Maintaining car battery when self isolated?

[ericmark]

I know if I don't use my cars, the battery will over time discharge, so three cars, two drivers, one very low output battery charger, a jump starting kit, and spare battery removed from Jag XE, other two cars Kia Sorento and Honda Jazz the latter is oldest still on original battery and so know that car will need a regular charge, not really worried about the Kia, but the Jag is not as easy, know it has engine management which maintains the battery, and I think using a charger may upset the computer?

So charger is being moved around between Jazz, Sorento, and spare batteries, it is a smart charger so can be left running for an extended time, but what about the Jag, should I charge the battery with smart charger or run engine, and if running engine for how long and how often?

 

[Mottie]

How long are you talking about leaving them for?

 

[JohnD]

but what about the Jag, should I charge the battery with smart charger or run engine, and if running engine for how long and how often?

Running the cold engine for multiple short periods will encourage corrosion, and condensation in the oil, exhaust etc. it is not recommended. Taking the batt out, or giving it a jolt with jump leads, may sent the computer haywire and it takes time to reset itself.

I have a couple of vehicles unsuitable for winter use, and use a not-very-powerful charger that reduces to an less-than-1A charge once the battery is full. I leave it in the boot and don't disconnect the batt. My neighbour's car is a later version and has the big batt plus a little one, might be standby to maintain the electronics. I've tried feeling the battery case on charge and it doesn't even get warm. If you have a smart charger check the instrs to verify if it says can be left permanently connected. I have a tiny smart charger for a bike battery but not powerful enough for a car.

If you have a big 100AH battery it should not "need" charging more than once a month.

I did once consider putting a simple timer on the charger for a mothballed vehicle, maybe an hour a day, but never got round to it.

As you have a superfluity of vehicles I think you need more tha one charger.

Used outdoors, you need an RCD in the house, either on the supply socket or in the CU.

 

[Stivino]

It depends on how long you are going to leave the car, days, weeks, months?
In the past year, I have been to Tenerife three times, each time I stayed there for two months.
When I come back, my four year old battery is full of beans and the car always starts instantly, as if I had never been away.
If your battery is good, there's nothing to worry about.

 

[Burnerman]

It depends on the continuous battery drain due to immobilisers, alarms or whatever......some cars (Mercs) can’t even go a fortnight
Smart charging all the way, but I’d want to turn the Jag over once in a while and run it for 1/2 hour and free the brakes and clutch if its a manual.
John

 

[ericmark]

We are at loggerheads, or nearly only just up the road as to going out, we are as it stands clear of any virus and would like it to remain that way, cars are reasonably full, and it seems we are going to use click and collect in the future, so it seems we will use the Jag for that, and other two no problems charging battery.
I am trying not to go out any further than garden, wife wants to go out more now than ever we did when no risk, got to get chains out it seems to stop her.

 

[Nige F]

got to get chains out it seems to stop her.

Maybe start with some gentler bonds - like crepe bandages

 

[motorbiking]

There is no reason you can't parallel charge provided you add a balance cable, or simply run back to an inline switch.

 

[fixitflav]

I know if I don't use my cars, the battery will over time discharge, so three cars, two drivers, one very low output battery charger, a jump starting kit, and spare battery removed from Jag XE, other two cars Kia Sorento and Honda Jazz the latter is oldest still on original battery and so know that car will need a regular charge, not really worried about the Kia, but the Jag is not as easy, know it has engine management which maintains the battery, and I think using a charger may upset the computer?

So charger is being moved around between Jazz, Sorento, and spare batteries, it is a smart charger so can be left running for an extended time, but what about the Jag, should I charge the battery with smart charger or run engine, and if running engine for how long and how often?

Self-isolation doesn't mean you can't drive anywhere. I would give each car a 15-20 minute run every 3 weeks or so.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Agree
Self isolation is not mixing with others.
You could go for a long drive, stop ata picnic spot, drive on and not meet a soul.
Far better for the vehicle and mental health.

The only issue is refuelling but some pumps are chip and pin, or use a mobile phone app.

Don't take isolation too seriously- use common sense. A bunch of us at work will meet up on a regular basis in a park and eat lunch, but stay a safe distance away from each other

 

[ericmark]

I went for a run in Kia Sorento and dropped trailer off at old house which my son is moving into, he will load it at his leisure, then I will either pick up or he will deliver, 100 mile plus return trip. But that still leaves the Jaguar XE, useless car it is, OK does great miles to gallon think around 70, and wife loves it, but at 6 foot plus not easy to get into, and it will not carry 1/2 what the Kia Sorento does, and have to crawl on the floor to plug in 13 pin socket for trailer and attach the tow ball, as yet never towed with it, OK for her to do weekly or monthly shopping trip, but as a tool the Kia Sorento and Honda Jazz are far better, it's grey but nearly a white elephant, sure she got it one because it says Jaguar on it and two the number plate has her initials on it, by chance not personalised. Lovely car to ride in, and it looks good on the drive, but as a tool rather useless. More a status symbol than anything else but what she wanted, so I had no say.

