Trickle Charger Used - What a Difference!

[rockits]

Well I have never had a car that I haven't used for more than a week or so but the Maser has been getting that way. I went through a silly busy period and didn't use it for a month & it was really not happy about it. Went for short drive & it all went back to normal no problem but it really didn't seeem happy to start with.

Got one of the Lidl trickle chargers a few weeks back on special & hooked it up. Had a silly busy period again & couldn't use the Maser for a month. Started & used it today to go to the office. What a difference! Was imeeiately much happier with no issues at all.

Will be keeping the trickle charger on all the time now. I would say essential for these cars if you aren't using every week at least. Big big difference in the way it started & ran after a short period of no use.

 

[daverichardson]

Yes dead on
I use my Lidl special more or less continuously when in the garage after reading earlier posts and so far so good

 

[bigbob]

I never used one on my 3200 or 4200 and never had issues. I was split living between London and Scotland when I had the 3200 and it would happily sit for a month without use. As for the GranTurismo it disgraced itself when only three months old so I use a trickle charger all the time now - no issues.

 

[VMSRTI]

Ive been running a CTEK on mine for 3 years. Its stays on at all times when car not being used.

 

[StuartW]

Unfortunately my garage is 20 metres from the house so I have no chance of getting power up there so I wonder if I am going to have issues this Winter without a battery conditioner. The car had a new battery when I bought it in June but not a make I am familiar with and I have already suffered a flat - time will tell I guess

 

[VMSRTI]

Unfortunately my garage is 20 metres from the house so I have no chance of getting power up there so I wonder if I am going to have issues this Winter without a battery conditioner. The car had a new battery when I bought it in June but not a make I am familiar with and I have already suffered a flat - time will tell I guess

Get an electrician to run the wire underground. You can dig the trench unless its concrete? Worth the trouble I reckon.

 

[StuartW]

I've thought about it George but I'll see what happens this Winter - if I have any battery problems, I may well go for it

 

[mjheathcote]

I've thought about it George but I'll see what happens this Winter - if I have any battery problems, I may well go for it

Solar panel array on the roof!
Well maybe a Maplin special may help!

 

[StuartW]

Or maybe I just make sure I use it regularly, much more enjoyable!

 

[highlander]

Ive been running a CTEK on mine. Its stays on at all times when car not being used.

Ditto. With the sh1t weather recently, especially at weekends, I've not managed to even take her out the garage to turn over for 3 weeks.......today not looking any better I'm afraid

 

[bigbob]

Ditto. With the sh1t weather recently, especially at weekends, I've not managed to even take her out the garage to turn over for 3 weeks.......today not looking any better I'm afraid

It's beautiful further south today, too cold though. That's the problem with Scottish winters - it was 10c yesterday but strong winds/rain. Today is dry, sunny and still but only about 5c.

PS Forecast for tomorrow is 11c and rain!

 

[D Walker]

I've thought about it George but I'll see what happens this Winter - if I have any battery problems, I may well go for it

Stuart,
You could run in the Armoured cable yourself, needs to be 8" underground, then get an Electrician to do the connections.

 

[CatmanV2]

Stuart,
You could run in the Armoured cable yourself, needs to be 8" underground, then get an Electrician to do the connections.

Why 8"? Just curious

C

 

[2b1ask1]

Stuart,
You could run in the Armoured cable yourself, needs to be 8" underground, then get an Electrician to do the connections.

Eh? I hope not; I've just run a 16mm three core armoured cable to my garage and it is clipped to the fence! I thought cables underground had to be > 450mm down with a marker tape or capping over them?

 

[highlander]

It's beautiful further south today, too cold though. That's the problem with Scottish winters - it was 10c yesterday but strong winds/rain. Today is dry, sunny and still but only about 5c.

PS Forecast for tomorrow is 11c and rain!

I know.....Scotland full of micro climates, 10 miles either way, sunshine or rain! Did get her out briefly to run the engine and get a couple of green interior shots to show how "unique" she is

 

[bigbob]

It is a very unique car but attractive with it. I nearly bought a Goodwood Green with Cuio Sella just before I got my Blu Nettuno 3200 so dark (ish) green works well IMHO.

 

[D Walker]

Eh? I hope not; I've just run a 16mm three core armoured cable to my garage and it is clipped to the fence! I thought cables underground had to be > 450mm down with a marker tape or capping over them?

I could well be wrong, will dig my Regs out later, if yours in on a fence I think it needs to have loops in it so you have low points for liquids to drop off and enter at a higher point in the garage than the travel height!

Ok I was sort of wrong, there is no specific depth given in the regs other than that it should be deep enough not to be disturbed in its normal use, ie, if you double dig the land then it should be suitably buried. Newton was right, yellow marked tape should be used at about 1 spade depth (8") as a warning. Which is where I think it got it from, next time I will check the regs before I spout of from an ageing memory!!!!!!!!!!

 

[2b1ask1]

No firing squads here Dave; just friends, there is a collective knowledge of huge value though.

My cable starts at the meter cupboard (actually on the out side of the V-Phase) in a splitter box, goes under the floor of the house into a 60mm electrical trunk through the back wall and rises to the bottom of the fence about a metre from the back of the house, is fixed to the bottom of the fence (about 100mm up) for the first 2/3 of the garden then moves to the top of the fence for the last 1/3 then swings up and across to the garage about 600mm higher also going up as it goes through the wall before finally terminating in a consumer unit. So there are plenty of sags along the length and both ends go up well before terminating.

 

[D Walker]

No firing squads here Dave; just friends, there is a collective knowledge of huge value though.

My cable starts at the meter cupboard (actually on the out side of the V-Phase) in a splitter box, goes under the floor of the house into a 60mm electrical trunk through the back wall and rises to the bottom of the fence about a metre from the back of the house, is fixed to the bottom of the fence (about 100mm up) for the first 2/3 of the garden then moves to the top of the fence for the last 1/3 then swings up and across to the garage about 600mm higher also going up as it goes through the wall before finally terminating in a consumer unit. So there are plenty of sags along the length and both ends go up well before terminating.

Good stuff,math at should be fine, for reference, ahem,
Regulation 522.8.10
Buried cables shall be at a suitable depth to avoid being damaged by any reasonable foreseeable disturbance of the ground.........
My mate advises 600-1000 mm, the words foreseeable & reasonable worry him!!!!

 

[miket]

Eh? I hope not; I've just run a 16mm three core armoured cable to my garage and it is clipped to the fence! I thought cables underground had to be > 450mm down with a marker tape or capping over them?

450mm cover for LV absolutely spot on in a footpath, 600mm carriageway 750mm for HV cables, but if excavation is not an option a catenary cable can be run overhead to span between your house and garage....