Out of car battery charging query

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by mss

It will just a matter of taking the leisure battery to the house once every months to 2 months to fully charge up and then leave it connected to the car for maintenance permanently.

Not much difference between taking a leisure battery home to recharge it and taking the car battery home to recharge it. Leisure batteries no more like being left for an extended time partly discharged, than a car battery does.

[MSS]

There is Harry.

Firstly, the proposed leisure battery has a much higher capacity (roughly 5 time the capacity of the battery that fits in a 75) and secondly, it is also designed to suffer deeper discharges for longer periods of time than a car battery whose construction is optimized for delivering high CCA in short bursts. So it will suffer less deep discharge damage and far less frequently.

Thirdly, it eliminates the need to regularly remove the battery from the car. Having to do so would, in my view, be a real pain.

Fourthly, the car battery will always be fully charged and ready to go.

On all my cars, and the quad, the maintenance chargers are simply plugged into a harness that is brought out to a discrete location so there's no need even to lift the bonnet. Given the number of cars on the drive, I often use this buddy method of maintaining batteries. It make the job so much easier. The approach is so much more elegant than removing battery from the car.

[SD1too]

I think that we are in danger of drifting away from what appears to be a straightforward (and not uncommon) problem.

• Ray's battery goes flat when out of use for three and a half months.
• He does not have a power supply in his garage.
• Self-contained power packs have failed to start the engine.

To my mind, the simplest and cheapest solution is as follows:

• Buy a low current C-tek 'smart' maintenance charger (about £50) for use at your home.
• Take your battery home by the same means as you brought the power pack/new battery to the car recently.
• Connect the C-tek to the battery, switch on and leave it on for your period abroad. These chargers are designed to be safe in this mode of operation.
• When you return, take the battery to the car (by the same means as you recently took a new replacement battery there).
• Start the engine!

Ray, please explain to me why that's not possible because I must be missing something very obvious to everyone else!

Simon

[MSS]

Originally Posted by SD1too

I think that we are in danger of drifting away from what appears to be a straightforward (and not uncommon) problem.

• Ray's battery goes flat when out of use for three and a half months.
• He does not have a power supply in his garage.
• Self-contained power packs have failed to start the engine.

To my mind, the simplest and cheapest solution is as follows:

• Buy a low current C-tek 'smart' maintenance charger (about £50) for use at your home.
• Take your battery home by the same means as you brought the power pack/new battery to the car recently.
• Connect the C-tek to the battery, switch on and leave it on for your period abroad. These chargers are designed to be safe in this mode of operation.
• When you return, take the battery to the car (by the same means as you recently took a new replacement battery there).
• Start the engine!

Ray, please explain to me why that's not possible because I must be missing something very obvious to everyone else!

Simon

Come now Simon.

I agree that what you propose is the simplest and cheapest solution to the apparent problem.

But, as Rover drivers, surely we are not about simplicity and low cost, but elegance.

Are we not?

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by mss

But, as Rover drivers, surely we are not about simplicity and low cost, but elegance. Are we not?

Your suggestion certainly has some ingenuity about it Maninder but I would argue that it's not simple (elegant = "pleasingly ingenious and simple") but unnecessarily complicated! After all, the purchase of an inverter and an additional specialist, non-automotive battery is necessary.

My solution, I believe, offers best value for money whilst achieving exactly the same end as yours. That's not the same as "low cost" for the sake of saving money.

I haven't heard the word "elegant" used in this context since I sat in an 'A' level Maths lesson!

Nice to hear from you. Are you attending the National?

Simon

[Roderick]

Thanks for all the comments Simon, Harry and co. Surprising how a battery can cause such bother. But to clarify the problem;
a) When the car is not being used it is stored in a friends garage not too far from Birmingham Airport and 90mins or so from home in Hereford.
b) The garage is very difficult to get to and a long way from the house with no power. Regrettably the friend who was disabled unfortunately died last year but the daughter has kindly said we could continue using the garage for the foreseeable future.
c) So every 3 to 3.5 months upon return to Birmingham I have the battery problem. You can now see why removing the battery and putting it on a smart charge taking it home then putting it back is not a feasible proposition. It is all very tedious and why I didn't try to indepth explain before!

I have just been out to car to try disconnecting the new battery. NEGATIVE first, however, the nut will not budge, but the cable does move about on the terminal and popped off on its own accord. Using pliers to hold the cable end and the spanner still would budge it. It is greased.
Attached are pics showing the nut etc (and for good measure the positive too). The recovery man who tried and failed with power pack (can't get his van to garage) did get a new LION 096 battery and fitted it. I didn't see what tools he used.
So any thoughts on this one? Ta

[topman]

Have been in a similar situation a fair few times (i think we spoke via PM) I got someone to start it every now and again. There's not much else to do in this situation. I found that method to have the best chance of success.
If this happens regularly then perhaps question if this garage is suitable for storage, perhaps think what is the least worse option?

