Best trickle charger for a 3200

redsonnylee

redsonnylee

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1,550
7 years later I've not worried about venting and no problems so far. The boot is slightly open with a old piece of rubber to protect the ctek cable from getting crushed.
 
Aredes

Aredes

Junior Member
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159
I have a Ctek MXS 5.0 and it works great. And the 4200 has a little tube to connect to the battery.
 
greeny12

greeny12

Junior Member
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232
OK - so I scored one of these Lidl chargers. Just reading through the instructions and I see:

"Before starting the charging or trickle charging procedure on a permanently installed battery in a vehicle, first disconnect the negative terminal connecting cable (black) of the vehicle from the negative terminal of the battery."

Then just below:

"Then disconnect the positive terminal connecting cable (red) of the vehicle from the positive terminal of the battery."

This bl00dy thing surely doesn't require the battery to be unplugged from the car on a trickle charge, does it?? I've never done that charging anything!
 
voicey

voicey

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660
I run loads of these Lidl chargers and have never disconnected the battery. I popped down to my local store today and tried to clean them out but they only let me buy 10!!

WhatsApp Image 2016-10-02 at 13.15.35.jpg
 
greeny12

greeny12

Junior Member
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232
Well that was a waste of time. Connected up the positive charge cable to the battery and earthed the other one to the chassis, but the charger just sits in "standby" mode and will not do anything no matter how many times I press the MODE button and even after trying to reconnect about a dozen times to the +ve terminal. Looks like I got a dud one.

Had to go back to the Optimate!
 
voicey

voicey

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660
Try the charger on another car or directly across the battery terminals before condemning it.

The "sweets" were free toys - one per £10 spent. Took them home for my daughter....
 
Contigo

Contigo

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18,376
greeny12 said:
Well that was a waste of time. Connected up the positive charge cable to the battery and earthed the other one to the chassis, but the charger just sits in "standby" mode and will not do anything no matter how many times I press the MODE button and even after trying to reconnect about a dozen times to the +ve terminal. Looks like I got a dud one.

Had to go back to the Optimate!
Click to expand...

If it doesn't allow you to press the MODE button then there is no earth. Why are you not connecting it to the actually negative terminal?
 
mjheathcote

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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CatmanV2 said:
Yep. Sometimes earth points aren't

C
Click to expand...

Thats true!
Found a duff earth on my Stag this morning that wiped out both dip beams. Interesting 20 mile drive home on side lights and main beam only a couple of weeks ago!
She is over 40, so I can give her a bit slack this time!
Dred to think what the Maser will be like with bad earths in 2042!!
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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Messages
48,886
mjheathcote said:
Thats true!
Found a duff earth on my Stag this morning that wiped out both dip beams. Interesting 20 mile drive home on side lights and main beam only a couple of weeks ago!
She is over 40, so I can give her a bit slack this time!
Dred to think what the Maser will be like with bad earths in 2042!!
Click to expand...

I had enough trouble finding one to test on Thursday!

C
 
greeny12

greeny12

Junior Member
Messages
232
Contigo said:
If it doesn't allow you to press the MODE button then there is no earth. Why are you not connecting it to the actually negative terminal?
Click to expand...

Well, the Optimate specifically instructs the negative lead to be connected to "the chassis", while the Lidl one also says that can be done. I followed one from the other. I guess instructions are meant to be ignored for these things ;)
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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48,886
greeny12 said:
Well, the Optimate specifically instructs the negative lead to be connected to "the chassis", while the Lidl one also says that can be done. I followed one from the other. I guess instructions are meant to be ignored for these things ;)
Click to expand...

Not it probably just means you've got paint, or corrosion in the way. If its clean, bare metal, it'll work. Often it's not as clean or as bare is it would look...

C
 
spkennyuk

spkennyuk

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5,972
What mode do you normally use with the lidl charger 3 or 4 ?
Im assuming the pulse charge is automatic and happens in mode 3 and 4.
 
alfatwo

alfatwo

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5,517
mjheathcote said:
Thats true!
Found a duff earth on my Stag this morning that wiped out both dip beams. Interesting 20 mile drive home on side lights and main beam only a couple of weeks ago!
She is over 40, so I can give her a bit slack this time!
Dred to think what the Maser will be like with bad earths in 2042!!
Click to expand...

Just getting off the subject for a mo Mike.. there was a nice old Stag in an auction last Saturday that had a BMW rear diff set up.. so what's all that about..

Dave
 
midlifecrisis

midlifecrisis

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16,266
I bought the compressor and it's really quiet compared to the Maserati supplied one. I might by another for the Alfa.
I looked at the trickle charger and it looked a bit too cheap for my liking but I keep all three cars running and I still have my CTEK, just in case.
 
Contigo

Contigo

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18,376
spkennyuk said:
What mode do you normally use with the lidl charger 3 or 4 ?
Im assuming the pulse charge is automatic and happens in mode 3 and 4.
Click to expand...

In Car mode, not the GlassMat (snowflake symbol) charging function. Once the green light comes on the battery is at 100% charge and the charger changes to low pulse mode.
 
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