[urq] Battery charger question

[Mark Rosenkrantz]

CTEK is really worth the money.  GREAT battery chargers.

Mark Rosenkrantz

On Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 8:49 PM, Marc Boucher <mboucher70 at hotmail.com>wrote:

> 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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