Advice with Car Battery

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silkman

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I have C-track installed. Whenever I go on holiday I keep getting sms's that my battery is running low.
What are my options- disconnecting the leads? Then I may have an insurance problem.
I don't have anyone that can come and turn the car on every couple of days.
 
Connect a 12v solar panel with a low current rating to trickle charge your battery.
 
I'm not clued up AT ALL when it comes to cars- where can I get this and is it easy to install?
Thanks for the advice
 
Midas.
You connect the terminals to the battery terminals, then plug it into the wall.
 
My experience says otherwise - with a disclaimer. It takes a certain amount of time to fully recharge a battery after the car is started. Longer if you run lights, demisters etc. So lots of short trips will result in the charge dropping over time. But the alternator is perfectly capable of completely charging the battery given a long enough trip. Most can provide over 90 amps at 14 volts... Your average trickle charger does 1 amp.
 
From http://www.edmunds.com/car-technology/a-shocking-expose-your-cars-battery.html

Here are a few tips to quickly restore a battery using this method.

1. Drive at a constant speed (highway driving) versus stop-and go (city driving). This will give the alternator an opportunity to charge more evenly.
2. Turn off all accessories (radio, air conditioner, etc.).
3. If possible, drive during the day. Even headlights use power. Having them off increases the amount of electricity going to the battery.

Remember, this does not replace charging the battery. A car's alternator is not designed to fully restore a depleted battery, but rather to maintain a healthy one. As soon as possible, put your battery on a battery charger such as the Battery Tender, and a give it a full charge for a day or two.
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I have two batteries in my landy, one cranking and one deep-cycle. Even on long trips where we drive 8,9 hours, the batteries are not fully recharged. This is why on overlanding trips I carry my Ctek charger with me and topup the batteries when I get to destination. The last thing I want is to end up in a remote area with both batteries flat!
 
Naks said:
There's a long explanation on the 4x4community forum that I read a while ago. This is why you see car batteries failing in very cold weather despite people driving all the time.

Do some research online, you will find plenty of resources on the subject.
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The battery in my bakkie is now more than 12 years old. Why it's lasted so long is because I disconnect it when I know I'm not going to use the bakkie for more than two weeks. An alternator *can* fully charge a battery, you just need to travel a decent distance (40+ km) on an open road. Most vehicles don't do this. There are also a million and ten things in a modern car that eat the battery while it's standing in the garage - one of the worst being a satellite tracker. A normal battery should not be allowed to drop to more than 50% of its capacity (deep cycle batteries a bit more).

Also, putting tap water into a battery is a no-no. The chlorides in the water mess up the lead/sulphate reaction and I've heard a very good mechanic saying there's no problem with using tap water.
 
BigAl-sa said:
There are also a million and ten things in a modern car that eat the battery while it's standing in the garage - one of the worst being a satellite tracker.
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Indeed!

One of the not-so-obvious signs of a declining battery in a modern car is an increase in fuel consumption. Due to fluctuating voltages, the MAF and other sensors do not have a reliable baseline to work from and your car starts chowing more fuel.
 
Naks said:
Indeed!

One of the not-so-obvious signs of a declining battery in a modern car is an increase in fuel consumption. Due to fluctuating voltages, the MAF and other sensors do not have a reliable baseline to work from and your car starts chowing more fuel.
Click to expand...

The advantage of driving an antique for me :D
 
So, I just clip on the trickle charger's terminal to the car battery like jumper cables? I obviously can't remove the car's own leads to the battery cos then my c-track won't work.
Sorry for the dumb question...
 
Naks said:
Remember, your vehicle's alternator cannot fully charge a battery!
Click to expand...

Of course it can.

Naks said:
I have two batteries in my landy, one cranking and one deep-cycle. Even on long trips where we drive 8,9 hours, the batteries are not fully recharged. This is why on overlanding trips I carry my Ctek charger with me and topup the batteries when I get to destination. The last thing I want is to end up in a remote area with both batteries flat!
Click to expand...

I assume you have a system in place which isolates the two batteries, so that your cranking battery doesn't die trying to keep your fridge going. These usually have a voltage drop across them, and this will increase the time taken to charge the batteries. What charging voltage is getting to the battery terminals that they cannot recharge in 8 hours? How flat do you run you batteries? Even a deep cycle shouldn't go below much below 50% on a regular basis or you'll do damage, and it should be pretty full after 8 hours, unless it's not receiving a high enough voltage.
 
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