Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[x25xe]

I don't trickle charge the batteries though as I am too lazy to reset the radio

There's no need to disconnect the battery if you're using a well behaved trickle charger. It's only charging at higher rates with crude battery chargers that is likely to harm the car's electronics.

Kevin

Which charger do you use?  Car Mechanics did an article on battery chargers a few issues ago.  I raised the subject of trickle charging whilst connected to the car and the general consensus of opinion was not to.

As I would like to be able to trickle charge which ever car I am not using, I would still be quite keen to follow this up.

[Auto Addict]

I don't trickle charge the batteries though as I am too lazy to reset the radio

There's no need to disconnect the battery if you're using a well behaved trickle charger. It's only charging at higher rates with crude battery chargers that is likely to harm the car's electronics.

Kevin

Which charger do you use?  Car Mechanics did an article on battery chargers a few issues ago.  I raised the subject of trickle charging whilst connected to the car and the general consensus of opinion was not to.

As I would like to be able to trickle charge which ever car I am not using, I would still be quite keen to follow this up.

On the advice of Marks_DTM I use this one http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/atc12v-car-battery-charger

[Kevin Wood]

Which charger do you use?  Car Mechanics did an article on battery chargers a few issues ago.  I raised the subject of trickle charging whilst connected to the car and the general consensus of opinion was not to.

I would imagine that they are covering themselves. A car electrical system is a fairly harsh environment anyway so most car electronics is well protected against spikes and the like. Chargers that charge at a high rate of current (say more than a few amps) may be capable of raising the battery terminal voltage above normal levels but a trickle charger typically can't deliver enough current to do so.

It is worth making sure the charger is turned off when the connect and disconnect it from the battery though. The resulting sparks if this is not observed can cause nasty spikes on the supply.

As I would like to be able to trickle charge which ever car I am not using, I would still be quite keen to follow this up.

I have one that's home made and another from Halfrauds that looks like a little black mains adaptor with a green LED on it. Can't find it on their web site but I'll have a look when I get home. I have a feeling it's made by Sealey.

Kevin

[MaxV6]

Reading thru all this,  can point at one very basic cause and a series of contributory factors and symptoms


The Alarm & Remote sensor.

Tunnie is not completely clear about this, but when you read over a few times, it becomes apparent that his vehicle is being left for a week at a time, sometimes quite a bit longer.....
and then only really getting a little use, before being left again.,

This is largely what happens to our Sintra as well.

What happens is ... when left for a period of several weeks, without being used or touched, the alarm and remote sensor drains the battery a fair bit,but slowly,  in a manner that these batteries don't really like....  this is why the manual advises disconnection of the battery is the Vehicle is being "stored long term"

if this goes on for a long time.,.. it can damage the battery permanently, ultimately buckling the plates and any damage like that manifests in  reducing it's ability to hold a charge...

then when you charge it, it appears to take a full charge, but 2 days later is flat again....

this process is progressive and cumulative... and it doesn't really reverse ...  it can be just a little at a time... , but over time it will eventually become worse and eventually most obviously manifest itself in being unable to hold a charge even over-night.

I found that if the Sintra (Think of it as a V6 omega CDX , mechanically and electrically, sort of...  ) is less affected if it's left unlocked and with the alarm un-armed (obviously only practical if you have very secure parking like we do....  when the Sintra is left in front of our garage, in a gated and fenced and locked driveway, with another car between it and any potential exit, it's about as secure as it gets....)




if it's out front though, i have to jump start it after a week.


the big american battery (with side mounted contacts as opposed to top mounted) is expensive.. and I now know what the problem is...  so i don;t feel like forking out £80 every time it starts going "off"





Max

[Kevin Wood]

OK, my trickle charger is one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-63147-Battery-Master/dp/B0001K9Y3S

It looks the same type of thing as MarkDTMs recommendation and it's more expensive... So I would go with that recommendation.

These don't do any conditioning - just provide a little charge. They would be fine for a car that gets left for a few weeks or a month at a time and will leave the battery fully charged when you do come to use it.

For longer periods of laying-up the battery needs to be exercised a bit. Leaving it on trickle charge can cause its' own problems. You can get flashy chargers that do this automatically for 50 quid or so but I tend to just put the headlights on for a few minutes once a month or so.

If you want to use something like this regularly it would be wise to fit a connector somewhere easily accessible so you don't end up relying on the croc. clips. Then put a mating connector on the end of the charger in place of the croc. clips. Make sure any wiring to the battery is protected by a suitably rated fuse though.

Kevin

[x25xe]

OK,

Cheers for the info - I will probably go for one of the draper units.  For thing is for sure, I will modify the croc clip connection and make up some form of in line connetion system with fly leads permanently attached to the battery for ease of connection / disconnection.

Thanks again

[BigCat]

...the big american battery (with side mounted contacts as opposed to top mounted) is expensive.. and I now know what the problem is...  so i don;t feel like forking out £80 every time it starts going "off"

Max, is there a type of battery you would reccomend over another e.g. deep cycle or similar?