Battery conditioner

[Abgreenbank]

When fitting a battery conditioner, +ve connection pretty straight forward, but for the -ve connection should it be direct to the battery post or after the EBS (battery voltage/condition sensor), any thoughts?

 

oh and any recommendations for a suitable OBD scanner

Edited January 21, 2023 by Abgreenbank

[jep]

I assume a lithium battery on Emira. On Sport 410 Evora, I put trickle charger with crocodile clips direct to each terminal. It worked fine, lithium lightweight battery. 

Likewise with lead acid on Elise, works fine. 

It's simple to put a port in to connect to or convert cigarette lighter port (if these are still fitted) to live to trickle charge to. 

Justin

 

 

[Abgreenbank]

Its agm, my worry is the computer doesnt know the battery has been charged if its connected terminal side, or does it not care?

and using the bolt on lead provided not crocs

Edited January 21, 2023 by Abgreenbank

[Bibs]

I doubt it'll care as it will still be able to sense the voltage directly from the battery. I'll will call Lotus on Monday to check for you thought if you like? 

[MJON]

Recommendation for many current cars now is “Not directly to the negative battery terminal” 👍

[Rambo]

2 hours ago, Abgreenbank said:

oh and any recommendations for a suitable OBD scanner

I have just bought an Autel 629. It feels much more solid, professional than my mickey mouse £25 CAN OBD II scanner.

Very easy to use,internet updatable via USB, TF memory card, live data streams etc...

[jep]

Best confirm with your dealer or Lotus factory direct. 

I have AGM battery on my 1973 Jaguar. Crocodile clips direct to terminals, no issue. Obviously no fancy electronics on the Jaguar. The charger is a 30 year DC charger, £8 I think it cost. Works beautifully. How I laugh at the CTek prices and PR guff on ever more expensive varieties of chargers. On my moderns, I use Airflow, Lotus spec on 340R, 22 years and trickle charger still good. I have some Lidl £14 ones, still good, 10 years old now. 

I have one CTek charger, it came with the car. It failed to charge once, despite showing full battery. I was told I needed to reset it every few weeks - IE. Turn it off and back on. Ridiculous. Perhaps a quirk of the car not the charger. I do now 'reset' all chargers every month, just in case. 

Justin

 

[simonb]

for something like the Ctek, would be really good to have a "factory recommended" connection points for the eyelet connectors, so you can simply plug in the charger to a wire that hangs out the battery box

On to battery clamps would be normal, but then so would having a couple of connector points remote from the battery and convenient to clamp to

[exeterjeep]

46 minutes ago, simonb said:

On to battery clamps would be normal, but then so would having a couple of connector points remote from the battery and convenient to clamp to

Om my Elan M100 S2 there is a direct cable to the battery + in the engine bay, so I connect to this and the negative on the bonnet hinge. On the MG's I connect both terminals on the battery, but the Discarnect thing is off anyway.

[Abgreenbank]

My defender 90 mhev says in handbook only charge battery (well the 12v one) when it is diconnected, but it also provides jump start connections that route the power through the power management systems and the car runs so much software in the background that the 12v battery flattens quickly, but as its a mhev the 12v battery doesn't start the engine!

landrover sell a Ctek battery maintainer but its not suitable for agm batteries (defender like emira is agm) and yes Ctek are not the only manufacturers in the market, but probably the most expensive

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

I doubt it'll care as it will still be able to sense the voltage directly from the battery. I'll will call Lotus on Monday to check for you thought if you like? 

Yes please do, especially as landrover suggest do not charge the battery unless disconnected

[MJON]

Use several CTEK chargers @Abgreenbank and have AGM batteries on two cars. This one should do the job.
https://www.ctek.com/au/battery-chargers-12v-24v/mxs-5-0-aus

[Abgreenbank]

5 hours ago, Bibs said:

I doubt it'll care as it will still be able to sense the voltage directly from the battery. I'll will call Lotus on Monday to check for you thought if you like? 

