Discussion
Ok probably a very common problem.
Left the car for a couple of weeks and now the battery is flat. I have a battery conditioner which I used to top the battery up via the cigarette lighter. I know that it's a pain to get to and remove the battery, so is there any chance that the conditioner could actually charge the battery up via the lighter or is that just too much to hope for?
Left the car for a couple of weeks and now the battery is flat. I have a battery conditioner which I used to top the battery up via the cigarette lighter. I know that it's a pain to get to and remove the battery, so is there any chance that the conditioner could actually charge the battery up via the lighter or is that just too much to hope for?
I have a "plumbed-in" Accumate system, which didn't recharge the battery from flat. I needed to jump start and then a good hard run to boost the battery. The Accumate does "top it up" though.
Bear in mind that the immobiliser will play up. So once you have some charge in the battery, disconnect it (negative i think), leave it for 30 seconds then reconnect. As soon as you are reconnected, press the plipper on your key fob, and things should be just fine again (it happened to me recently).
Bear in mind that the immobiliser will play up. So once you have some charge in the battery, disconnect it (negative i think), leave it for 30 seconds then reconnect. As soon as you are reconnected, press the plipper on your key fob, and things should be just fine again (it happened to me recently).
Cider Andy said:
If the battery's flat but in otherwise good condition (no dead cells, not sulphated), the Accumate will recharge it from flat but it will literally take days.
And it'll never be the same again. IME, once they've been drained completely flat, they never hold a charge properly again. Do it 2 or 3 times and they're scrap.To the OP: I keep mine charged from the cigarette lighter. The only thing to beware of is that they are apparently wired at random, so check the polarity before you plug a charger in. Oh, and some of them aren't wired at all.
(I have an Anderson connector on some substantial cables I intend to wire to the battery and lead out under the passenger seat for jump starting, when I find the Round Tuit.)
Ciggy lighter will take up to 10A, the Accumate is about 1.2A so for a 70Ah battery it will take approx. 2-3 days to fully charge. Quite safe through the lighter socket though. If it is wired incorrectly then the accumate will indicate this.
It's ok to let a battery go fairly flat as long as it is topped up again very quickly before it sulphates. Batteries are designed for deep cycles. Leave it a few days though and it will be finished.
A good, charged battery will sit at 12.5 - 13.0 v although if you measure the voltage just after charging (from charger or engine) you will get a false high reading due to surface charge. Switch the lights on for 20 secs then allow to recover for 5 mins before measuring to get a true reading.
It's ok to let a battery go fairly flat as long as it is topped up again very quickly before it sulphates. Batteries are designed for deep cycles. Leave it a few days though and it will be finished.
A good, charged battery will sit at 12.5 - 13.0 v although if you measure the voltage just after charging (from charger or engine) you will get a false high reading due to surface charge. Switch the lights on for 20 secs then allow to recover for 5 mins before measuring to get a true reading.
Al 450 said:
Batteries are designed for deep cycles
Incorrect. Vehicle starter batteries are specifically NOT designed to be deep cycled. They're designed to deliver very high currents for a short period and be recharged virtually immediately. If you want a deep cycle battery you have to buy a so-called "recreational" battery, as used by caravanners and boating types.Get an Accumate, I got mine when my battery was flat, plugged it into the lighter and left it for 48 hours and the beast fired right up, I only use it in the winter because I drive mine at least once a week in the summer (much more usually) just do it, you know it makes sense.
I do want to get the TVR plug style socket for jump leads, just in case, but it's not difficult to have a good battery and keep it charges with the Accumate
I do want to get the TVR plug style socket for jump leads, just in case, but it's not difficult to have a good battery and keep it charges with the Accumate
If your acumate doesn't recharge it in time, then panic not. The battery might be a little difficult to get to, but it's not that bad. Once you pull the carpet out, you can see the terminals and you can get a standard charger clips on there. Just be careful putting the positive one on.
Don't bump start it; the excess of fuel before the car fires can knacker the cats.
Don't bump start it; the excess of fuel before the car fires can knacker the cats.
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