Which trickle charger?

[AlexWinstanley]

Hi everyone

As a complete novice, I’ve made the rookie error of leaving my van on my drive for the past few weeks without taking it out. The battery is now dead and I was going to jump start the van but I’ve been advised to get a trickle charge device like this one in the link below.

I’ve never used these before and have no experience of installing them if anyone has any advice please that you can put in simple terms?

Thanks!

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-chargers/ctek-mxs-5.0-t-uk-battery-charger-665079.html?cm_mmc=Google%20PLA-_-Motoring%3EMotoring%20Products%3EBattery%20Maintenance%3EBattery%20Chargers-_-Motoring%3EMotoring%20Products%3EBattery%20Maintenance%3EBattery%20Chargers-_-665079&gclsrc=aw.ds&_%24ja=tsid%3A%7Ccid%3A17363835999%7Cagid%3A%7Ctid%3A%7Ccrid%3A%7Cnw%3Ax%7Crnd%3A2974452572801999568%7Cdvc%3Am%7Cadp%3A%7Cmt%3A%7Cloc%3A1007230&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17366425846&gbraid=0AAAAADrJx6zKRP4sq4ZgN0DvoFiLobVDC&gclid=CjwKCAiAjc7KBhBvEiwAE2BDOarZJZQLBCRRR7MWyzmSNMEt_69fcTQb8kLXOsS2aNWLnNMwgkZ1IhoCQmMQAvD_BwE

 

[Srea064]

That’s the one I’ve got hooked up to my van at this very moment, excellent charger. They’re cheaper elsewhere mind.

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwjzl_ryjeaRAxWGmFAGHUc8GSgYACICCAEQGBoCZGc&co=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjc7KBhBvEiwAE2BDOXNK1n3QNClVuIDZpkd02vk6zQXBk-Ocre082rp_WlLdnZGWcqdD5BoCvtAQAvD_BwE&cce=1&sig=AOD64_19_i9dI0EmuH7pNR62Eb97GU0ZEg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiN3fLyjeaRAxXDQUEAHdiMBNIQ5bgDKAB6BAgLEAs&adurl=

The CTEK is a smart charger and will automatically bring your battery back to life, just attach it to the vehicle battery, put it in car AGM mode, and leave it until light 7 lights up.

 

[Salty Spuds]

It all depends. Do you have solar/leisure battery/EHU?

 

[Captain Quick]

Either a CTEK MXS 5.0 or even better a Victron Smart IP65 Charger 15A.

 

[Dellmassive]

Some more info here...

Thread 'Battery Chargers - How I Did It -'

7 Feb 2019

Battery Chargers - How I Did It -


So its that time of year again, cold, rainy. . . . . . . flat battery =[


This time we look at Battery Chargers.

Our vans will most likely come with a AGM style starter battery, for this type of battery we need a "Smart Charger" . . . . but what does this mean?

well, chargers of old were of the constant voltage constant current type affair.


They would put out 13.8v at say 5amps and that was it . . . . . . . .


Modern AGM batteries need a much smarter way of being charged properly.


Here’s an extract from OPTIMA:


Here are a couple of things to...

• Dellmassive
• charging how to guide
• Replies: 87
• Forum: Electrics, Lighting, ICE, Security

• 
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[The Flying Scotsman]

Ablemail AMT12

 

[Dellmassive]

Ablemail AMT12

Yep.... If he has a decent leisure battery as well.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Yep.... If he has a decent leisure battery as well.

Yup, that’s why I was asking if he had solar/ehu.

 

[darkman884]

how long is a few weeks????

if the starter battery is exhausted in 2 weeks or so, then you would be better off putting a new starter battery on it.

 

[Salty Spuds]

how long is a few weeks????

if the starter battery is exhausted in 2 weeks or so, then you would be better off putting a new starter battery on it.

Unless there’s a parasitic drain

 

[Dellmassive]

how long is a few weeks????

if the starter battery is exhausted in 2 weeks or so, then you would be better off putting a new starter battery on it.

The starter battery on a EOM van with factory Alarm..... Should last 3-4weeks and start up ok.

the AGM battery is expected to last 3-5years.

Scan the van for codes.... I'd there is a draw you will get a error code... Quiescent power draw to high.

And make sure there ARE NOT WIRES ATTACHED TO THE BATTERY NEG POST, ALL NEGS MUST GO TO CHASSIS.

IE, show us some pics of the battery terminals

 

[roadtripper]

If you run the numbers a "standard" 75Ah battery can be drained to the 50% SoC level in less time than you may expect.

The high sleeping current alarm is set to about 50mA, 24 x 0.05 gives approximately 1.2Ah of capacity loss per day.

If you are start stop then the battery will tend to be around 80% SoC so 75 x 0.8 gives 60Ah. Given you don't want to drop below 50% (37.5Ah) you have 22.5Ah of usable reserve. At 1.2 per day that's around 19 days.

That's all approximate as it's the worst case drain that VW seems as "normal" and it doesn't account for variations in discharge rate (nominal capacity is normally for a 1A.drain) but does show 2-3 weeks can be an issue.

I put the Caravelle on charge if I'm not using it for longer than a week.