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davies
United Kingdom
699 Posts |
 Posted - 14/02/2014 : 10:11:57
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| Could anyone recommend a battery charger that you can keep constantly connected to the mains/battery whilst the car is in storage? Many thanks - Rich |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 10:26:41
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I use an accumate. I bought mine from the MGOC but see that they are available from ebay sellers. What I have arranged on each of my cars is to have two pin sockets ( 1930s type )fitted in a not too distinctive place that I can easily plug the charger into.If using the fused connection lead ( which is set up for -ve earth systems )the fuse will need to be transferred to the other lead on +ve earth systems.
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus.
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Edited by - MG Maverick on 14/02/2014 10:30:34 |
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Malcolm Eades
United Kingdom
379 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 12:23:23
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Were all MMM cars negative earth as standard?
Malcolm
M Type
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JMH
United Kingdom
911 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 12:46:27
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I do not have a charger constantly connected. A std variable rate charger is connected up once a month to each battery over the months when the car is not in use (for 4-6 hours). When in use, I charge both batteries overnight after each days driving (as I do not have a functioning dynamo on the J2). Both batteries (Bosch) are now well over 10 years old & each will still give a full days stop-start motoring without any problem, so they must be doing fine (though there is no retro-fitted brake lights/indicators etc).
J2 batteries stay in the car, but Midget, K3, MGF, s/s starter pack batteries and others, come out, sit under the bench & get same once a month treatment.
JH |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
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tonym
United Kingdom
653 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 15:12:42
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CTEK do an excellent charger than can be left on all winter.
They come with clip on connectors and also eyelets attached by a short lead to a connector on the machine - this allows easy connection to the battery - no grovelling in dark corners
Also they do a 6 volt one |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 16:12:27
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Chris, P Types and many other MMMs and T Types have these 2 pin sockets on the dash as standard.
Graham |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 16:37:16
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Great, That saves me having to fit one of the sockets to the J2/4 at a later stage. My previous installations were on the Rovers.
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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George Eagle
United Kingdom
3238 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 17:55:47
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I also use a battery conditioner on my cars and it keeps the batteries in very good order.
George
L2023 |
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Bob Stringfield
United Kingdom
854 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 19:09:53
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Is that another term for a trickle-charger, George?
Bob.
Who has just, much to his surprise, re-animated a 6v battery left flat in un-sympathetic storage since 1982. |
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David R
United Kingdom
289 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 21:34:21
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I also have an Accumate which has been in use for many years,and can also charge the 6V battery on my Austin 7. However,the other year I bought another charger from either Lidl or Aldi at about £9.99 which is also 6V/12V and,being German engineering,has proved entirely reliable.
I favour the monthly charge routine,rather than continuous charging,and also start the cars,or even run them,several times during the winter.
David
(J3355 and Austin 7 RP Saloon) |
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mgmog
United Kingdom
467 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2014 : 23:14:06
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dont wish to sound a party pooper, just want you all to be aware that even with a trickle charger a hazard is there. In my raf days batteries were charged in a safe environment well isolated from the workshop area, this due to gas and risk of explosion. it might not happen but its better to be safe than sorry, ventilation and control of access ( mice? ) my first job was in a factory that had holes in the roof, from over charging batteries.
also rcd mains protection might be a good idea, a dehumidifier caught fire causing a lot of heartache to one owner.
http://ttypes.org/earlymg/dec13.pdf
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 15/02/2014 : 09:21:48
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| A battery conditioner is not just a trickle charger. |
Edited by - graham holdsworth on 15/02/2014 09:28:39 |
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davies
United Kingdom
699 Posts |
Posted - 15/02/2014 : 11:21:19
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| Many thanks for your replies- csi airflow ordered- Rich |
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i.thomson
United Kingdom
408 Posts |
Posted - 16/02/2014 : 10:24:26
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I have one of these so called "intelligent" chargers and ruined a battery with it. As a result it rarely gets used nowadays. The conclusion I came to was that as it was an older battery to begin with its charged voltage was down a bit and being below the voltage that the charger was aiming for before turning off it tried constantly to achieve this voltage. As it was now constantly charging it dried the electrolyte out and consequently ruined the battery.
On the subject of gassing danger I don't feel that this is likely to be a problem with what are only trickle chargers giving well under an Amp. The RAF batteries cited above were being fast charged at high currents and therefore would have been giving off large amounts of Hydrogen (dangerous!).
Chris. It doesn't matter which lead your fuse is in as the same current flows in each lead.
Ian Thomson |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 16/02/2014 : 11:18:23
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Thanks Ian,
I just assumed that the ' live ' wire would be fused and not the earth wire. Chris
Chris ( J2353 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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