 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Battery Trickle Charge |
 
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610   
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I can't see any logical reason why you can't do as you propose. Obviously if the charger is adjustable by lowering the charge amperage and increasing the time period this will 'err' on the side of caution. My motorcycle languishes in the garage all Winter with the alarm set, this in turn will flatten the battery in about two weeks. Solution: Trickle charge it on a permanent basis on an 'Optimate' the only thing one has to do is periodically check the electrolyte levels. If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!
Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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8th Jan 2010 8:45am |
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| DAZ110 Member Since: 06 Dec 2007 Location: East Sussex Posts: 2039 
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mrwoo,
Halfords do a maintenance charger that you can connect to the battery with a plug connection that you connect to outside the battery box. About £23.99 I think? Product number: 188946 Why can't you connect a charger to the remote battery connection points you installed? |
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8th Jan 2010 9:30am |
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| ay4alex Member Since: 18 Feb 2009 Location: Midlands Posts: 328 
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Which engine does you defender have? when the battery went dead on the puma, we charged it while it was still connected to the car electrics. result -
 ecu. 110 Tdci Double Cab |
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8th Jan 2010 2:27pm |
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| Cibit Member Since: 26 Oct 2009 Location: Northumberland Posts: 424 
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I got this months Caravan club mag and it had a cataluoge (sic) with it and a cool power pack that starts your car via the cigarette lighter and once car is started you can recharge power pack via the cigarette lighter. It also has an option to charge from the mains.
Aha found a link, whether it has the oomf to start a dead defender is another matter but it may be useful to you 
http://www.easylifegroup.com/products/2815.asp Sorry about spelling I have brain freeze  59 2.4 110 XS Utility
55 TD5 110 CSW Special Vehicle |
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8th Jan 2010 2:44pm |
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| mrwoo Member Since: 03 Jan 2008 Location: Cheshire Posts: 286 
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My battery is not dead, I just want to trickle charge it this weekend to maintain it. Apparently this is something you should do every few months or so as a vehicles charge will not kill of a build up of unwanted electrolytes?
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8th Jan 2010 4:44pm |
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| vogue se Member Since: 24 Jan 2008 Location: Bocholt Posts: 111  
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Buy a CTek 3600. Connect the fixed cable set and connect whenever you need. I have two sets. I use one car and the other two are connected to the Ctek. battery stays full charged without problems.
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11th Jan 2010 7:06pm |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5035 
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First off the genuine LR batter is vented - ignoring the battery box in ALL defenders is not air tight and vented its self!
Second - you do have to be careful jump statring cars with modern ECU's - although i know of many who ignore this and are fine - trickle charging (not jump starting) i would think shouldnt be a problem Mike |
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11th Jan 2010 7:13pm |
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| party monkey Member Since: 31 Dec 2010 Location: Oxon. Posts: 1311  
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Folks - apols for resurrecting an old thread but I too have a Ctek charger and was considering the idea of leaving the fixed charging cable set in place for easy trickle charging/conditioning from time to time.
Last year, there seemed to be a mixed view with regard to the implications on the ECU of charging the battery whilst still connected...maybe perhaps more so for the Puma (mines a Td5). Just wondered if anyone has any more recent experience of this or new views ? Cheers, Jon - 110 td5 [sold]. Currently Defenderless. |
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18th Mar 2011 11:33am |
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| BigMike Member Since: 13 Jul 2010 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2253
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Not sure of the logic of doing this with a perfectly serviceable battery.
and re jump starting - always put the earth to the chassis/good bit of steel on the car being jumped, dont put the earth cable on their earth terminal, its v bad news. |
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18th Mar 2011 11:36am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17386 
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Any charging method that it as smooth as the alternator output (rectified three phase) and does not exceed the peak alternator voltage should do no harm to anything else connected to the battery at the time, so trickle-charging with a good quality charger (such as CTek) should be fine. (Some chargers use a half wave recitifier for a c.12V rms output, which actually requires a very much higher peak voltage).
Chargers like the CTek are designed for long term regulated use and avoid many of the problems with electrolyte boil-off that cruder chargers can cause. It is advisable to ensure that there is good ventilation around any vehicle battery whilst it is being charged, although it is generally no longer necessary to loosen the filler plugs on top! I have seen a large battery on a wheeled loader explode (I was standing the other side of the machine at the time) and it is not nice at all, fortunately on this occasion no-one was hurt but the battery acid covered everything within 30 yards. I would be very wary about using some of the very high output (start/charge type) chargers on a modern vehicle due to the the risk of component damage. |
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18th Mar 2011 11:56am |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2638  
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I have a CTek and have charged the Audi and my previous Disco2 with the battery in the vehicle.
IIRC, the most important thing is to remember to connect the charger negative terminal to the body of the vehicle and not to the battery's negative terminal! And you are right, you should do this every few months or so, since the alternator cannot fully recharge an auxiliary battery. -- 2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear 2015 Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged 
Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9 Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ |
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18th Mar 2011 1:59pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17386
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The reason for making the final connection (whether with a charger or jump leads) to a location remote from the battert is to reduce the risk of explosion if the battery is giving off hydrogen, which it may well be if charging. With a charger it is not so important since the charger should be off at the mains when connected, so the risk of a spark is small. |
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19th Mar 2011 8:16am |
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| Steve B Member Since: 22 May 2009 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 586 
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Hi,
I have a cteck 3600 permanently fitted next to my battery with a camping plug set wired to the bulk head. Been plugged in now for 2 weeks. We use this as an electrical hook up at camp sites and also for charging at home if left unused. No problems at all with just a wire going under the bonnet while on charge. So we have 240v sockets and the battery is looked after by the charger while the fridge/lights are on. Click image to enlarge |
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19th Mar 2011 9:51am |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5035
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Do you know, that could be one of the most simple and neatest ideas ive seen for a long time! Mike
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19th Mar 2011 10:28am |
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