Technical Trickle chargers

[gaurav500]

Morning all! Needed some advice on charging the car battery. Being a run around car on occasions the battery doesn’t get a full charge. I bought an Aldi trickle charger, was wondering if I need to disconnect battery terminals if I want to charge it? It’s got a fast charge mode (3.8a), was just worried it might damage ecu if I don’t disconnect it? The charger manual actually says I should disconnect it.

I was thinking of charging it once every month or so to keep battery topped up, especially in winter.

 

[John202020]

How much was the charger? Why not just replace the battery should be good for at least a month un used

 

[jrkitching]

There is a specific procedure to be followed when charging a battery on S/S equipped 500's.

You don't need to disconnect the battery (and S/S may not function properly for awhile if you do), but under no circumstances connect a charger (or jump leads) directly across the battery terminals or you risk permanently damaging the S/S intelligent battery sensor.

The correct procedure is to connect the positive lead from the charger to the positive battery terminal, and the negative lead from the charger to either the post provided for that purpose which is adjacent to the battery, or (better) to a secure earth point on the chassis.

The attached documents describe the procedure.

Back in the day, dealers got customers to sign the sheet to confirm they'd understood the instructions.

 

[g8rpi]

Morning all! Needed some advice on charging the car battery. Being a run around car on occasions the battery doesn’t get a full charge. I bought an Aldi trickle charger, was wondering if I need to disconnect battery terminals if I want to charge it? It’s got a fast charge mode (3.8a), was just worried it might damage ecu if I don’t disconnect it? The charger manual actually says I should disconnect it.

I was thinking of charging it once every month or so to keep battery topped up, especially in winter.

Hi,
No you don't need to disconnect the battery when trickle charging.

Crossed with JRK's better answer.


Robert G8RPI.

 

[gaurav500]

How much was the charger? Why not just replace the battery should be good for at least a month un used

Charger was only £13 but the car is mainly a runaround so expect higher battery discharge. i just replaced the battery in summer.

 

[gaurav500]

Hi,
No you don't need to disconnect the battery when trickle charging.

Crossed with JRK's better answer.


Robert G8RPI.

Cheers! And thanks JRK for the explanation, I spotted the little pole on the negative terminal, I’ll use it next time.

 

[typecastboy]

There is a specific procedure to be followed when charging a battery on S/S equipped 500's.

You don't need to disconnect the battery (and S/S may not function properly for awhile if you do), but under no circumstances connect a charger (or jump leads) directly across the battery terminals or you risk permanently damaging the S/S intelligent battery sensor.

The correct procedure is to connect the positive lead from the charger to the positive battery terminal, and the negative lead from the charger to either the post provided for that purpose which is adjacent to the battery, or (better) to a secure earth point on the chassis.

The attached documents describe the procedure.

Back in the day, dealers got customers to sign the sheet to confirm they'd understood the instructions.

Well I never knew that, gulp!

 

[John202020]

The days of jump starting a car have mostly gone, not like the 70's and 80's in those days many people knew the correct procedure often it was earth to engine lift hook pos to pos nowadays some hardly know how to open the bonnet many skills have vanished now.

 

[gaurav500]

I suppose basic car maintenance should be part of your driving test. Also cars over the years have become much more complicated....

 

[John202020]

I suppose basic car maintenance should be part of your driving test. Also cars over the years have become much more complicated....

Not a 100% but I think it is, ie you need to be able to open the bonnet and identify oil washer water and brake fluid caps as part of the test/instruction?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

There is a specific procedure to be followed when charging a battery on S/S equipped 500's.

You don't need to disconnect the battery (and S/S may not function properly for awhile if you do), but under no circumstances connect a charger (or jump leads) directly across the battery terminals or you risk permanently damaging the S/S intelligent battery sensor.

The correct procedure is to connect the positive lead from the charger to the positive battery terminal, and the negative lead from the charger to either the post provided for that purpose which is adjacent to the battery, or (better) to a secure earth point on the chassis.

The attached documents describe the procedure.

Back in the day, dealers got customers to sign the sheet to confirm they'd understood the instructions.

Well that is interesting! I posted very recently about the jump start connection to be made on my 2016 stop/start Ibiza 3 cylinder 1.0 litre ecomotive. The advice for using a slave is the same as given here by Fiat, namely that you MUST NOT GO POST TO POST ON BOTH LEADS! The positive does go post to post but the negative must go to earth point (engine block) on the flat vehicle. Interestingly if jumping vehicle to vehicle it shows the negative lead going engine block (earth point if you like) to engine block. I presume that's just in case the donor vehicle is stop/start too?

I kept the, relatively new, battery out of my old car when I scrapped her - wipe tear from eye - and use that exclusively for auxillary power, including jumping, now. Don't, and won't, do vehicle to vehicle anymore and actually try to avoid jump starting anything that doesn't belong within the wider family!

 

[chris3234]

Not a 100% but I think it is, ie you need to be able to open the bonnet and identify oil washer water and brake fluid caps as part of the test/instruction?

They are part of the questions you get asked about before or during the test they only ask 2/3? I think
And they can be about anything such as how to turn light on or wipers ect

 

[DaveMcT]

Modern cars use glass mat gel batteries that will not tolerate over charging (as happens with trickle chargers) so you need an "intelligent" conditioning charger such as an Optimate. BUT as JR says they cannot be simply used with the battery connected to the car. The normal charging system will either get damaged or it's charge map adaptations to the existing battery will get lost.

There is also an issue of over voltage. Conditioning chargers can put a high voltage pulse into the battery to balance the cells. That will not go down well with the car's computers.

If you feel it's really necessary, you should connect a small back up battery to the car while the main battery is disconnected and charged. But by the time you've bought all the necessary kit then faffed about and still risked screwing up your car it would be so much easier to simply use the thing now and then.

Or sell it and rent a car when you need it.