Storing E30 in garage? Battery...

[SeymourCake]

To those of you storing your car in a garage this winter, what are you going to do interms of battery? Sensible and common sense option would be to leave it disconnected.

Anyone trickle charging?

My battery has just gone flat just after two weeks because of the alarm I think. It was a big bosch s4 battery. Annoying! [/img]

[SDM]

To those of you storing your car in a garage this winter, what are you going to do interms of battery? Sensible and common sense option would be to leave it disconnected.

Anyone trickle charging?

My battery has just gone flat just after two weeks because of the alarm I think. It was a big bosch s4 battery. Annoying! [/img]

mine seems to go flat after a week now
I have one of those solar trickle chargers but will need to mod it to extend it down the garage, and i got it about 3 years ago lol

[Justin325i]

My battery also used to go flat after about a week so I bought one of those VW solar panel chargers (at this point the car was kept outside).



Never used it though, before it arrived someone stole my centrecaps so I cleared out all the junk in the garage and put the car in there. I've been told though that these are very good.

Now I have the car hooked up to a ctek battery trickle charger...



This is an excellent product for maintaining your battery!

[Gert_8]

I used to leave mine connected to the charger, figuring it would keep it topped up, due to the alarm. Ended up needing a new battery, as the distilled water kept drying out in the battery chambers - bit embarrassing when it concked out while I was waiting at the local hand wash last summer.

Now I've taken to disconnecting it. works perfectly each time it's connected. Bit of a pain changing the OBC, though.

[James325]

It's a battery conditioner/charger that you need if you want to keep it connected. They monitor batt voltage and charge accordingly.

Even a small trickle charger will kill a batt eventually because they never switch off.

I use an AccuMate. and it's been excellent.

[Gert_8]

Where do you buy those from James, and how much are they?

[bennydotc]

I've always used a Ctek 3600 conditioner and never had an issue. It comes with a quick connector so no need to faff around with the battery cover in the boot.

http://www.vertar.com/ctek/ctek-multi-xs-3600/

[kieran325]

I've got 2 Ctek's, the 3600 and the xs 4003, both brilliant

I've also got the Ring one too.

[e30-EVN]

i just disconnect my battery and its always been fine once reconnected. although a slight pain setting up the obc is really nothing at all

[chris432626]

It's a battery conditioner/charger that you need if you want to keep it connected. They monitor batt voltage and charge accordingly.

Even a small trickle charger will kill a batt eventually because they never switch off.

I use an AccuMate. and it's been excellent.

The AA chap who fitted my battery recommended this also.

[andybmwe21]

i also u a trickle charger from halfords. swicthes off when battery is fully charged.

[HJG-E30]

Batteries going dead in such short spaces of time surely indicate a problem somewhere...

I would disconnect mine, but I hate having to wait for the ECU to learn its settings again, grrr

[Jim320i]

Mine will be just disconnected and left off until I need to run her once or week or so. Fingers crossed its not dead each time.

[SeymourCake]

SO ANNOYING. I got woken up this morning from a faint alarm siren coming from my garage. I knew that battery had gone flat because the siren was no where no as loud as it should be, and when I went to turn it off, the key fob wouldn't work.

I have to spend another £50 odd quid just because I didn't disconnect the battery when I parked it up. I had more faith in it to be honest.

If I top up the water with distilled water, is there any likelyhood that it will come back alive again? I know once a battery goes flat, its a downward spiral as it loses alot of its capacity.

I am going to have to get one, and just start it up and move the wheels once a week, because I don't want any damages from long term storage.

[kieran325]

It's worth the £40 of eBay for the ctek 3600, how much is a new battery nowadays

[Raj_p]

ctek battery trickle charger/conditioner is a good one. Aldi were selling these at £12 each lat week. I got three just in case

[kieran325]

ctek battery trickle charger/conditioner is a good one. Aldi were selling these at £12 each lat week. I got three just in case

Any left ????????

[Raj_p]

Im not sure....

For zoners, i will nip in tomorrow and see if there is any, and if so i will get a few and send them out.

Drop me a pm if you want one.


