...unless a dead battery resets it.

i am still 10,000 miles away so i'm not sure if i can get her jumped and to a mechanic to have the alternator checked.

what are the dangers of letting her sit undriven potentially for many more months?

thank you!

[03Merc]

Gaskets could dry up. Seals could dry up on rear axles, brake lines may rot out from weather conditions and not being cleaned. Surface rust on frame and rotors. If You don't use it, You lose it is what I always thought about. Should change the fluids for sure. Belt could be dried up and snap. A bunch of little things really.


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[justbob]

Good idea on the starter terminal! I honestly wouldn’t have thought about that. But make sure you are sending the power thru the big wire and not touching the small one that is right next to it!

Simplest way is to just call a locksmith though. In your case I’m not too sure how they could verify ownership over the phone however?

I say just leave it be. Sitting another year won’t kill it. Hell mine sits with old gas 6 months a year and every April/May I drive it like I built it, oh wait, I did..


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[Mr. Man]

Are both sets of keys in the car? If you have a set with you in S. Africa it might be cheaper to send your buddy your key to get it running rather than hiring a locksmith, especially if you have the time to deal with the post. I'd the ask him to keep the keys with him. When you are due to arrive home he could then leave a key in the car as you know the code. If he keeps the other one worst case he could meet you with the spare to unlock the door and jump the dead battery to get you going.
Depending on the age of the current battery it may be time to replace it. Older batteries don't like to be repeatedly jumped. Seems to me they crap out quickly once they go completely dead.

[kurtz]

Gaskets could dry up. Seals could dry up on rear axles, brake lines may rot out from weather conditions and not being cleaned. Surface rust on frame and rotors. If You don't use it, You lose it is what I always thought about. Should change the fluids for sure. Belt could be dried up and snap. A bunch of little things really.


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thank you. this is what i am afraid of. the good news is it's in an underground parking garage so little to no exposure to the elements.

[kurtz]

this is what happened last time. i don't think the locksmith asked for any verification because they opened the door for my friend without verification. he was also able to show them immediately where the keys are since he knows where they're hidden.

i may well leave it be. i don't think i can find someone to drive it regularly for the next 3-6 months without paying them. and it's already costing me around $400 a month just to keep it sitting insured in a parking garage. but hey at least i'm saving on petrol!

thank you for the reply.

[kurtz]

Are both sets of keys in the car? If you have a set with you in S. Africa it might be cheaper to send your buddy your key to get it running rather than hiring a locksmith, especially if you have the time to deal with the post. I'd the ask him to keep the keys with him. When you are due to arrive home he could then leave a key in the car as you know the code. If he keeps the other one worst case he could meet you with the spare to unlock the door and jump the dead battery to get you going.
Depending on the age of the current battery it may be time to replace it. Older batteries don't like to be repeatedly jumped. Seems to me they crap out quickly once they go completely dead.

unfortunately the spare keys are in a plastic bin in a storage unit.

i am considering paying a friend to go meet AAA, get it unlocked and have the battery replaced. they can drive it to an autozone and buy some sore of magnetic lockbox to leave the keys inside a wheel well or wherever makes sense. that, or leave it alone until i return or sell it remotely. i am reluctant to let my marauder go. it is too much fun to drive. dilemma.

thank you. i'm sure at the very least it needs a new batt.

[fastblackmerc]

When you gt it unlocked and fired up you need to drive it so the engine and exhaust system get up to operating temperature to get all the moisture burned off.

Is there anyway to get a battery maintainer plugged in?

[kurtz]

When you gt it unlocked and fired up you need to drive it so the engine and exhaust system get up to operating temperature to get all the moisture burned off.

Is there anyway to get a battery maintainer plugged in?

pardon my ignorance, but does driving it to burn off the moisture require time, speed or both?

also, what is a battery maintainer? is it something my mechanic can install?

thank you!

[BLACKMARAUDER04]

Im in the LA area. My silver has the same problem. Because of the pandemic, I have not driven the car much. ( I drive my DD , black 04 Marauder). The battery will die in 3-4 weeks just sitting. I have a Costco battery and just purchase a new one and return the one the won’t hold a charge anymore ( charged 2 or 3 times). Currently, silver’s battery is dead. It won’t accept a charge either. I will be getting a replacement soon. I will be going to disconnect the battery at the terminal in the future (8mm screw). I can help you if you like.
Plus your insurance should be under $200 a month. PM me and I’ll give you my info. I would have AAA out to open the door.
We can take care of the rest.


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[1Marauder]

There ya go, and in SoCal with a cold 60 degree day, really I'd think you mostly would need to worry about fuel pump, bad fuel, etc.

I'd go with Costco Battery deal as mentioned above, and see if it can be driven at minimum 1-2 times per month if registered and insured, etc. Also check air in tires, run the heater -change the vent air flow, and then run AC and change the vent airflow. Also add Stabil or some quality gas additive (no flaming please). Best too would be a wash and wax , and nice lemon air freshener .

When storing I have had the relays stick, or go bad, and while confounding, they are inexpensive to replace.

[kurtz]

thanks for all of the info. it seems like my best (only?) option is to leave it be and hope for the best. i never liked other people driving it anyway. i was the annoying guy that would pull up to a valet stand and tell them i needed to park it myself. i guess i'm a bit possessive like that. will update on it's condition if/when i return to the states next year.

happy holidays!

[a_d_a_m]

You're paying $400/month, or $4800/year, to store and insure this thing?!

As much as I love my Marauder, if that was the monthly cost and I wasn't even able to drive the car, I'd punt. Fast - even with whatever sentimental attachment I've got to it. These cars aren't unobtainium nor are they zillions of dollars. Case in point: https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/...235338166.html