If it were me I'd leave the car at home on a charger or get someone to look after it. Then get a taxi to the airport, possibly more money but then as you said you have a problem every time you return home. There's a cost with that. I'd say it equal itself out.

PS i had the same 'success' with solar chargers.

[slovcan]

Originally Posted by Roderick

Thanks for all the comments Simon, Harry and co. Surprising how a battery can cause such bother. But to clarify the problem;
a) When the car is not being used it is stored in a friends garage not too far from Birmingham Airport and 90mins or so from home in Hereford.
b) The garage is very difficult to get to and a long way from the house with no power. Regrettably the friend who was disabled unfortunately died last year but the daughter has kindly said we could continue using the garage for the foreseeable future.
c) So every 3 to 3.5 months upon return to Birmingham I have the battery problem. You can now see why removing the battery and putting it on a smart charge taking it home then putting it back is not a feasible proposition. It is all very tedious and why I didn't try to indepth explain before!

I have just been out to car to try disconnecting the new battery. NEGATIVE first, however, the nut will not budge, but the cable does move about on the terminal and popped off on its own accord. Using pliers to hold the cable end and the spanner still would budge it. It is greased.
Attached are pics showing the nut etc (and for good measure the positive too). The recovery man who tried and failed with power pack (can't get his van to garage) did get a new LION 096 battery and fitted it. I didn't see what tools he used.
So any thoughts on this one? Ta

You seem to have a problem with the battery cable clamp itself. Maybe it has been on and off enough times to wear the taper mechanism - maybe to the point of the last install guy having to tighten the nut unreasonably tight to try to make an acceptable contact with the battery - and failed. If you can remove the clamp without loosening the nut then it is loose enough that it can actually cause a complete disconnect at the battery and give an indication of a completely dead battery which won't even accept a boost. Corrosion can develop between the clamp and the battery lug if the clamp is not in full contact and tight. I have had this happen on a motorcycle in a parking lot 30 minutes after shutting it off. The clamp seemed tight, but removing it from the battery, giving it a cursory clean and reinstalling made it good as new - until I got it home and cleaned it properly. It may well be time for new clamps - maybe the type like most cars have (that don't use a taper for tightening).

Originally Posted by topman

Have been in a similar situation a fair few times (i think we spoke via PM) I got someone to start it every now and again. There's not much else to do in this situation. I found that method to have the best chance of success.
If this happens regularly then perhaps question if this garage is suitable for storage, perhaps think what is the least worse option?

If it were me I'd leave the car at home on a charger or get someone to look after it. Then get a taxi to the airport, possibly more money but then as you said you have a problem every time you return home. There's a cost with that. I'd say it equal itself out.

PS i had the same 'success' with solar chargers.

Starting it occasionally will only help if the car is able to remain running long enough at whatever engine speed is required (high idle?) to replenish the charge that was used to start the engine. Generally, going for a drive for 10-15 minutes ought to be enough.

Would your friend's daughter allow you to put the battery on a maintainer in her house, basement or even outside the house? Maybe offer a donation for her electric bill.

Cheers,
Glenn

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Roderick

I have just been out to car to try disconnecting the new battery. NEGATIVE first, however, the nut will not budge, but the cable does move about on the terminal and popped off on its own accord. Using pliers to hold the cable end and the spanner still would budge it. It is greased.
Attached are pics showing the nut etc (and for good measure the positive too). The recovery man who tried and failed with power pack (can't get his van to garage) did get a new LION 096 battery and fitted it. I didn't see what tools he used.
So any thoughts on this one? Ta

If you can lift the cable lug off the battery, without slackening the nut and this is on the newly installed battery - then something is very wrong, call the installer back.

The nut should not be all that tight, unless someone has been stupid. The nut just tightens the lug on like a wedge, gentle tight is enough.

There is another way to isolate the battery, without disturbing the battery...

If you look in the engine fuse panel, there is a heavy copper busbar link, that connects all power to the main fuses and the rest of the car. At either end of the bar is a torque bolt. If that link is removed, it is much the same as disconnecting the battery. The only difference is that it leaves the main power cable going to the starter motor still powered - not much chance of that discharging your battery. But be aware you would be disconnecting the cars positive - DO NOT TOUCH ANY METAL TOOLS, BETWEEN THAT AREA AND GROUND/CHASSIS.

[sewerman]

Hi Ray

Have a look at something like this as a replacement negative terminal it enables you to isolate the car easily and any mechanic can fit it in minutes if your not confident

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-I...EAAOSwg31aTnvK

Also can you reverse into the garage ? Might make getting a jump start easier

Scott

PS is the wheel bearing still OK we fitted at the Nano