Car Analogy

Battery Tender (or similar with maintenance mode), leave connected to battery all winter, and battery installed in car (unless car is stored outside, in which case you may not want a connected power cord out all winter - though so long as outlet portion of cord is protected from weather inside engine bay, you shouod be fine).

If you do need to remove it for winter, a battery on a concrete floor isn't a good idea. Put something under it like a block of wood. Connect it to maintenance charger.

Honda dealer is actually a good source for our battery. Not too expensive, very high quality. You can't get the correct 51R battery from Costco anymore (which is a shame, great batteries, great price). Unless you want to install an 51 backwards so cables reach.

rpg51

I live in a northern climate. I notice batteries that don't get used in the winter last a LOT longer if you pull them out and store then inside above freeing with a suitable battery tender. The S battery is no exception.

I bought a replacement from Honda and it has been good.

Car Analogy

But is that comparing one variable, or two? These seldom used in winter cars that leave their battery in place and have it die sooner, are they attached to a battery tender or not?

Are we comparing battery removed, placed inside, and on a tender, with:

Battery left in place, no tender?

You're in Vermont. And it gets stupid cold at times. Are these cars in a garage? Insulated? Your experience almost doesn't count, except for people in Canada or MN!

NNY S2k

I leave my battery in the car with a battery tender. It is in an unheated garage. I'm in far northern NY near the Canadian border where we see -20 degrees frequently in the winter. I usually get 7-8 years on a battery, have had the S since 2002.
Levi

SFMarine0331

Some great info here. Thanks everyone. I still haven't made up my mind if I'll store it indoors or just keep it hooked up to a tender on maintenance mode all winter but I think I'll be going with the latter.

I decided to go with another cheap Walmart battery (Everstart 51) as my other one lasted me 8 years but it sounds like going with a genuine Honda battery isn't such a bad idea either.

climhazzard

Swap 51 and 51R here . OEM for S2000 is Group 51. Just noting in case someone references the thread later.

Car Analogy

TY for correcting!!!

My view is every thread helpsyhe OP just once, but an unknown number of others later, when they search. So to me its more important to get things well documented for posterity...

climhazzard

Ditto!

S2KHANG

For winter time, I usually disconnect my battery and leave it in my basement, untendered. Car starts up like a champ every spring. Done so for 5+ years or so.

This year, I'll get a battery tender as I finally got a new battery for the car.

rpg51

I live roughly 100 miles south of the Canadian border. But, its pretty much the same sort of temps across the all of Canada and the northern sweep of the US down to about 125 or 150 miles south of the border with fluctuations for elevation differences. So, yes, experiences in the banana belt are no doubt somewhat different. My car is stored for about 5 months a year in an unheated and un-insulated garage. You are correct, I am changing two variables at a time: I store my battery in heated space outside car, AND, I use a good battery tender.