Battery Charging

Take a longer route to the shops now and again. I have a much shorter journey in our run around and with a good battery I have never had a need to charge it in 5 years of ownership.

I would disconnect the battery according to instructions which I think is remove the positive first if your vehicle is negatively earthed.

peedee

I should have added, there is nothing in the car handbook about battery charging.

I've never disconnected a battery to charge it except when one was completely flattened and I  mean flattened. Trying to charge it then made the electrics do all sorts or weird stuff. Just keeping a battery topped up I would just do it in situ.

The vehicle handbook will probably tell you to ensure that the Battery Charger earth terminal  is connected to the car bodywork [probably has a dedicated connection point] rather than to the car battery negative terminal. Modern electrical systems can be damaged if you don't observe this rule, apparently.

Steve

It was 50 50 & you got it WRONG. When disconnecting a battery you disconnect the NEGATIVE  first. Reason being is that if you then short the NEGATIVE terminal to the body nothing will happen ie it's the same potential. If you disconnected the positive first & shorted the spanner across the body then you'd have shorted the battery too.

You can leave the battery connected when connecting the battery charger  ..... Ctek provide the connector plug/socket to do it. My Smart spent months connected to a Ctek until last week with no problems. My motor bike has spent the last couple years likewise.

If you have a 'Smart Charger' such as a CTEK for example then there is no need to disconnect the battery, plus if it is your towcar then you can do as I have done. My spare CTEK lead has a 13 pin towing socket attached and I do it via the back of the car.

For a minute then i thought you were charging the battery of your tow car by plugging the charger in to the 13 pin towing socket!

On re-reading my post I think I should have written 'towing plug' and not socket  Anyways, here is my way of topping up the towcar battery occasionally. 

With the summer coming, a 20watt solar panel on the dashboard and connected to your battery should keep it trickle charged. Not very effective if the car is in your garage though but most people leave their £30K car on the drive and fill the garage with £32.50's worth of dross.

 Over the winter going on short trips using the Heater and rear window demister and mirror heaters the poor battery has no chance so I connect the battery charger to battery insitu just to keep it fully charged