What to do with Battery?

[Costelles]

I've been using the Targa as a DD since May but have decided to use our Mini Cooper over the winter. Im going to get the car Valeted and waxed and then put on my new classic additions half car cover. My wife's Nissan Figaro is living in the garage so the Targa is on the drive, what should I do with the battery? Disconnect and trickle charge in garage or use a solar power charger connected to the cig lighter?

id prefer the latter if I fancy a hoon on a sunny day...

What do others do with cars that stay outside but not used for three months?

thanks
scott

 

[Phantom911]

I have just had to replace battery on mine, after it ate another battery !! So I have put mine on a battery maintainer and I will see how it goes. I also like to have the option of a quick noon on a nice day

 

[DaveS]

I keep my Targa, my 2nd car not a DD, under a car port & outdoor car cover (I only cover it when it's clean). I keep it connected to a trickle charger (OE one that is just a plug transformer not the CTEK type) all year round but try & drive it regularly even in winter....just try & avoid the very wet days or when it's been heavily gritted.
Even driving it once a fortnight or so helps I think ....don't think I could fully lay the car up for winter unless I had the garage space.....I don't have that free space so it's an excuse to keep using the car!

DaveS

 

[hopeydaze]

Or consider putting it in storage for the winter months. Cost is around £100++ depending on location, and then the battery can be put on a trickle charger. Sorning it for whole months saves a bit of car tax which helps defray the cost.

 

[Costelles]

My challenge is feeding the car with trickle charge on the drive...I can't leave the bonnet or window open even with the half car cover on.

Anyone used a solar solar trickle charger??

 

[wibble]

Not tried it, but you might be able to charge from the engine bay using the positive connection and a suitable earth point and run the cables up from ground level so nothing is left open.

 

[Costelles]

Thanks Tony...sounds like a plan

anyone know where I can attach the +ve?

 

[BrianJ]

Can't you just plug a CTEK into the cigarette lighter, shut the door over the cable and lock the door? Depending on your layout, you could avoid exposed sockets etc by running a mains extension out of your garage to the car and plugging the CTEK into it in the car, or keep the CTEK unit in the garage and use a CTEK 2.5m extension to make an unbroken low voltage link to the car. Shutting the car door over the cable doesn't damage it - indeed, my 986 and presumably your 996 had cutouts in the door seals which were allegedly there to facilitate this.

 

[wibble]

Thanks Tony...sounds like a plan

anyone know where I can attach the +ve?

Should be in the car manual - top right as you open rear bonnet behind plastic cover.

 

[Costelles]

Thanks guys for the options...going to Manchester in the Targa tomorrow from Southampton so will check this all out on Saturday when I get back..I said I wasn't using the car but.....

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I used a Ctek connector to make a permanent connection to the battery. I can feed the Ctek plug through the gap between the screen and front lid, make the connection, and shut the bonnet. I leave mine in the garage, but as Brian says, you could use a Ctek extension cable.

 

[SaintsPaul]

I use a Maplin solar panel battery charger on my C2 as my garage has no power and my car is just a weekend toy.
The panel is the 10W one and it is connected through a plug/socket connection that I put out of the side of the bonnet when connected.
The car can be left for 5-6 weeks and still starts no problem.
Some people do not rate the solar type battery chargers but this one works for me.

 

[Costelles]

thanks everyone for their replies...to go either the hard wired or cig socket via a Ctek charger I would need to run a 5m lead from the garage to the far side of the drive....so..I'm going to try the solar power cig lighter route first as I may use the car every week or so. If it doesn't work I can use it on my boat and try the Ctek route instead.

I will report back on the results with the solar powered approach

thanks all

 

[Costelles]

Richard
What gauge cable are the black and red from the battery in your picture?

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I'm not sure. Just some wire I had to hand which was the same size as the wire in the Ctek socket. My Ctek charges at up to 3.6 amps, but I don't think it would need to be as heavy for a solar charger.

 

[Costelles]

Thanks Richard

I've decided to use a direct charger instead now so I'm making up an extension

have you put a fuse in between the +ve and -ve?

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I just put an inline 5A fuse in the positive line to the battery.

 

[Costelles]

Thanks Richard