Yes please do, especially as landrover suggest do not charge the battery unless disconnected

If you need a charger thats good but no point in wasting money if you just need a maintainer, the 0.8a one is fine

[MJON]

Correct, 3.8 is fine for the Emira, was thinking LR 🙄

[Bibs]

I've just heard from a friend who knows about these things and he said to connect straight to the battery, there's no trick to it

 

[mayevora]

Anyone use a trickle charger on an outdoor vehicle that is not garaged?

Wondering how it works in ‘all weathers’ from a charging and safety point of view.

[Bibs]

Pop it in the boot and trail the cable out through the seal is the common method, they aren't for getting wet. Another idea could be a waterproof electric box like this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C7QTD5GY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

[exeterjeep]

As @Bibs says as long as all the junctions are well covered, and the cable is not got lots of joins in - like one of mine, would have thought you be ok. I take it your area is not liable to flooding! I have left batteries on charge overnight with the bonnet as far down as it will go  so it covers the battery terminals/charger.

 

[Bibs]

And, err, wait, what? You bought an Emira?!

 

[jep]

Extension lead with charger and the head of the extension lead in the boot. Cable will come through the closed boot/door/bonnet easily.

If anything untoward does happen, your consumer unit will trip the fuse. For added safety, add a circuit breaker to the plug socket: plug in circuit breaker, I use on my washing machine. £10 from DIY outlets, Screwfix etc ....I don't use tumble dryers but a must-do on those.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731?tc=DB3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw17qvBhBrEiwA1rU9wxU-9AZ1Ipwv6r-NL0lqx8JKE5uG7Xd-X7zdgTRqm4xVIB2wlcDcmhoCmLYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Justin 

[mayevora]

54 minutes ago, Bibs said:

And, err, wait, what? You bought an Emira?!

 

I wish lol. Thank you good people.

I need to get one for my elderly Fathers car. No idea how long he’ll still need a car for but it’s just sits on his drive not being driven. Might get a run every 2-3 weeks so battery won’t last without being charged. Don’t want to continuously keep jump starting it.

[Bazza 907]

Ian, a battery isolator switch sounds like what you need. They are simple to install too.

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwiVq5SPn-2EAxUMqIMHHbZoAqMYABAIGgJlZg&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAjw17qvBhBrEiwA1rU9w8OtmlwC3-zZXsCU2ZOc40jQx8InzxAAVSurO7K-oE84K0LcN_1xCxoCH0YQAvD_BwE&sig=AOD64_37kGMSI1Ry2hbvFoI2R1WnTdlhUA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjE5I6Pn-2EAxVR_QIHHXwsCpsQ9aACKAB6BAgEEE0&adurl=

[jep]

https://richbrook.co.uk/product/discarnect-battery-master-switch/

Or this. 

[exeterjeep]

4 hours ago, jep said:

https://richbrook.co.uk/product/discarnect-battery-master-switch/

Or this. 

Have used these for years on the cars I do not use regularly, but they are then left unlocked either in a garage or elsewhere well away from the front of the hose. Luckily our house is some 80 yards from the main (country) road. 

[Escape]

The CTEK chargers are water proof, I have no problem using mine outdoor.

As above, main issue is the connection of the charger lead to the extension cord. It's best to put that under the bonnet if at all possible and close it as far as possible. That will protect it from rain, but also get it off the ground. On some cars it's easy to thread the extension up through the engine bay, so you can fully close and lock the bonnet.

[SillyOldHector]

On 11/03/2024 at 15:55, jep said:

Extension lead with charger and the head of the extension lead in the boot. Cable will come through the closed boot/door/bonnet easily.

If anything untoward does happen, your consumer unit will trip the fuse. For added safety, add a circuit breaker to the plug socket: plug in circuit breaker, I use on my washing machine. £10 from DIY outlets, Screwfix etc ....I don't use tumble dryers but a must-do on those.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731?tc=DB3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw17qvBhBrEiwA1rU9wxU-9AZ1Ipwv6r-NL0lqx8JKE5uG7Xd-X7zdgTRqm4xVIB2wlcDcmhoCmLYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Justin 

This method, but I will find a circuit breaker...