Sorry Seymoure for spaming...

[e30-EVN]

You can top up with distiled water generaly but if its gone as flat as a pancake I normaly replace!

[kieran325]

Im not sure....

For zoners, i will nip in tomorrow and see if there is any, and if so i will get a few and send them out.

Drop me a pm if you want one.


Sorry Seymoure for spaming...

Stick me down for one, can paypal or bank transfer on the day

[billgatese30]

Im not sure....

For zoners, i will nip in tomorrow and see if there is any, and if so i will get a few and send them out.

Drop me a pm if you want one.


Sorry Seymoure for spaming...

Stick me down for one, can paypal or bank transfer on the day

like wise. I'll have one if they have them. If you get one I can bank transfer or paypal on the same day

[Raj_p]

No worries guys, i will hopefuly get some, fingers crossed

[SeymourCake]

I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy a new bosch super 4 from eurocarpRats, and leave it disconnected when not in use. LESSON LEARNT! I don't have no need to leave the battery connected when its in the garage, and I will only connect it when I start it up once a week.

There is no lights or electrics left on the car for my current battery to go flat, so I just think the coldness and lack of use has messed up water so I might just top up with distilled water tomorrow and see what happens before I buy a new one.

[grantfk10]

Im not sure....

For zoners, i will nip in tomorrow and see if there is any, and if so i will get a few and send them out.

Drop me a pm if you want one.


Sorry Seymoure for spaming...

Stick me down for one, can paypal or bank transfer on the day

like wise. I'll have one if they have them. If you get one I can bank transfer or paypal on the same day

I'd definately take one too. Paypay/Bank transfer can be arranged.

[bmwsport]

^ ditto me too

[Raj_p]

Thats four to get (if any)

i hope you guys made your night time whishes....

[SeymourCake]

Raj make that five (if you find any ofcoarse)

[Raj_p]

5! Ooooh i dont know about that, i dont like 5!

Will do pal

[bmwsport]

Good man let us know how you get on

I had a sunsei solar panel charger last winter and it did quite the opposite as the battery was completely flat come the time it was put back in the car. I also placed the battery in the conservatory and the panel on the window sill in a great light position sat on a modified plate stand.

...What a load of tripe, i sent it back for exchange as i guessed it was faulty but they tested it and it was 'working' fine apparantly so got a refund instead. Maybe a bigger one might be better but its not worth the risk knacking my new BMW battery as i had to buy another one last summer due to winter standing. I think a plug in one is the way to go, much more reliable,

The battery in my touring developed a leak and is now in the bin, i still i haven't got round to buying another. I suppose i could just use the Hartge for 6 months during the summer (llike i do anyway) and just tax the alpenis touring for 6 months during the winter and just swap the batteries over

That should keep it charged up

Ps while we are talking batteries are Varta any good, the blue or silver range?

[DaveD]

I have one that's very similar I bought from my local parts shop for about £20 ...here is the Aldi one ..it looks OK

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/sp ... _15825.htm

they do work and I have left mine on and operating every winter for 6 months and had no probs ...Car starts every time

and for all those that want one here is the aldi store locator so you can go and look for yourselves

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/store_loc ... z_src=main

[e301988325i]

When mine's hauled up, I charge the battery once a fortnight for 1 day, with a charger that reverts to trickle when full, I also charge it from the engine bay (battery in boot) so the boot light's not on, and I'm not damaging boot seals closing a wire in the shut line of the boot. And the ecu doesn't have to relearn itself!

[evosport1990]

Do not store and charge battery on work bench in front of car. Battery exploded and covered car in battery acid............

You have been warned

[SeymourCake]

Raj any updates?

I went to a aldi which took about 45mins to get there only to find there is none!

[Raj_p]

Guys, i went this morning to find they had non left. I asked one of the workers and he said, they only had what was out, and they wont be getting any more of them, and that they sold out within a few hours.

They did have another one there, which was this: http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/sp ... _15825.htm

But im not sure what its like as i aint tried it.

Sorry guys

[billgatese30]

Don't worry about it Raj, thanks for trying though