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jebroni

Member
Messages
129
Keep it on a trickle charge if not using it during the week I’ve put a new Bosch 5 on mine & the gremlins return pretty quick if it’s not fully charged.
 

Phil4

Junior Member
Messages
54
The trickle charge subject is an interesting one. It seems as though the best thing is just to put it on the charger a day or so before you intend to use it, rather than leaving it on trickle charge during all inactivity.
 
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jebroni

Member
Messages
129
Yes that’s what I do but don’t let the battery completely drain as apparently it can effect the wheel hubs (on Qp’s not sure about the rest)
 

rs48635

Member
Messages
3,181
The trickle charge subject is an interesting one. It seems as though the best thing is just to put it on the charger a day or so before you intend to use it, rather than leaving it on trickle charge during all inactivity.
Maybe plug CTEK into timer if car is laid up? Run it weekly for <some> hours. (note to self; add cron job to server)
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,543
Maybe plug CTEK into timer if car is laid up? Run it weekly for <some> hours. (note to self; add cron job to server)

Hmm, I could actually do that. I have a spare z-wave plug looking for a purpose until Christmas. Shame I don't have a car to plug into for the moment :D

C
 
Messages
1,117
The trickle charge subject is an interesting one. It seems as though the best thing is just to put it on the charger a day or so before you intend to use it, rather than leaving it on trickle charge during all inactivity.
I keep the Porsche and the Gransport on trickle charger all the time of inactivity if I don't intend to use the car for three days or more. When they are laid up over winter, they are on permanent trickle charger and nothing untoward has ever happened such as frying the battery - on the Porsche in over 9 years now and the Gransport coming up to 5 years now. I know many owners who keep their cars on permanent trickle charger and thier experience is the same as mine - absolutely nothing untoward happened to their battery.
 

Zep

Moderator
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9,110
I keep the Porsche and the Gransport on trickle charger all the time of inactivity if I don't intend to use the car for three days or more. When they are laid up over winter, they are on permanent trickle charger and nothing untoward has ever happened such as frying the battery - on the Porsche in over 9 years now and the Gransport coming up to 5 years now. I know many owners who keep their cars on permanent trickle charger and thier experience is the same as mine - absolutely nothing untoward happened to their battery.

I don’t doubt it. Temperature variations is the killer. If the battery gets hot and is on a charger the lack of temperature compensation on the float voltage is what kills them.
 
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1,117
I don’t doubt it. Temperature variations is the killer. If the battery gets hot and is on a charger the lack of temperature compensation on the float voltage is what kills them.
I don't follow your science (if it is science). On a CTek charger the battery does not get hot or overheat. It trickle charges to peak voltage, then cuts out charging. When the potential difference falls (as it does with cranking the starter motor), the charger cuts in (like the output from an alternator) to top it up.
There is a recondition function that cleans the plates. I have not used that function because the Porsche had a new Bosch S5 in 2016 and the Gransport had a new Exide Premium battery in 2018. Allowing the battery voltage to fall too low and trying to resuscitate is what kills it and fails to recover the battery. I know loads of guys who keep their porsches on ctek charger for months and months interspersed by a few weeks of usage but still on ctek if not used daily and nobody has ever lost a battery or cooked a battery. Some (me included) had a dead battery on a ctek but that was due to a battery life being expired. The Porsche was on its original battery in 2016 (14 years old) and the Gransport on its original battery in 2018 (11 years).
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
I don't follow your science (if it is science). On a CTek charger the battery does not get hot or overheat. It trickle charges to peak voltage, then cuts out charging. When the potential difference falls (as it does with cranking the starter motor), the charger cuts in (like the output from an alternator) to top it up.
There is a recondition function that cleans the plates. I have not used that function because the Porsche had a new Bosch S5 in 2016 and the Gransport had a new Exide Premium battery in 2018. Allowing the battery voltage to fall too low and trying to resuscitate is what kills it and fails to recover the battery. I know loads of guys who keep their porsches on ctek charger for months and months interspersed by a few weeks of usage but still on ctek if not used daily and nobody has ever lost a battery or cooked a battery. Some (me included) had a dead battery on a ctek but that was due to a battery life being expired. The Porsche was on its original battery in 2016 (14 years old) and the Gransport on its original battery in 2018 (11 years).

It is science. I work for a company that provides equipment and battery arrays to telecoms and internet companies globally.

Your understanding of how a ctek (or other chargers) is not correct. They charge at a fixed voltage until the current drops to a certain point and then drop back to what is known as a float voltage. This is between 13.2 and 13.4 volts for a car battery, a level that maintains the charge but doesn’t add further stored energy. In essence it offsets the losses from the internal resistance.

The required float voltage varies with temperature and must be reduced when the block is warmer. This is what is known as temperature compensation. If the float voltage is fixed (as it is with a ctek and other battery maintainers) and the temperature gets too high this damages the plates.

Now, I didn’t say the charger makes the battery hot, although the process of charging and floating a battery introduces heat. But at times the sun shines, enclosed car bodies and houses warm up, and this is where things start to go wrong.

So, in short, your experience is your own, others have had different experiences and the reason for this is likely to be based on the above. In any event, valve regulated lead acid batteries benefit from regular, shallow cycling which is what running a charger / maintainer on a timer would produce.

Of course you may know better, in which case disregard the above and carry on as you are.
 
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Phil4

Junior Member
Messages
54
Afternoon all. A quick update on this, took the car out again today and out of the blue the warning light has popped up again and the car is in limp mode. It was driving absolutely fine and all seemed ok. So not really sure what's going on. What would you guys suggest is the next port of call?
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Afternoon all. A quick update on this, took the car out again today and out of the blue the warning light has popped up again and the car is in limp mode. It was driving absolutely fine and all seemed ok. So not really sure what's going on. What would you guys suggest is the next port of call?

I think you are going to have to get it into a garage. You have tried the easy bit!
 

Phil4

Junior Member
Messages
54
I always want to try and do things myself, so usually exhaust that before going to garages haha. There's nothing else that's DIY-able that might be the cause?
 

Phil4

Junior Member
Messages
54
In the name of keeping the forum informed, another quick update.

The car will be going into a garage, next week most likely. But before it even makes it that far, further issues seem to be cropping up. First, 'Service Coupon Expired' is now showing and the service light is on, which simply isn't the case and I'm not sure what's causing that. Additionally, the parking brake doesn't seem to be disengaging the way it usually would. And to top it all off, my rear, near-side is now presenting a quite audible knocking sound.

Worth bearing in mind, I drove the car last week and everything was absolutely fine, with zero of any symptoms above. So I have to think something strange is going on and they're all somehow linked?! @conaero @Zep @philw696 @voicey would be interesting to hear your thoughts?
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Hmmm.

I don’t think they will be related. When you say clonk, is it related to the wheel turning or when going round corners? This could be delaminating brake shoes. Service light is because it thinks it needs a service. If it doesn’t then it’s just a reset.