Forced stop, protect the battery

Even cars that are forced to stay parked on the street or in the garage need some attention to get through this period of forced inactivity. One of the components most at risk is the starter battery, which can discharge; the biggest problems arise if the stop reaches or exceeds four weeks, if the car has a satellite alarm and, in any case, if the battery is very old. The simplest solution seems to be to disconnect the cables. Be careful! Do this only after checking the owner's manual to see if the operation is feasible, only if you know exactly what to do and if you have the right tool, usually a 10 mm socket wrench. Otherwise, the risks could outweigh the benefits. The operation is strongly discouraged on cars equipped with Start&Stop, which could experience serious problems. If the car is in the garage, a trickle charger can be used, to be connected to a power outlet; it can be purchased online at a low cost (15/20 euros). For electric cars, check the manual to see if there are electronic control functions that can draw power even when the vehicle is off and if there is a 'sleep' mode to activate in case of a prolonged stop.