Charging the battery question.

[nb67]

Hi.

Do I need to remove the battery from the car to charge it or can it be charged in situ?

It's not a trickle charger but a standard 8amp charger.

Main question is -
If I do disconnect to give it a good charge, will I need to recode my radio as I'm not sure where/what code it is if I do lose it.

Hopefully it can be left in situ but if it's recommended to disconnect it 1st then I will IF I'm not going to lose my radio code.

TIA.
Neil.

 

[Fastatv]

Hi.

Do I need to remove the battery from the car to charge it or can it be charged in situ?

It's not a trickle charger but a standard 8amp charger.

Main question is -
If I do disconnect to give it a good charge, will I need to recode my radio as I'm not sure where/what code it is if I do lose it.

Hopefully it can be left in situ but if it's recommended to disconnect it 1st then I will IF I'm not going to lose my radio code.

TIA.
Neil.

I charge my 2004 Z4 battery once a month during the winter, and I never remove it. However, I do use a 2 amp rate....it's easier on the battery.

 

[Taz]

doesn't matter how many amps your charger is, the battery will draw what it requires, i would charge it in situ

 

[nb67]

doesn't matter how many amps your charger is, the battery will draw what it requires, i would charge it in situ

Cheers Taz.

 

[nb67]

Hi.

Do I need to remove the battery from the car to charge it or can it be charged in situ?

It's not a trickle charger but a standard 8amp charger.

Main question is -
If I do disconnect to give it a good charge, will I need to recode my radio as I'm not sure where/what code it is if I do lose it.

Hopefully it can be left in situ but if it's recommended to disconnect it 1st then I will IF I'm not going to lose my radio code.

TIA.
Neil.

I charge my 2004 Z4 battery once a month during the winter, and I never remove it. However, I do use a 2 amp rate....it's easier on the battery.

Thx for the reply.

 

[mr.tourette]

erm... i would NOT be charging in situ at 8 amps unless you actually disconnect the pos and neg battery cables, a trickle smart charger is ok in situ as it send low current and monitors charge rate and stops when the battery is full, anything else you risk damaging the electrical system

 

[nb67]

erm... i would NOT be charging in situ at 8 amps unless you actually disconnect the pos and neg battery cables, a trickle smart charger is ok in situ as it send low current and monitors charge rate and stops when the battery is full, anything else you risk damaging the electrical system

That was my thought. Upto 7amp is meant to be safe if Google is anything to go by.

Big question is though, will I lose my radio if I disconnect the battery?

Does anyone know if the radio just fires up again once the battery is re-connected?

 

[mr.tourette]

erm... i would NOT be charging in situ at 8 amps unless you actually disconnect the pos and neg battery cables, a trickle smart charger is ok in situ as it send low current and monitors charge rate and stops when the battery is full, anything else you risk damaging the electrical system

That was my thought. Upto 7amp is meant to be safe if Google is anything to go by.

Big question is though, will I lose my radio if I disconnect the battery?

Does anyone know if the radio just fires up again once the battery is re-connected?

I've had my battery off for a few days and only ever had to reset the clock the clock mate

 

[nb67]

That'll do me Mr Tourette.

I'll disconnect and let it charge overnight and report back once I reconnect, fingers crossed!!

 

[Taz]

erm... i would NOT be charging in situ at 8 amps unless you actually disconnect the pos and neg battery cables, a trickle smart charger is ok in situ as it send low current and monitors charge rate and stops when the battery is full, anything else you risk damaging the electrical system

er my thoughts are the charger is capable of providing 8 amps but the devices determine what ampage they draw, ohms law

 

[enzed4]

My battery went dead flat last week (left key in ignition, motor off but ignition switched on. Don't ask....). After recharging (took about 2 1/2 days with Ctek charger) all I had 'lost' was the auto-up on the windows, and the auto retraction of the windows when opening/closing the doors to make them snug against the soft top. Quick search online and I reset the windows and all working fine now.
I did learn the hard way that you can't reset the windows with the roof down - took me ages to find a hint about this relating to a different vehicle but it appears to be the same for the Z4.
Radio kept all of its programming/stations.

 

[Scooba_Steve]

You'll be needing a new one sooner than you think. Once a battery has been fully discharged it never holds the same again - if you start getting gremlins first thing to swap out.

 

[enzed4]

You'll be needing a new one sooner than you think. Once a battery has been fully discharged it never holds the same again - if you start getting gremlins first thing to swap out.

Yeah, I've been putting off replacement for a while. It's the original battery and I've only owned the car 2.5 years so no idea how it's been treated in its past life. This incident will probably be the catalyst to get it replaced soon.

 

[buzyg]

My battery went dead flat last week (left key in ignition, motor off but ignition switched on. Don't ask....).

Happily the tracker system automatically sends me a text, if the Battery starts getting low and I stick it on the trickle charger.

 

[nb67]

You'll be needing a new one sooner than you think. Once a battery has been fully discharged it never holds the same again - if you start getting gremlins first thing to swap out.

It's been stood since Oct Steve, it starts but a tad laboured which means it just needs to get some decent charge through it and hopefully it'll see me through the summer and I'll look to swap it out as I park it up again next winter.

We'll see.

 

[Argenta]

You just pull the negative off the battery and put the charger on.
You'll loose radio stations etc but hey they are easily back after all.

 

[mr.tourette]

erm... i would NOT be charging in situ at 8 amps unless you actually disconnect the pos and neg battery cables, a trickle smart charger is ok in situ as it send low current and monitors charge rate and stops when the battery is full, anything else you risk damaging the electrical system

er my thoughts are the charger is capable of providing 8 amps but the devices determine what ampage they draw, ohms law

no idea about ohms law mate but i do know i destroyed part of one of my motorbikes electric systems with an old style constant supply charger when i was a more mechanically naive youth and didn't disconnect it...it was explained to me by a mechanic that once the battery is fully charged if left on a constant charger that the current has to go somewhere as the charger continues to plough power into the battery...this then spikes power into parts of the system through the vehicle wiring...I guess this is where smart chargers are different as they measure the flow and stop when the battery is full and so you can leave them permanently connected while the battery is in situ.

Im not implying that you cant leave it in situ on an 8 amp charge it may be just fine and dandy...just that on my own past experience I wouldnt

 

[Taz]

just that on my own past experience I wouldnt

personal experience would suggest you are right to remove the battery, logically though I don't get it lol, I'm not saying i'm right I'd be interested in a proper scientific explanation

if your key is not in the ignition then what is connected electrically? obviously the alarm will still have a feed to it but what else? if its not connected then it can't be damaged