Battery maintainer

[Taff107]

Chaps, with the other half working from home, only one of our vehicles is getting used. As the battery is slowly discharging somehow on the one that isn't getting used, after a week or two, I have to take out the battery to recharge. My place of work is only a few miles away so swapping vehicles wouldn't achieve much as its an insufficient run to charge it. Anyway, I've been thinking about slinging on a budget battery maintainer permanently to keep it topped up.

This is the one I was thinking.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bassface-BFM-1-0-75Amp-...

What do you reckon?

If not that one, any you would recommend

[tapkaJohnD]

If you have one nearby, Halfords offer a choice, and their guarantee is good, certainly better than some kit bought on eBay!

See: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...

Their current modus is ring them first, collect from the door.

JOhn

[Jack_and_MLE]

I've been using the Ctek charger to keep various tintops and my toy's batteries healthy.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Just get a 10 watt 12v Solar panel from eBay for around £15..job done. I use them in the 'occasional use' cars and they maintain 100% charge even in winter.

[wsn03]

Ring or Optimate 4 upwards.

I have many battery maintainers for winter storage...those 2 are the best.

Cheap can wreck your battery

[wjwren]

Im looking at the Ctek range, I am confused on the charge rate. Is there any preference? The car is a 2010 E220cdi.
Some chargers are 0.8A (£35) while the more expensive ones at £100 odd are 5 or 10A.

Im looking for a trickle charge while lockdown is happening.

[wjwren]

any thoughts on the charge rate?

[SlimJim16v]

0.8amps is really only for maintaining, 5 and 10 amps are for charging, they then reduce current when the battery is fully charged to to a lower one for maintenance.

There was someone on here whose car caught fire when the charger didn't reduce charge.

[normalbloke]

wjwren said:

any thoughts on the charge rate?

Get the Ctek 5.0, it’s all you’ll ever need.

[sospan]

Another ctek fan here.

[blueg33]

and another ctek fan - although my first one died

[Arnold Cunningham]

And I have both a stack of cheap chargers, and a stack of knackered batteries from learning this lesson.
CTEK MXS5.0 for me

[quote=wsn03Cheap can wreck your battery
[/quote]