Phil_G Posted January 13, 2002 Share Posted January 13, 2002 OK, a bit of a simpleton question...... but how long should a battery keep it charge? I last used the car in November, and should I expect the battery now to be flat (note it had been on a charger prior to its last use) Also since you all seem to like jokes..... bloke goes to the doctors with a bit of lettuce sticking out of his rear.... "Oh my God", exclaims the doctor, "this is a major problem." In fact, I think we are just looking at the tip of the iceberg" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjwood Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 Hi Phil, The answer is, it depends. Batteries do lose their charge gradually over time and a battery in excellent condition stored in ideal conditions should have no problem starting an engine after a few months. The problem is, if you have any current draw from the battery (alarm, immobiliser, etc), this can get significant over a long period like this. Also, it depends on temperature. Lower temperatures reduce the amount of charge a battery can store so if it's been below zero for most of the winter it'll be worse off. The other point is that the battery in a Westie is physically small and generally called upon to start a fairly big engine whereas the average tin top will have a more generously rated battery. This means the battery has to retain a higher percentage of charge in order to successfully start the engine. I think the best thing to do when a car is laid up is to either put the battery on charge for a few hours each month or to leave it connected to a small trickle charger continuously. If you let a battery completely discharge and don't charge it up again promptly, it is unlikely to recover. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smayo Posted January 31, 2002 Share Posted January 31, 2002 I left my battery connected to my speedsport during the build, and even though I havn't got an immobiliser fitted yet, the battery was flat inside of 2 weeks. I now leave it connected to a battery conditioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted January 31, 2002 Share Posted January 31, 2002 For the last 6-7 years I have been using a battery conditioner for my motorbikes, my boats and more recently my Westfield I use a thing called an Optimate which is available from most good motorbike shops (about £40) but Race Technology now do one for £25 which seems just as good click here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stueyboy Posted January 31, 2002 Share Posted January 31, 2002 That charger looks quite nice. Anyone offer any comments if you have one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick M Posted January 31, 2002 Share Posted January 31, 2002 The Race Technology one is great - but it only has small crocodile clips on it. Fine for a Red Top 30 battery but a pain for ones with normal terminals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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