As a result when we do "need" to travel, it is rarely used, I have a smart charger so I am going to take a chance and in a couple of weeks time use it to top up battery, other cars not a problem standard charging system, only the Jaguar XE is a problem with the stop/start system and computer controlled charging. And I just don't know if charging will or will not mess up the computer.

 

[Mottie]

But that still leaves the Jaguar XE, useless car it is, OK does great miles to gallon think around 70,

70mpg? You sure? If so, I’ve gotta get me one of those - that’s as good as my 300cc scooter!

If they’re parked outside, why not get one of those solar chargers to keep the battery topped up?

 

[ericmark]

Yes the Jaguar was one of worst, so developed new engine, so now one of best, I looked for a small car to replace the Jazz with the idea of saving fuel, but could not find one that was good enough MPG to be worth using instead of the Jag.

And yes motor cycles seem to have gone backwards, back in the late 60's Lambretta claimed all their scooters exceeded 100 MPG. Even the 650 Bonie did 60 MPG, but by the 90's it had all gone to pot, my Yamaha RD200 did not matter how careful you rode it, would not do better than 60 MPG and the reliant regal was doing that, as was the 2CV, so using a motor cycle to save money was out.

I have been slowly returning to 2 wheel transport, but have to not only "Push" on the pedals, around here in the Welsh hills I don't go for a bike ride, I take it for a walk, OK going down of course, my wife has an electric bike, and I have tried it, pedal assist it is called, but it seems does not matter if you weigh 21 stone or 16 stone the bike can still only give 250 watt of assistance. So for me at 21 stone I can just about get home without dismounting, but wife can do it easy.

However in North Wales where hills not as steep as mid Wales, using a non electric took me around 1 hour 15 minutes from mothers house to mine, and 17 minutes mine to mothers house, with electric 40 minutes mothers house to mine, and 17 minutes mine to mothers house. Plus cloths drier when I got to my house.

So I do intend to look at an electric bike for me, not sure on range, as the hills need more battery going up, and on the flat I tend to exceed the 15.5 MPH at which assistance stops. So 10 miles to local town not sure, in North Wales did Shotton, Mold, Chester around 25 miles and still 1/2 charged, have looked at total electric bikes, two problems, one is I need exercise, and two not permitted on cycle tracks, so limit is 250 watt or 1/3 horse power, looking at the way horses go up and down the hills around here seems a lot less than 1/3 a horse power.

 

[ericmark]

Out of interest only, when we got the Jaguar XE we had a problem failing to start, unlike any other car this had some complex engine management, and we it failed we go nothing, engine did not even try to turn over, turn off every thing we could, wait a bit, re-try and it would start, and again unlike any other car the problem seemed to happen in the middle of a long run, not after being laid up for some time, so I suspected some thing with engine management, the car never stopped at junctions.

The garage said it was the battery, which was changed, but we kept the old battery to use on the caravan. To be fair after the battery was changed no further problems, so it did seem garage was correct, however moving house so old battery was charged and abandoned for a good 6 months, when it was collected and brought to new house and put on charge again, very quickly the smart charger reported it as charged, I had a few batteries to charge so this VRLA battery was again put to one side, with the idea of swapping it for the battery now in the caravan, however the virus stopped that happening, so once all other batteries were charged, I put the old Jag battery back on charge, but selected motorcycle on charger, as just wanted to top up.

Now every other battery charged with that charger has slowly gained voltage even when charge rate is 0.1 amp, and has in fullness of time caused the charger to fully turn off, unless there was a fault with the battery, in which case once disconnected the battery would lose charge and after 6 months would be near enough fully discharged. So this battery did not loose charge, so would seem OK, but when put on charge the voltage has remained rock solid at 13.4 volt, been on charge nearly a week, voltage neither fallen or risen.

It does not matter it is only for stand-by, but I wonder why, this battery has not behaved like any other battery I have worked with, and I have worked with 1000's of lead acid batteries, as to if being adsorbed glass mat or valve regulated lead acid I don't know, largest VRLA in the past was 12 AH where this one from size I would guess around 90 Ah, and in the past VRLA have been designed as traction or stand by batteries, not engine starting, but still seems odd, the charging voltage staying static would make me think internal drain, but it sat for 6 months or more with no charge and did not require charging for more than an hour before the charger (3.8A) reported fully charged. So any ideas on this?

 

[ericmark]

Well moving on, the four batteries, Honda Jazz, Kia Sorento, battery pack, and old battery off the Jaguar XE have been charged in rotation, because the Jaguar has engine management which controls battery charging, the Jaguar XE battery has not been charged, until today, the Jag has been used once every 3 weeks to travel to England 25 miles and pick up food that daughter has bought for us, loaded into boot, and back again, this is the only run it has had, and yesterday it brought up a warning low battery don't use heated seats, and so today put on charge, the voltage was 12.4 which considering 50 miles yesterday that is low.

So 10 minutes at 3.8A and then dropped to next stage, 4 minutes at 3A, then next stage, so now down to 0.8A charge, not what I expected, but if slowly been discharging then likely charge will also be slow. All other batteries in fullness of time drop to 0.1A but often that takes days, small batteries will actually switch off, but the one on Kia Sorento takes about a minutes charge 10 times an hour once fully charged, I will guess some very small drain.