Where is yours connected?
Discussion
Your battery conditioner that is.
On the Trabant, a crocodile clip on each battery terminal as it's easy to access.
For my Chimaera the previous owner bodged a cigarette lighter attachment and stuck it in the cigarette lighter socket. I'm not a fan of that, would rather connect directly to the battery. But since that is hidden in the passenger footwell and not easily accessed, I was considering where to run the cable to.
Any ideas would be gratefully received. I appreciate all our classics are different, but any ingenious hidden away places?
On the Trabant, a crocodile clip on each battery terminal as it's easy to access.
For my Chimaera the previous owner bodged a cigarette lighter attachment and stuck it in the cigarette lighter socket. I'm not a fan of that, would rather connect directly to the battery. But since that is hidden in the passenger footwell and not easily accessed, I was considering where to run the cable to.
Any ideas would be gratefully received. I appreciate all our classics are different, but any ingenious hidden away places?
Tyre Smoke said:
Your battery conditioner that is.
On the Trabant, a crocodile clip on each battery terminal as it's easy to access.
For my Chimaera the previous owner bodged a cigarette lighter attachment and stuck it in the cigarette lighter socket. I'm not a fan of that, would rather connect directly to the battery. But since that is hidden in the passenger footwell and not easily accessed, I was considering where to run the cable to.
Any ideas would be gratefully received. I appreciate all our classics are different, but any ingenious hidden away places?
On my Chimaeras I used the cigar lighter for 25 years, no probs! On my most recent I had an auxiliary cable connected directly to the battery and it was hidden behind the passenger carpet. On another I had an Anderson connector cable tied to the chassis.On the Trabant, a crocodile clip on each battery terminal as it's easy to access.
For my Chimaera the previous owner bodged a cigarette lighter attachment and stuck it in the cigarette lighter socket. I'm not a fan of that, would rather connect directly to the battery. But since that is hidden in the passenger footwell and not easily accessed, I was considering where to run the cable to.
Any ideas would be gratefully received. I appreciate all our classics are different, but any ingenious hidden away places?
Cigar lighter was by far the best option (until it disappeared in the door
)
Zumbruk said:
I ran a heavy-weight cable terminated in an Anderson connector down the side of the passenger seat, which not only allowed me to charge the battery, but jump-start it if required.
Similar on my Saab: cables from underbonnet battery to an Anderson under the dash. Just plug in through the open window and away you go. Nowadays I just have a battery isolator wired up, race-car style, to the centre console so I disconnect each time I park it. Free immobiliser and no battery drain, although the clock is never right...Ha! 
I'd been meaning to start a topic like this one over in the Jaguar forum asking how people have wired up their conditioners on X150 Jaguars. For the X300 I just use crocodile clips on the battery. For the XKR the battery is rather more buried. There is a +ve battery charge/jump point in a compartment on the left hand side of the boot and I pull back the cover on that and use a crocodile clip on the nut. For the negative I just attach to a convenient screw in that general area. I've been meaning to put a proper lead in place, CTEK do a fused one. But the question is where to hook it in. Undo the nut of the top jumping point? There's lots of other metal around the area and I don't want to end up shorting it. I could just try being careful, or perhaps wrapping a spanner in heat shrink tubing. But I wondered what other's had done.
I'd been meaning to start a topic like this one over in the Jaguar forum asking how people have wired up their conditioners on X150 Jaguars. For the X300 I just use crocodile clips on the battery. For the XKR the battery is rather more buried. There is a +ve battery charge/jump point in a compartment on the left hand side of the boot and I pull back the cover on that and use a crocodile clip on the nut. For the negative I just attach to a convenient screw in that general area. I've been meaning to put a proper lead in place, CTEK do a fused one. But the question is where to hook it in. Undo the nut of the top jumping point? There's lots of other metal around the area and I don't want to end up shorting it. I could just try being careful, or perhaps wrapping a spanner in heat shrink tubing. But I wondered what other's had done.
The BMWs - use a CTEK, so have one of these fitted above the battery in the boot, suitable hole cut into the boot lining, the lead trails out the back.
The TVR - one of these on the battery, lead trails out through the gap.
The Fiesta just uses croc clips on the battery, as it rarely ever needs it.
The TVR - one of these on the battery, lead trails out through the gap.
The Fiesta just uses croc clips on the battery, as it rarely ever needs it.
aeropilot said:
MarkwG said:
The BMWs - use a CTEK, so have one of these fitted above the battery in the boot, suitable hole cut into the boot lining, the lead trails out the back.
That's neat.Just had a look on C-TEK website and it appears they don't seem to sell them anymore?
When I get a moment, I’m going to fit these to my cars, better than having the current set up of the leads connected via the extensions shown above, hardest job will be finding a discreet place.
https://bcbattery.co.uk/products/mag-kit-magnetic-...
https://bcbattery.co.uk/products/mag-kit-magnetic-...
Tyre Smoke said:
Chimaera is currently on the cigar lighter bodge. I'm sure it's ok, I just don't like it.
OOI why do you feel it's a bodge? Both CTEK and Accumate make cigar lighter adaptors for this very purpose. The Accumate has an in-line fuse (not sure about the CTEK as I don't have any) so where's the bodge? 
RichB said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Chimaera is currently on the cigar lighter bodge. I'm sure it's ok, I just don't like it.
OOI why do you feel it's a bodge? Both CTEK and Accumate make cigar lighter adaptors for this very purpose. The Accumate has an in-line fuse (not sure about the CTEK as I don't have any) so where's the bodge? Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff