Disconnecting battery to prevent battery drain

[PabloGee]

Wouldn’t worry about a lid for the battery, mine just has a felt carpet flap that separates the wire nest from the contacts, and allows the charger ring connectors to sit well.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

sixor8 said:

The Three D Mucketeer said:

I have my Accumates timed for 12 hours on a Wednesday (8am- 8pm) , I prefer charging during the day in case of any problems (not bothered about peak rate ) ,
When flat/need conditioning they draw 27 amps ...once charged it drops to 5 amps , so i know when it's done without having to go in the garage.

Are you sure about that? More than 13A sustained would blow the supply fuse.

I use a Datatool one on on mine and it draws very small amount of power according to the smart meter. Due to transformer effects, it's cheap to maintain charge in a 12V battery, do you mean 27 Watts?

Sorry I meant Watts

[THEDAVINATOR]

PabloGee said:

Wouldn’t worry about a lid for the battery, mine just has a felt carpet flap that separates the wire nest from the contacts, and allows the charger ring connectors to sit well.

Ah ok, cheers - I won't bother then and just cut a thick piece of carpet and clip it to one side of the box to create the flap.... It's pretty tight back there in the footwell - the ECU sits practically on the floor - I wanted to mount it higher up the wheel arch, but there just isn't the room. I'm a bit worried about damp and water back there (it is damp at the mo, my Chim drips a biit) so I've wrapped it carefully in bubble wrap to try and protect the ECU from damp/water (I haven't sealed it though) and vibration/bumps etc

[keynsham]

THEDAVINATOR said:

Definitely worth having a battery conditioner for convenience though, with hindsight I should have got one that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter - D'oh!

OK provided the lighter socket stays live when the ignition in off. On my Wedge it doesn't! I use a lead directly connected to the battery which I can plug a battery conditioner in remotely. I have four of them, two cars and two motorbikes. I leave them on all the time and I have never noticed any change in my electricity bill so I assume the power usage is negligible. On my Rover 3500s I have been using it for over ten years with no problems. I use Optimate chargers. They make loads of different ones for all uses.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

keynsham said:

THEDAVINATOR said:

Definitely worth having a battery conditioner for convenience though, with hindsight I should have got one that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter - D'oh!

OK provided the lighter socket stays live when the ignition in off. On my Wedge it doesn't! I use a lead directly connected to the battery which I can plug a battery conditioner in remotely. I have four of them, two cars and two motorbikes. I leave them on all the time and I have never noticed any change in my electricity bill so I assume the power usage is negligible. On my Rover 3500s I have been using it for over ten years with no problems. I use Optimate chargers. They make loads of different ones for all uses.

The Chimaeras as standard had live constant. That's not to say that it's not been messed with over the last quarter of a century or whatever

[keynsham]

THEDAVINATOR said:

Definitely worth having a battery conditioner for convenience though, with hindsight I should have got one that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter - D'oh!

OK provided the lighter socket stays live when the ignition in off. On my Wedge it doesn't! I use a lead directly connected to the battery which I can plug a battery conditioner in remotely. I have four of them, two cars and two motorbikes. I leave them on all the time and I have never noticed any change in my electricity bill so I assume the power usage is negligible. On my Rover 3500s I have been using it for over ten years with no problems. I use Optimate chargers. They make loads of different ones for all uses.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

keynsham said:

THEDAVINATOR said:

Definitely worth having a battery conditioner for convenience though, with hindsight I should have got one that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter - D'oh!

OK provided the lighter socket stays live when the ignition in off. On my Wedge it doesn't! I use a lead directly connected to the battery which I can plug a battery conditioner in remotely. I have four of them, two cars and two motorbikes. I leave them on all the time and I have never noticed any change in my electricity bill so I assume the power usage is negligible. On my Rover 3500s I have been using it for over ten years with no problems. I use Optimate chargers. They make loads of different ones for all uses.

Is there an echo in here? (in here, in here, in here )

[keeling54]

I have a c-tek which I use all year round.

Have this connected directly to the battery, then plug in the c-tek when I park it up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-Indicator-eyelet-pra...

[keynsham]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

keynsham said:

THEDAVINATOR said:

Definitely worth having a battery conditioner for convenience though, with hindsight I should have got one that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter - D'oh!

OK provided the lighter socket stays live when the ignition in off. On my Wedge it doesn't! I use a lead directly connected to the battery which I can plug a battery conditioner in remotely. I have four of them, two cars and two motorbikes. I leave them on all the time and I have never noticed any change in my electricity bill so I assume the power usage is negligible. On my Rover 3500s I have been using it for over ten years with no problems. I use Optimate chargers. They make loads of different ones for all uses.

Is there an echo in here? (in here, in here, in here )

I don't know what happened there. I was watching Bakeoff at the time the second message was posted!!!

[portzi]

THEDAVINATOR said:

Many thanks for the replies and PabloGee for the link in your post which I will read with interest. I have bypassed the the immobiliser relay (because it had failed) so now just rely on the fuel pump circuit for security. I suspect my hot start problem is the very old, very long, (probably) very internally corroded starter motor cable, which wasn't really up to the job when new according to what I've read in here.

Here's a link to the draper conditioner which I got tonight...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-53489-Charger-Batt...

Your correct, all my positive and negative cabling to the starter motor was replaced, brand new meta alarm system and still had hot start problem. My final problem was the wire going to the starter solenoid, no thicker than cotton and with hundreds of start ups it was so fragile and could not deliver the power to the solenoid when the engine was hot. So heavy duty relay installed into the ignition circuit and 3mm diameter wire connector to the starter solenoid, and the starter motor is spinning up faster than ever.

