Halge
Member Since: 27 Jul 2008
Location: Horst
Posts: 16
  
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| Battery charger or disconnect? |
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Hi all!
My D3 will have to stay in the garage for 6 months.
Can I just disconnect the battery or will this give me a lot of problems when reconnecting it?
Or is there some battery charger which I can use while I'm away?
Any ideas what type and brand? It's for a TDV6 2.7.
Thanx!
Jelle
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 16th Jan 2010 10:12 pm |
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ELD70
Member Since: 28 Jan 2008
Location: Romford.
Posts: 901
  
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http://www.ctekchargers.co.uk/ctek-xs3600.php
You could leave this on trickle charge I believe. Now driving BMW 330d Touring....misses D3...but not when at traffic lights 
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| 17th Jan 2010 12:11 am |
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drivesafe
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
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Hi Halge, 3 months is the maximum period that you can leave a standard cranking battery for with out charging it and even this is pushing it, plus the battery needs to be full charged before leave it.
You should try to charge an unused battery at least once a month.
In your case, all you need is a cheap small current capacity multi stage charger and hook it up to the cranking battery and leave it there while the D3 is not in use and you don’t need to disconnect the battery from the vehicle. 2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
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| 17th Jan 2010 2:58 am |
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TSR2
Member Since: 22 Jul 2008
Location: North Lincolnshire
Posts: 1104
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drivesafe,
Apologies for confusing the issue but the manual says disconnect from car when charging?? Is it really safe to leave it on.  Regards, Trev.
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In the wilds of North Lincs or the middle of the North Sea.
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| 17th Jan 2010 10:09 am |
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J@mes
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: Bomber County
Posts: 4547
 
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I leave my optimate on for a week at a time, with the battery still connected to the car and there has been no issues to report! 2014 D4 XS
2005 D3 SE - Gone
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| 17th Jan 2010 10:56 am |
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London Lad
Member Since: 27 May 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 505
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TSR2 wrote:drivesafe,
Apologies for confusing the issue but the manual says disconnect from car when charging?? Is it really safe to leave it on.
It's safe to leave low current trickle or maintenance chargers on with the battery connected. Because they don't provide high currents they don't increase the voltage at the battery terminals that much. It's the high voltage at the battery terminals that is dangerous to electronics in the car. The charger should also be of a reasonable quality so as to provide a 'spike free' output.
Some manufacturers recommend 7 amps as being the maximum current for on car charging. I would be inclined to keep it a little lower. .
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You should never argue with idiots because they will just drag you down to their level....then beat you with experience !
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| 17th Jan 2010 11:07 am |
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Phil1644
Member Since: 14 Nov 2009
Location: Probably still in work!
Posts: 303
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I think the recommendation to disconnect the battery is to protect vehicle electronics if your charger was trying to deliver a high charge rate and so supplying at a much higher voltage, if it is only trickle charging then its supply voltage will not be much above the vehicle battery voltage anyway. Certainly over the years I have never disconnected the battery (as you lose all the radio codes etc),when trickle charging, and never come to any harm.
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| 17th Jan 2010 11:08 am |
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London Lad
Member Since: 27 May 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 505
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Sorry, just saw that you addressed your question to drive safe  .
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You should never argue with idiots because they will just drag you down to their level....then beat you with experience !
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| 17th Jan 2010 11:08 am |
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Halge
Member Since: 27 Jul 2008
Location: Horst
Posts: 16
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Ok! So I need a 12 volts "trickle charger" at lower than 7 amps!?
Any ideas on which make and model I should consider?
Thanx!
Jelle
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| 17th Jan 2010 11:22 am |
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Phil1644
Member Since: 14 Nov 2009
Location: Probably still in work!
Posts: 303
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Jelle, if you are leaving your D3 unused for 6 months there are other things to consider as well, eg taking the wheels off or propping on axle stands so you dont get flats on the tyres. Being quite new to the Forum I am not sure if this has already been covered but certainly some of the "classic car" websites should give further advice.
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| 17th Jan 2010 11:55 am |
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Halge
Member Since: 27 Jul 2008
Location: Horst
Posts: 16
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Phil,
Didn't think about the tyres... Great tip!
Thanks a lot!
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| 17th Jan 2010 12:00 pm |
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London Lad
Member Since: 27 May 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 505
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Halge wrote:Ok! So I need a 12 volts "trickle charger" at lower than 7 amps!?
Any ideas on which make and model I should consider?
Thanx!
Jelle
I use a commercial charger but folks speak highly of the Ctek ones (linked above) .
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You should never argue with idiots because they will just drag you down to their level....then beat you with experience !
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| 17th Jan 2010 1:18 pm |
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TSR2
Member Since: 22 Jul 2008
Location: North Lincolnshire
Posts: 1104
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London Lad,
Thanks for the answer.  Regards, Trev.
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In the wilds of North Lincs or the middle of the North Sea.
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| 17th Jan 2010 5:42 pm |
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Carabraxis
Member Since: 30 Dec 2007
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 221
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EPB off may also be a good idea.
Hold the switch down whilst you turn off and remove the key will do this. Obviously chock the wheels so it can't roll away though
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| 17th Jan 2010 5:46 pm |
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pom
Member Since: 10 Feb 2008
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 1790
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ctek xs3600!
My freelander diesel van wouldn't start in the -15 week before last, overnight on the ctek and it flew over. It even has a cold setting for increasing the charge voltage at sub zero temps.
cheap as chips fro 45 quid.
Pom
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| 17th Jan 2010 5:53 pm |
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