Battery Chargers

[Guest]

I recently found that my battery had run flat despite my taking the car out and running it in anger regularly - well that's what there for! I bought an automatic charger from my local Halfords which was a combined charger, but a maintenance charger also - according to the instructions, "designed to keep the battery at optimum charge on classic cars" etc..

The battery recharged without any problem and started on the button first time. However, the instructions also stated that if the battery was left in situ within the car, then you should disconnect the negative terminal whilst charging. This I had done.

What concerns me is that when reconnecting, the alarm went mental, so did the immobilser, althought they all settled down once I locked and unlocked the car a few times (a Thatcham cat 1 combined system with the central locking). What I can't get my head round though is if I am to leave the charger connected all the time just pulsing the battery when it detects a drop in voltage, surely I don't have to keep connecting and disconnecting the negative terminal every time I want to use the car??

Has anyone any experience of this situation, and is it safe to leave the charger connected without disconnecting the negative terminal everytime??

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: SPA Pitt

Has anyone any experience of this situation, and is it safe to leave the charger connected without disconnecting the negative terminal everytime??

Don't know about the Halfords kit personally other than my brother uses it with his Merc and just leaves it clipped to his battery terminals and doesn't disconnect the neg lead at all!

I have the Porsche Battery Conditioner gizmo which I connect via the cigarette lighter socket and it keeps the battery charged 24/7 automatically. With this kit you definitely don't have to go near or by your battery [] Robert

 

[les richards]

If it's the Draper (I think) version from Halfords I'm not sure that it charges and conditions the battery, it being just a compact-sized charger. I contacted the maker and they confirmed this so I didn't buy one.

I bought instead an Accumate/Optimate (same thing just sold under different names) one that both conditions and charges when the battery needs it; cost about £45.

It stays permanently connected and just unplugs from the supplied wiring harness when you need to use the car. So far it's proved to be very good on my 944 (sorry not a 911 yet but I'm working on it!).

Regards.

Les Richards

 

[Guest]

Mine is the same. Bought it for cash at the Racing Car Show for £30. It has permanent leads to the battery (and crocodiles for use on other cars).

I was surprised that it took ages (48 hours) to get the battery fully charged even though it got a regular boost with a normal charger. Unless the battery is absolutely knackered it's supposed to give it a new lease of life!

 

[Guest]

Could you give me details of where I can get the "Porsche gizmo"? And how much?

Thanks

 

[dtunnicliffe]

Boys and girls, you could always save yourself a tidy some and use your regular charger BUT connect it via a "mains timer". Once you have a fully charged battery you can then set the timer to charge for 1 hour a day. This is more than enough to "top up" the Bosch Silvertop.

I claim no originality on this. Pal of mine does it on his BMW and has been for years without missing a single winter start.

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: JAMES SLOAN

Could you give me details of where I can get the "Porsche gizmo"? And how much?

Thanks

James you can get it from your local OPC for about £35.00 odd can't remember exact price but it's an official spare part/accessory

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Boys and girls, you could always save yourself a tidy some and use your regular charger BUT connect it via a "mains timer". Once you have a fully charged battery you can then set the timer to charge for 1 hour a day. This is more than enough to "top up" the Bosch Silvertop.

The advantage of the Battery Conditioners, is that you do NOT have to disconnect the battery. You should not use a normal battery charger (wih or without a timer) without disconnecting the battery. It may not just be the battery that suffers, but other electonics as well.