Battery charger question

[Marc Boucher]

Hi Louis-Alain,

I have the exact same Motomaster charger that you pictured in your earlier 
email.  The ones that go on sale at CDN Tire for $9.99 every few months :-)

I just did a test where I connected it to charge a 12 Volt battery through 
an ammeter.  When not plugged in, the current 'backdraw' was 0 on even the 
smallest micro-amp scale.  Thus I can't see how it would drain the battery.

You mentioned that your's was a 2 Amp charger (although the one you pictured 
was 1Amp).  So perhaps your's is different.

Something else to mention.  I had a similar charger before that developed a 
burnt out diode (they have 4 simple diodes inside to do the rectification). 
I don't know about these diodes, but sometimes when an IC blows it fails in 
'always on' state, allowing large current flows in either direction.   So 
that's a thought, to check.

Finally, CDN Tire actually has a 50% off sale on a very highly rated 
charger, the CTEK 3300.  It has a desulfation mode, and then shuts off when 
the battery isn't taking more than 0.4A.  It can be left on permanently, and 
re-starts itself when the battery voltage drops below 12.9.  Think the sale 
finishes tomorrow.

Best
MC

--------------------------------------------------
From: <laraa at sympatico.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 6:31 PM
To: "'Steve Sears'" <steve.sears at soil-mat.on.ca>; <quattro at audifans.com>; 
<urq at audifans.com>
Subject: RE: Battery charger question

> Steve,
>
> Sadly, the car doesn't get much exercise these days. Once the girls (3 and
> 6) will be out of the booster seats, this will change. I still love it, 
> and
> she'll get new rear brakes during the holidays. I am trying to install 
> Golf
> IV aluminum calipers (brand new with pads for 165$ each) with 4000Q cables
> and Passat discs. This should be a bolt-on solution, according to our
> mock-up fit.
>
> There should be no parasitic drain since I've installed a cut-off switch
> between the seats (it also serve as a gross antitheft, as well as a 
> reminder
> of the rally heritage :-) ...). The battery should be isolated from any
> drain, except the radio memory (should be minimal). It was never 
> completely
> dead before (while I don't know really since I've installed the 2A 
> charger)
> but starting the car after a couple weeks resulted often in a boost. I 
> guess
> any 12V lead-acid battery loses its charge over time, even on the shelf.
>
> Also, the battery is under the rear seat, and for a tall boy like me, this
> is a very good yoga exercise... hence the desire to leave it there and
> charge it from the trunk the day before I need the car.
>
> We'll see tomorrow if the 12V 2A little charger has indeed drained it.
>
> More to come !
>
> Louis-Alain
>
> -----Message d'origine-----
> De la part de Steve Sears
>
>
> Louis-Alain,
> Unless you're anticipating a "urQ interceptor squadron scramble", I would
> advise removing the battery from the car when it's in the car-coon, and
> keeping it in the garage or house.  By all means keep the charge topped up
> with a trickle charger, and even "exercise" the battery 
> occasionally....but
> don't leave it in the freezing cold fighting parasitic drains with a 
> battery
>
> tender.  Your battery will last longer, and, at worst, all you'll need to 
> do
>
> when you reconnect it is reprogram the clock and your radio.
>
>
> Cheers!
> Steve Sears
>
>
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