[Belle427]

portzi said:

THEDAVINATOR said:

Many thanks for the replies and PabloGee for the link in your post which I will read with interest. I have bypassed the the immobiliser relay (because it had failed) so now just rely on the fuel pump circuit for security. I suspect my hot start problem is the very old, very long, (probably) very internally corroded starter motor cable, which wasn't really up to the job when new according to what I've read in here.

Here's a link to the draper conditioner which I got tonight...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-53489-Charger-Batt...

Your correct, all my positive and negative cabling to the starter motor was replaced, brand new meta alarm system and still had hot start problem. My final problem was the wire going to the starter solenoid, no thicker than cotton and with hundreds of start ups it was so fragile and could not deliver the power to the solenoid when the engine was hot. So heavy duty relay installed into the ignition circuit and 3mm diameter wire connector to the starter solenoid, and the starter motor is spinning up faster than ever.

A job well done, you can add a relay under the dash to the circuit for belt and braces to take the load off the ignition switch if you wanted, fairly easy to find the cable if you pull the old one out to install new which is advised.
If your confident with electrics you can add it to the existing fusebox but this is a bit of a pain tbh.

[PabloGee]

I will take the opportunity to thank you again Belle (along with Polly) for that advice, I can rely on my car to start every time since I made the changes you both suggested in that other thread.

[THEDAVINATOR]

PabloGee said:

I will take the opportunity to thank you again Belle (along with Polly) for that advice, I can rely on my car to start every time since I made the changes you both suggested in that other thread.

+1 from me too - thanks ever so much both of you, and everyone who has offered advice on this thread - it's so helpful to us new but passionate owners. I was actually talking about the main cable to the starter itself, so this tip of (hopefully) just replacing the starter solenoid cable is an absolute gem - I'll try this first before replacing the main cable. It's an absolute must - it's so excruciating annoying when I park up somewhere, get back into the car and ...er.... "Oh, looks like I'm stuck here for the next hour then..." Much as I love my Chim, saying it's trying my patience is putting it mildly....(Grrrrrrrr )

[PabloGee]

Replacing those two cables follows the same route - of the current big starter motor cable, so if you’re uprating one, do them both, and better still add a run of black insulated 50mm2 to go directly between the battery negative and one of the mounting bolts for the starter motor (onto the engine block).

[portzi]

Belle427 said:

A job well done, you can add a relay under the dash to the circuit for belt and braces to take the load off the ignition switch if you wanted, fairly easy to find the cable if you pull the old one out to install new which is advised.
If your confident with electrics you can add it to the existing fusebox but this is a bit of a pain tbh.

That's a nice idea, l have an odessey race battery installed behind the passenger seat, but l don't want to disturb my fuse box so as you suggest easier under the dash top, many thanks.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

I have an Andersen connector fitted under the passenger side dash (next to my battery isolation key switch ) . I use it to for the battery conditioner and if my battery is flat I have used my Snap-On Portable Power Pack. Makes for easy cable connection. X-Works did it when I moved the fuse box and battery to the dog shelf cubby holes.

[Mutley00]

Maybe consider my 'heath robinson' arrangement.

I got a cigarette lighter plug and cut the supply wires to it and exposed the copper cables. Then I dismantled a mains plug, took out the live and neutral 'prongs' and connected the two wires from the cigarette lighter onto the prongs. Then clamped the two battery conditioner terminals to the prongs.

Its worked for years and saves rummagaging around in the passenger footwell.

[portzi]

The Three D Mucketeer said:

I have an Andersen connector fitted under the passenger side dash (next to my battery isolation key switch ) . I use it to for the battery conditioner and if my battery is flat I have used my Snap-On Portable Power Pack. Makes for easy cable connection. X-Works did it when I moved the fuse box and battery to the dog shelf cubby holes.

I bought my car through X works back in 2008, Paul and Heath are the best at what they do. What battery did they fit? My cubby hole required cutting out slightly to make the small race battery fit .

Have you any pictures of the anderson connection installation as l am using my cigarette plug to trickle charge.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

portzi said:

The Three D Mucketeer said:

I have an Andersen connector fitted under the passenger side dash (next to my battery isolation key switch ) . I use it to for the battery conditioner and if my battery is flat I have used my Snap-On Portable Power Pack. Makes for easy cable connection. X-Works did it when I moved the fuse box and battery to the dog shelf cubby holes.

I bought my car through X works back in 2008, Paul and Heath are the best at what they do. What battery did they fit? My cubby hole required cutting out slightly to make the small race battery fit .

Have you any pictures of the anderson connection installation as l am using my cigarette plug to trickle charge.

I put an Odyssey Racing Red Battery in 10 years ago, I've replaced it once in the 10 years.

Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Thursday 28th November 12:55

[THEDAVINATOR]

Mutley00 said:

Maybe consider my 'heath robinson' arrangement.

I got a cigarette lighter plug and cut the supply wires to it and exposed the copper cables. Then I dismantled a mains plug, took out the live and neutral 'prongs' and connected the two wires from the cigarette lighter onto the prongs. Then clamped the two battery conditioner terminals to the prongs.

Its worked for years and saves rummagaging around in the passenger footwell.

Many thanks,- I like this idea - a lot my Chim is parked under a car port (thank God) but it's very narrow and you can barely shoe horn yourself into the car to get in, let alone open the door enough to mess around with the battery, so I'll give it a go (after checking that the cigarette lighter is live even with ignition off).

By 'plug' I assume you mean the male connector to a car cigarette lighter, as was used by TomTom etc, back in the day...