Apartment Car Parks and Flat Batteries in Melbourne

This guide is for Melbourne apartment and townhouse residents whose car lives in a basement or shared car park and doesn't get driven every day. It covers why those cars go flat, the extra hassles of getting help underground, and simple ways to keep the battery healthy without breaking building rules.

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The apartment car that hardly moves

A lot of Melburnians who live in apartments don't need the car most days. If you live near a tram or train line in Carlton, Richmond, Footscray, Box Hill or Coburg, the car might only come out for a weekend trip or a big shop. That's great for your fuel bill, but tough on the battery.

Melbourne learned this the hard way during the pandemic. The city spent 262 days in lockdown across six lockdowns, and many cars sat for weeks. Plenty of owners found a dead battery when they finally went to use them. The same thing still happens on a smaller scale whenever a car sits through a holiday, a stint of working from home or a hospital stay.

Why a parked car goes flat

Even when it's locked and switched off, a modern car draws a small current. The alarm, keyless entry receiver, clock, engine computer memory and any connected services all sip power. Over a week or two, that slow drain can take a healthy battery low enough that it won't start the engine, and an older battery gets there sooner.

A few extras make it worse:

• A dashcam in parking mode, wired so it runs while the car is off.
• Keeping the key fob on a hook near the car, which on some cars keeps the keyless system waking up.
• A boot light, glovebox light or aftermarket accessory that stays on.
• Only short drives between long breaks, so the battery never fully recharges.

Why a flat battery underground is harder to sort out

A flat battery in a driveway is annoying. In a basement it can be a real puzzle. You may have no phone reception at your car space. You can't easily push the car out. The bay next to yours may be taken, so there's nowhere to park a second car for jump leads. A roadside service or mobile auto electrician has to get through a security gate or roller door, and a tall van or tow truck may not fit under the car park's height limit.

Plan ahead so a dead battery is a short delay rather than a lost morning:

• Note the clearance height on the sign at your car park entrance and pass it on when you call for help.
• Know where the nearest spot with phone reception is, often near the ramp or lift lobby.
• Work out how a visitor gets in, whether that's an intercom code, a spare fob or the building manager's number.
• Write down your bay number and level so a helper can find the car quickly.
• Keep a charged lithium jump pack in the apartment, not in the car, so it's ready when you need it.

Keeping the battery charged without breaking the rules

In a house, the usual answer for a car that sits is a smart battery maintainer plugged in at the wall. In an apartment car park, that's often not so simple. Power points in common areas belong to the owners corporation, and the electricity is paid for by everyone. Before you run a lead from a car park power point, ask your owners corporation or building manager. Victoria's EV-ready guide for owners corporations says residents shouldn't charge from ordinary car park power points without approval, and the same courtesy makes sense for a battery charger.

If you can't plug in at your bay, you still have options:

• Take the car for a longer drive regularly, ideally 30 minutes or more at steady speed, rather than a few short hops.
• Fit a battery isolator switch if the car is going to sit for weeks, so nothing draws power. You'll lose radio presets and some settings.
• Remove the battery and charge it in your apartment with a suitable smart charger, if it's safe to lift and your car doesn't need resetting afterwards.
• Use the jump pack to start the car, then drive it long enough to recharge.

Before you disconnect or swap the battery

Some newer cars don't like losing power. They may need window or sunroof positions relearned, a radio code entered, or a new battery registered with a scan tool so the charging system knows its age. Check your owner's manual first. Our guides on how to charge a car battery and how to replace a car battery explain the basics.

If the battery keeps going flat even though you're driving often enough, there may be a fault drawing more current than it should. That needs a proper drain test. Read why a car battery keeps going flat for how that works.

Electric vehicles in apartment buildings

If you own or are thinking about an EV, charging in the car park is a building decision as much as a personal one. The EV-ready guide sets out how owners corporations can assess building capacity, approve individual requests and bill electricity on measured use. Any charger or new circuit is fixed electrical work for a licensed electrician, not an auto electrician. Remember the EV's own 12V battery can still go flat if the car sits, so the tips above apply to EVs too.

Getting help to your building

When you call for help, give the street entrance, the clearance height, your level and bay, and how to get in. A mobile auto electrician can test the battery and charging system on the spot, as long as they can reach the car. Start with our pages for inner Melbourne and Footscray.

Parts for this job

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Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop jump starters

Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop battery maintainers

Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop battery isolator switches

Questions Melbourne drivers ask

How long can a car sit in an apartment car park before the battery goes flat?

It varies a lot. A healthy battery in a car with a small standby drain might last several weeks. An older battery, a car with lots of connected features, or a dashcam in parking mode can go flat in a week or less. If you know the car will sit for a while, plan a longer drive, fit an isolator or keep a jump pack charged.

Can I plug a battery charger into a power point in my building's car park?

Ask your owners corporation or building manager first. Car park power points are common property, and everyone pays for the electricity. Victoria's EV-ready guide for owners corporations says residents shouldn't charge vehicles from ordinary car park power points without approval. The building may allow a maintainer, offer a metered option or ask you to charge another way.

Will a tow truck or service van fit in my basement car park?

Not always. Many basement car parks have low clearance, and larger vans or tow trucks may not fit. Check the height sign at the entrance and tell whoever is coming before they arrive. A portable jump pack lets you start the car and drive it out yourself, which avoids the problem if the battery is simply flat.

Does a solar battery maintainer work in an underground car park?

No. A solar maintainer needs daylight on its panel, which you won't get in a basement. In an apartment car park, your realistic choices are an approved power point with a smart maintainer, regular longer drives, a battery isolator, or charging the battery elsewhere. A charged jump pack is a good backup whichever you choose.

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