Trickle Charging! Help needed plz

G

goughy1

Member
Ok Guys, seem simple enough but I want to keep the Z in the garage until the new year and need to get a trickle charger.

I have seen some on EBay etc but have never used one before and therefore am not sure what I should avoid or make sure I buy - if they are that different at all?! Also on the Z, have people who trickle charge got ones that run off the cigarette lighter or are they connected elsewhere...?

Any advice appreciated! Thanks
 
CTEK.

For best results use the +ve connection on the engine bay (and whatever earthing point is available), but I have never had a problem connecting straight to the battery terminals.
 
+1
Ctek ftw.
Have the mxs5.0 and it performs admirably.
As i'll only be using my zed maybe once a week on the weekends over winter i'll be hooking it up once a month or so to bring the battery back into a good condition.
 
Ah right Thanks, I will have a look for that now.

Anyone else got any others or experience for comparison?

Thanks
 
goughy1 said:
Ah right Thanks, I will have a look for that now.

Anyone else got any others or experience for comparison?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes -Ctek.. use it with great success.

Also just to be clear if you are charging and leaving it on you must have a charger that adapts to the battery charge and once full switches to a maintain mode. You cannot leave a trickle charger which you mention on for months
 
Yep, as mentioned above you're best off looking for an intelligent charger as opposed to a simple trickle charger :thumbsup:
Rob
 
Another for CTEK. You can connect up through the engine bay to the jump points (+ve and ground) or direct to the battery. I've used mine for winter lay-ups for the past 6 years, same unit and no issues at all.

Mine is the CTEK MXS5 (around £55) with a Comfort Connect panel & indicator (around £15), so I have a boot indicator in the battery cover panel, and just plug into that.
 
Another vote for a Ctek charger. Been using a XS7000 for 5years now on all my rides :thumbsup:
 
On another post on this forum there are some who say connect to the battery posts but the handbook (2016 issue) states that the under bonnet pins should be used.
 
ronk said:
On another post on this forum there are some who say connect to the battery posts but the handbook (2016 issue) states that the under bonnet pins should be used.
Click to expand...

Reason for that is that if the charger blows, on the bonnet points there is no danger of the car circuit overloading, direct on the battery there is.
 
pvr said:
ronk said:
On another post on this forum there are some who say connect to the battery posts but the handbook (2016 issue) states that the under bonnet pins should be used.
Click to expand...

Reason for that is that if the charger blows, on the bonnet points there is no danger of the car circuit overloading, direct on the battery there is.
Click to expand...

We're singing from the same hymn sheet !
 
I would always charge from the under bonnet connectors as they are designed for the purpose, ventilated in the rare case of gases not venting from the battery tube and it allow the bonnet to be nearly closed and thus the car 'sleep', unlike the boot.

However, the world won't stop spinning if you do connect direct to the battery
 
Ron - indeed, so protected circuits charging for me as well. The X5 has the bonnet open charging through the points there.

The Porsche is different - as the cigarette lighter is life, and there are no easy points, I charge through that instead (but still a protected circuit).

The Golf is so old that by design I have no choice but to charge directly on the battery.
 
Hi all,
Could anyone tell me if the charger i used to use on my motorcycle over winter, would be ok to use on the Z..
It is an Optimate, as i remember, (without going out to the garage to dig it out ) it charges then discharges the battery.
cheers. Dave.
 
davecci said:
Hi all,
Could anyone tell me if the charger i used to use on my motorcycle over winter, would be ok to use on the Z..
It is an Optimate, as i remember, (without going out to the garage to dig it out ) it charges then discharges the battery.
cheers. Dave.
Click to expand...

As long as it's 12v
The charger ive been using for years is a maintenance charger - it wasn't expensive but it also cycles the battery. It never gives it a full whallop charge !
 
Wow, thanks all! I have had a look and would guess that the CT5 will do the job? The next one up, MXS seems more than required...?

If attach it under the bonnet, will the car need to be unlocked to stop alarm etc..? Also currently the car is under a car cover, assume this is all fine with the charger attached?
 
davecci said:
Hi all,
Could anyone tell me if the charger i used to use on my motorcycle over winter, would be ok to use on the Z..
It is an Optimate, as i remember, (without going out to the garage to dig it out ) it charges then discharges the battery.
cheers. Dave.
Click to expand...

I use the optimate that I use on my bike on the zed as well and it's fine.
Switches to maintenance charge when the battery is full - no need to buy another for the car.
 
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