Charging Battery in Situ?

[shpub]

Jackal83 said:

If i had to do this alot or keep the battery on an optimate... Id make a small loom and attach it to the battery and bring it from under the top scuttle panal so its easy... on the end of the loom have a female 50amp plug alter your charger to have the plug on it also but male... then if you need to charge it lift the bonnet plug in to battery and trop your bonnet back down!!!

Alternatively lift up the bonnet and attach the positive clip on the battery and the negative one on the engine. Drop bonnet back down and the job's a good un!

No loom, or connectors required....

[HarryW]

shpub said:

Jackal83 said:

If i had to do this alot or keep the battery on an optimate... Id make a small loom and attach it to the battery and bring it from under the top scuttle panal so its easy... on the end of the loom have a female 50amp plug alter your charger to have the plug on it also but male... then if you need to charge it lift the bonnet plug in to battery and trop your bonnet back down!!!

Alternatively lift up the bonnet and attach the positive clip on the battery and the negative one on the engine. Drop bonnet back down and the job's a good un!

No loom, or connectors required....

A bit radical this Steve, this is what I do too

[CERB BOY]

Have always charged the battery when connected to car on all my cars including the cerbera, you are only do what the car dose when runing.I also do not take the cover off to get to the -terninal,but connect to aircon compresser pump.Hope this helps.

[nuyorican]

Sorry to drag up an ancient thread but searching google brought me here.

I'm slow charging my battery in situ. Is it safe to have the bonnet closed? I've basically passed the charger leads up from below the car and started the charging process and closed the bonnet. I mean, I could just as easily leave the bonnet up, I'm just thinking in general. It's not a fire risk having the crocodile clips so close to the bonnet insulation material for example? Or gas build up? (total guess). It would be handy in the winter for example not to have to leave the bonnet up for 24h whilst it's charging.

Edit: just noticed this is a TVR sub-forum. Mine is a lowly VW Golf

[Supateg]

Years ago I once charged up a car from a low charge with the bonnet closed…..
The coating on the battery tie down strap seemed to peel off in due course….

I’ve had no problems with maintenance charging.

(A Lowly Honda btw)

[gruffalo]

nuyorican said:

Sorry to drag up an ancient thread but searching google brought me here.

I'm slow charging my battery in situ. Is it safe to have the bonnet closed? I've basically passed the charger leads up from below the car and started the charging process and closed the bonnet. I mean, I could just as easily leave the bonnet up, I'm just thinking in general. It's not a fire risk having the crocodile clips so close to the bonnet insulation material for example? Or gas build up? (total guess). It would be handy in the winter for example not to have to leave the bonnet up for 24h whilst it's charging.

Edit: just noticed this is a TVR sub-forum. Mine is a lowly VW Golf

No issue what so ever, I always charge mine up wit the bonnet closed.

[Byker28i]

Yup, our MX-5 sits on the driveway and gets slightly used currently so it has a trickle charger onto the battery with the bonnet closed.

[DickyC]

Where I stored one of the cars over the winter, they have ten or twelve cars on Ctek trickle chargers all the time, all fully connected, bonnets down, all ready to disconnect and drive away.

[Joshandcars]

Slightly less awkward and invasive, I’ve got a fused CTEK quick connect plug wired to a battery + on an empty relay position on the fuse and relay board in the boot, with the earth wired to an earth on the fuel tank strap.

I fall on the not disconnecting camp clearly, have done this with four cars and CTEK chargers now, never had a problem. As someone mentioned, providing the voltage output from the charger is carefully controlled by it, the risk is extremely minimal.

Smart CTEK chargers also sense for faulty batteries and prevent overload. Mine charge at 4a and 14v max.