New owner question, number 1 !

[kevin_cambs_uk]

So got the car home last Friday from dealer, battery charger has arrived, plugged it in for a few hours, all good.

The green battery symbol is at full, do I leave it in there still trickle charging or take off? Do people leave them plugged in all the time like some life support thing?

The charger is Aston Martin one from Cc Charger chap

Thanks all

Kevin

[LTP]

Hi Kev,

If it's a "battery conditioner" (which I think the CC Aston Martin one is) then just leave it hooked up, as after the battery is charged the conditioner does clever things with small charge/discharge cycles to reduce sulphation, improve battery condition and improve battery life.

My Vantage is hooked up to my OptiMate Ampmatic all the time it's in the garage - I park it, shut it down and hook the conditioner up every time, and it'll sit there like that for a few days, longer in winter

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Lovely
Thanks LTP, much appreciated

[IanV12VSRs]

kevin_cambs_uk said:

So got the car home last Friday from dealer, battery charger has arrived, plugged it in for a few hours, all good.

The green battery symbol is at full, do I leave it in there still trickle charging or take off? Do people leave them plugged in all the time like some life support thing?

The charger is Aston Martin one from Cc Charger chap

Thanks all

Kevin

If it is Clive’s charger it is the Aston Martin one but without the wings on it. Once it is fully charged there will be two green lights on it and I leave mine plugged in all the time. Just make sure you unplug it before you start the car - I had a charger blow on me once. Not sure if it was anything to do with being plugged in but not worth taking the chance.

Also, if you leave it plugged in all the time make sure you remember to unplug it before you drive off although Clive is very helpful

[kevin_cambs_uk]

IanV12VSRs said:

If it is Clive’s charger it is the Aston Martin one but without the wings on it. Once it is fully charged there will be two green lights on it and I leave mine plugged in all the time. Just make sure you unplug it before you start the car - I had a charger blow on me once. Not sure if it was anything to do with being plugged in but not worth taking the chance.

Also, if you leave it plugged in all the time make sure you remember to unplug it before you drive off although Clive is very helpful

Brilliant many thanks , appreciated

[drt30]

Now I may get shot down here, but I was at AML Performance yday for a service (really excellent guys) and was speaking to the mechanic who worked on my vantage. He advised to turn conditioner off every few days, for a further few days - i.e. alternate off and on. He said this only recently came to light, following some work he had done with McLaren and AM.

I'll probably try that now - providing I can remember of course....

[kevin_cambs_uk]

That’s interesting, I think I am going to do a mixture!

Thanks for the reply

Kev

[LooneyTunes]

drt30 said:

Now I may get shot down here, but I was at AML Performance yday for a service (really excellent guys) and was speaking to the mechanic who worked on my vantage. He advised to turn conditioner off every few days, for a further few days - i.e. alternate off and on. He said this only recently came to light, following some work he had done with McLaren and AM.

I'll probably try that now - providing I can remember of course....

Why? Somewhat shamefully, in the past I’ve had cause to leave cars on trickle chargers (CTEK) for several years at a time. No discernible issues with any of them.

[anonymous-user]

OP, apologies for jumping onto your thread but have a simple question that doesn't warrant a new thread.

Can a Ctek be plugged in to the power point in the boot of a V12S?

TIA.

[alscar]

Short answer yes at least thats how I always connected mine.
GT8 plugged in all the time when not being used via the boot socket -in fact all my cars live on them apart from when I know they will be used within a few days etc.

[anonymous-user]

alscar said:

Short answer yes at least thats how I always connected mine.
GT8 plugged in all the time when not being used via the boot socket -in fact all my cars live on them apart from when I know they will be used within a few days etc.

Thank you!

[drt30]

LooneyTunes said:

Why? Somewhat shamefully, in the past I’ve had cause to leave cars on trickle chargers (CTEK) for several years at a time. No discernible issues with any of them.

Yes it was news to me too, having always left it on the trickle charger with no issues... Apparently it just extends the life of the battery and helps to maintain its charge. The chap said it was only after doing some trials they realised this. I suspect the difference must be pretty marginal though, for it not to be more widely reported.

[M1AGM]

drt30 said:

LooneyTunes said:

Why? Somewhat shamefully, in the past I’ve had cause to leave cars on trickle chargers (CTEK) for several years at a time. No discernible issues with any of them.

Yes it was news to me too, having always left it on the trickle charger with no issues... Apparently it just extends the life of the battery and helps to maintain its charge. The chap said it was only after doing some trials they realised this. I suspect the difference must be pretty marginal though, for it not to be more widely reported.

Agree. I have always used cteks. I put vehicles on charge if they are not being used for more than a week. I had my Aston battery changed earlier this year on around its 8th birthday, it was still ok at the time but I had noticed the car laboured slightly on starting up if left for a few days unplugged. 8 years not a bad innings imo.

[Phil74891]

moktabe said:

OP, apologies for jumping onto your thread but have a simple question that doesn't warrant a new thread.

Can a Ctek be plugged in to the power point in the boot of a V12S?

TIA.

Yes. Have left mine on all the time plugged in through here when not driving for 8+ years. Original battery still going strong.

[Ommadawn]

I tested this on my V8 Vantage and both the boot and the centre console power sockets remain connected to 12V, even when the battery isolator button is used. So you can switch out most of the vehicle's electrics via the isolator, and still use the CTEK to keep the battery 'float charged'

[LesXRN]

I imagine for anyone wanting to alternate between having the charger on and off, you could get a timer socket, like the ones for lamps, etc.

[LordBretSinclair]

The correct answer to your question is to drive the car regularly, that's what they are made for
PS - welcome and enjoy !!!!!!

[Ommadawn]

The Ctek is an intelligent charger. It analyses the battery charge condition and will trickle charge up to 800mA until it detects peak charge voltage for the battery. It will then revert to a very low level 'float charge'. This is the best way to extend lead acid battery life, and provided the battery is not over discharged at any time, will significantly prolong the life of the battery.