Battery kill switch, which one and where in car ?

[Rombbb]

For long term storage.

There are master switches that hook up on the battery itself. Probably the easiest route but a bit annoying removing the battery cover each time.

Not a track car so can't just drill holes in the interior with a big red switch. I thought maybe somewhere in the engine bay, but would like to still be able to connect trickle charger to the battery +/- connections in the bay, while battery is disconnected from the rest of the car.

Not sure that's possible.

Anyone good ideas / product suggestions ?

 

[Liam22]

There are 3 separate positive cables running from the battery. Therefore non trivial.

Why not just keep it on trickle?

 

[Rombbb]

There are 3 separate positive cables running from the battery. Therefore non trivial.

Why not just keep it on trickle?

Yeah you're probably right. Just thought it better to shut off electricity when long not in use. Just gives me some piece of mind, dunno why Don't think it should mess up the ecu, maybe some window and seat settings get erased but can live with that.

But probably fuzzing about nothing and can indeed just as well put trickle on it and leave it be.

If I'm doing it will probably put this in, hooks right up, easy peasy :

https://www.grandado.com/products/auto-motorfiets-batterij-terminal-link-quick-cut-off-switch-rotary-disconnect-isolator-vrachtwagen-auto-auto-parts?variant=13057996030046&currency=EUR&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiLyz3MWB5gIVwprVCh2SWQFCEAQYASABEgLPRvD_BwE

 

[ph001]

Trickle charger is the way to go really as it keeps all the security active, and batteries do self discharge even with nothing connected (although it takes a few months). Just be aware that most of the cheap lidl / aldi smart chargers won’t restart after even a brief blip on the mains so unless you can monitor it every couple of weeks or so youd be better off with something like a Ctek.

 

[Rombbb]

Manual does say to disconnect battery when storing car for >3 months

 

[ph001]

Manual does say to disconnect battery when storing car for >3 months

....it should finish the sentence with the words “if no access to a trickle charger”

 

[Ewazix]

I've been on here for nearly a decade and never read of anybody having an electrical problem with their car after storing it on a good quality battery tender / smart trickle charger like the ctek I've used every winter. But several people have run in to problems having removed the battery for a while, particularly with random modules going off-line, starting problems and functions like windows needing resetting, some have even gone in to transport mode needing a dealer or coding guru to clear it.

 

[Smartbear]

There are 3 separate positive cables running from the battery. Therefore non trivial.

Why not just keep it on trickle?

I suppose you could disconnect the negative instead? Still creates an open circuit :?
Rob

 

[ronk]

As a personal choice, I would just go to a maintenance/trickle charge (if you have the facility)
I can't really see what you have to gain with a kill switch?

 

[Liam22]

There are 3 separate positive cables running from the battery. Therefore non trivial.

Why not just keep it on trickle?

I suppose you could disconnect the negative instead? Still creates an open circuit :?
Rob

Yes, but as that definitely requires lifting the battery cover, I didn't mention it

 

[DamianPinder-George]

+1 for the Trickle charger option. I've few bits of kit here that are life support and and couple that have kill switches. Both 12v and 24v. The patients on life support give me far less problems than the kill switch brigade. And it took me far less effort to install a trickle connector than an isolator. Well, an isolator that's worth having that is. Assuming, for a minute, that you cant just plug a trickle charger into the cigarette lighter (and you can) while leaving the low tension wire to trail out though the door seal (it can be really thin - .5mm or so) so you won't damage the door seal when you close the door.
The only big issue that I have with the trickle chargers is/are the vehicles with AGM batteries. Those ones don't like trickle charging. At all. But they last an awful lot longer before the voltage decays (anything up to a year) so it's not usually a problem to just leave them.
Your solution might be just to fit and AGM battery and quit worrying about it?

 

[ronk]

Re the above post:-
I use a "maintenance" charger. The Data sheet says it cycles the battery between (from memory here) 13.2 to 14.6

 

[Ewazix]

+1 for the Trickle charger option. I've few bits of kit here that are life support and and couple that have kill switches. Both 12v and 24v. The patients on life support give me far less problems than the kill switch brigade. And it took me far less effort to install a trickle connector than an isolator. Well, an isolator that's worth having that is. Assuming, for a minute, that you cant just plug a trickle charger into the cigarette lighter (and you can) while leaving the low tension wire to trail out though the door seal (it can be really thin - .5mm or so) so you won't damage the door seal when you close the door.
The only big issue that I have with the trickle chargers is/are the vehicles with AGM batteries. Those ones don't like trickle charging. At all. But they last an awful lot longer before the voltage decays (anything up to a year) so it's not usually a problem to just leave them.
Your solution might be just to fit and AGM battery and quit worrying about it?

Several of the Ctek range are designed for AGM as well, best of both worlds

 

[Rombbb]

Thanks all for the feedback. Will probably indeed go trickle then. Ordered the Noco G3500 which is supposed to handle AGM as well (just ordered a Varta e39 AGM).

Still, ze germans do state in the manual to remove the battery. Knowing how thorough they are I'd suppose they would have simple stated to use a trickle charger if that's better. That's what confuses me a bit. If you read the manual it unequivocably says to remove the battery when storig for >3 months.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Still, ze germans do state in the manual to remove the battery. Knowing how thorough they are I'd suppose they would have simple stated to use a trickle charger if that's better. That's what confuses me a bit. If you read the manual it unequivocably says to remove the battery when storig for >3 months.

Maybe, but then ze Germans also say the transmission is sealed for life! :lol:

 

[Smartbear]

There are 3 separate positive cables running from the battery. Therefore non trivial.

Why not just keep it on trickle?

I suppose you could disconnect the negative instead? Still creates an open circuit :?
Rob

Yes, but as that definitely requires lifting the battery cover, I didn't mention it

Not what i meant, you could put the isolator on the negative instead of the positive, no lifting of the battery cover required
Rob

 

[Rombbb]

Not what i meant, you could put the isolator on the negative instead of the positive, no lifting of the battery cover required
Rob

If isolator means cutt of switch, then that was my plan. Seems pretty easy to install one on the negative lead. And even when needed removing the cover when storing for a couple of months is actually not much effort (I forgot that its pretty easy).


I think Liam22 meant that there are 3 positive leads connected to battery so non trivial in the sense that some important electronics are bound to be connected to it and one shouldn't easily cut those off. But thats only my interpretation, could be totally wack

 

[Rombbb]

Still, ze germans do state in the manual to remove the battery. Knowing how thorough they are I'd suppose they would have simple stated to use a trickle charger if that's better. That's what confuses me a bit. If you read the manual it unequivocably says to remove the battery when storig for >3 months.

Maybe, but then ze Germans also say the transmission is sealed for life! :lol:

:lol:

 

[Liam22]

If you're going to the bother of lifting the boot floor and reaching near the battery, then a spanner is a highly effective isolator. Just remove the neg terminal.

Only really makes sense to fit an isolator in a convenient location - which is nigh on impossible given the multiple +ve cable runs.

 

[Smartbear]

If you're going to the bother of lifting the boot floor and reaching near the battery, then a spanner is a highly effective isolator. Just remove the neg terminal.

Only really makes sense to fit an isolator in a convenient location - which is nigh on impossible given the multiple +ve cable runs.

Why couldn’t you fit an isolator in a convenient location to the negative side instead of the positive? :?
Rob