Battery Charging Socket

[ChrisH]

Hi All

I'm looking to get a trickle charge set up so that I don't have to kill the battery every time the car isn't used for a few days... I'm actually looking at a fixed / installed solar panel on the roof of my garage as its in an external block and has no power... something like this:

https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en...car-or-any-other-system-with-12V-battery.html

My main question is more generic though... as opposed to clipping this on with the terminal clamps (which feels a bit temporary) has anyone installed a proper charging socket on the bodywork anywhere? I obviously don't mean smack in a panel... somewhere that's very discrete but easy to plug into with the car completely shut and locked. This is pretty standard on newer performance cars so I wondered if anyone had some something retrospectively?

Cheers

Chris

 

[Woody]

Mine isn’t external but I do have a C-Tek similar to the one in the link. It has an attachment that you fit to the battery and then when you want to plug in, it’s as simple as popping the boot, taking of the removable side panel and connecting.

The end of the attachment needs attaching initially, but then it’s very quick and painless.

I’m not familiar with clipping to a part of the car externally, so this post could be totally useless!

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-to...0yVWVJePQO1_lnlmis3rgyLfoPdr8N_BoC6IYQAvD_BwE

 

[Corranga]

I have the CTEK lead fitted to mine too, the one with the battery indicator LED that flashes, like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Bat...028294&hash=item19b7e8b5fb:g:g94AAOSwLqFV7qjk
Obviously, I have the associated CTEK charger to plug into it too.

I have the cable trailing through the removable panel since it just Velcros in place anyway.
I used to just park the car in my garage with the boot popped, but recently found out that the boot light seems to stay on unless it's completely closed. I now just close the boot gently with the cable trailing out squishing the boot seal a bit.
Personally, I'd rather have to replace a cable or boot seal than drill a hole in my car somewhere.

 

[midlifecrisis]

A 10W Solar Panel isn't enough to charge the battery, that equates to less than an amp when the sun is shining and the drain would be more than that.

 

[dunnah01]

I thought this looked quite neat:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MASERATI...207878&hash=item3d66871cd6:g:sk8AAOSwZW5Z9pmn

 

[Masser50]

If your lucky you’ll have a ctek plug socket in your right hand boot wall as you look into your boot, then you need Maserati adaptor part no. 940000550 which plugs into the ctek and the socket much like a Ferrari 430. Means you never have to lift the boot floor to charge the battery!

 

[Masser50]

Sorry I was taking about 2016 model year GT’s

 

[Gazcw]

I have the CTEK lead fitted to mine too, the one with the battery indicator LED that flashes, like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Bat...028294&hash=item19b7e8b5fb:g:g94AAOSwLqFV7qjk
Obviously, I have the associated CTEK charger to plug into it too.

I have the cable trailing through the removable panel since it just Velcros in place anyway.
I used to just park the car in my garage with the boot popped, but recently found out that the boot light seems to stay on unless it's completely closed. I now just close the boot gently with the cable trailing out squishing the boot seal a bit.
Personally, I'd rather have to replace a cable or boot seal than drill a hole in my car somewhere.

I do the same. Connector sits above battery panel and I close boot because of the light.

 

[miket]

I do the same. Connector sits above battery panel and I close boot because of the light.

Not a good idea because the battery produces gasses when charging, these can become potentially explosive!

Better to leave the boot lid open and close the catch using your key to simulate the striker!

 

[ChrisH]

A 10W Solar Panel isn't enough to charge the battery, that equates to less than an amp when the sun is shining and the drain would be more than that.

What do you think the static drain is? Surely at more than an amp we'd all have dead batteries after just a couple of days...

I will try and measure tomorrow, I'll have to dig out some clamps for my multi metre though as I guess need to leave it a good 30 mins to give a realistic static state.

There are plenty of beefier solar panels out there... doesn't really cost much more to have a 20, 40, 80w panel... and granted that isn't kicking out all day but if it gave a healthy boost for 12 hours a day... there should be configuration out there that more than compensated for 24 hour drain. Plus I'd get to kid myself that I owned a hybrid

 

[Corranga]

Tracker is pretty hefty on battery drain. I think mine lasts a week or so, though it lives on a conditioner nowadays anyway.

As for gas build up, I might just remove the bulb in the boot and prop the boot lid open..

 

[CatmanV2]

What do you think the static drain is? Surely at more than an amp we'd all have dead batteries after just a couple of days...

According to the spec drain should be IRO 35mA . Eventually. There are a series of shutdowns that occur.

C

 

[daverichardson]

Tracker is pretty hefty on battery drain. I think mine lasts a week or so, though it lives on a conditioner nowadays anyway.

As for gas build up, I might just remove the bulb in the boot and prop the boot lid open..

The light in my QP Boot does go out after a couple of minutes, strange that yours does not

 

[Corranga]

Ah, it might to be honest. I only checked with my phone as a video camera for a few seconds. Not easy to see in the boot when it's closed

 

[midlifecrisis]

Ah, it might to be honest. I only checked with my phone as a video camera for a few seconds. Not easy to see in the boot when it's closed

What you need to do is employ a small child to climb inside and tell you if the light does go out when you close the boot. You might want to turn up in your car an approach a parent outside a school...


And then have a number for a good lawyer...

 

[Gazcw]

Not a good idea because the battery produces gasses when charging, these can become potentially explosive!

Better to leave the boot lid open and close the catch using your key to simulate the striker!

That's what the battery vent pipe is for. It's never left for weeks on end either and is only ever trickling so should be fine I reckon. Either that or I get a new motor and garage as it goes bang!

 

[miket]

That's what the battery vent pipe is for. It's never left for weeks on end either and is only ever trickling so should be fine I reckon. Either that or I get a new motor and garage as it goes bang!

We wouldn’t want that to happen to a Mas now would we
But seriously it has been known to happen! Better safe than sorry....

 

[Ambient69]

Drain approx. 20mA to 30mA usually on the battery. Any more and usually something has not shutdown properly as it should.

 

[Davanger]

Sorry I was taking about 2016 model year GT’s

Thanx @Masser50 - I have a GT 2016 and wondered what this port was for till I saw your post. I find the posts on when and how to use a trickle charger slightly confusing - Is it true that a trickle charger is needed if the car is not used for a week or more?

 

[c4sman]

I connect ctek if I’m not using the car for more than a couple of days. Ctek is connected to a timer plug that comes on for approx1.5 hours a day to avoid over charging that some on here have warned the ctek can still do. 2 GTs over 5 years and no battery problems to date.