Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
What ever happened to starting handles?
They attached them to bikes and called them cranks and pedals
What ever happened to starting handles?
What ever happened to starting handles?
Same here - I can go weeks without using the car so I purchased a basic soloar powered trickle charger that plugs in to the OBD port. It seems to work most of the time, but I do back it up with a 20-40 mile run up the A14 once a fortnight if it's been really cold.
The Ducato Camper battery went a bit dead due to a long period of inactivity the other week.
I bought a charger, found the battery compartment, the size of the battery and the myriad wires attached read the Fiat instruction manual and thought better of it, so called Fiat Rescue. A very helpful chap soon turned-up and kick started it into life with one of those jump packs.
I said I bought a charger and asked how I should use it, and he politely suggested I had the wrong gizmo.
His recommendation is one of these:
Amazon product ASIN B00604UABYView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-MXS-7-0-Automatic-Reconditions/dp/B00604UABY/ref=asc_df_B00604UABY/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226168125559&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4226446014826079109&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006662&hvtargid=pla-578948283592&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
If you buy an Aston Martin you get one of these with a posh AM frontage (in fact many other supercars come with them), reason is they often spend long periods in the garage unused. Of course AM has some fancy connection.
So could be an option.
His suggestion was to permanently connect the spade-type connectors to the battery, and then you just plug-in the conditioner.
Maybe an easier option?
The Ducato Camper battery went a bit dead due to a long period of inactivity the other week.
I bought a charger, found the battery compartment, the size of the battery and the myriad wires attached read the Fiat instruction manual and thought better of it, so called Fiat Rescue. A very helpful chap soon turned-up and kick started it into life with one of those jump packs.
I said I bought a charger and asked how I should use it, and he politely suggested I had the wrong gizmo.
His recommendation is one of these:
Amazon product ASIN B00604UABYView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-MXS-7-0-Automatic-Reconditions/dp/B00604UABY/ref=asc_df_B00604UABY/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226168125559&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4226446014826079109&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006662&hvtargid=pla-578948283592&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
If you buy an Aston Martin you get one of these with a posh AM frontage (in fact many other supercars come with them), reason is they often spend long periods in the garage unused. Of course AM has some fancy connection.
So could be an option.
His suggestion was to permanently connect the spade-type connectors to the battery, and then you just plug-in the conditioner.
Maybe an easier option?
As alluded to in my original post, our bikes are our preferred method of local transport, thus part of the issue - !Get a bicycle, problem solved.
it's not the fact that you left it for 2 weeks, it's that when you do use it, you don't use it very much. Over time the battery goes down but doesn't get recharged back up if you are only doing very occasional short journeys.Our previous car was a '97 Fiesta which one year, sat in the driveway for over three weeks on the cold and snow. Got in, turned the key, started no problem.
Interestingly that can be an issue for EVs particularly if stored for long periods of time. The recommendation is that you store the car with between 50% and 80% charge and the car will cope for about 6 months, possibly longer if the car has a deep sleep setting.
Although the most basic technology, a steering wheel on the right, is no longer available on the Model S and model X in the UK.
If Mrs D's MINI has a separate 12v battery for the accessories I've yet to find it, although there were so many panels and boxes it could well be condealed.
Our previous car was a '97 Fiesta which one year, sat in the driveway for over three weeks on the cold and snow. Got in, turned the key, started no problem.
And modern technology is better for the planet - ?![]()