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Checked on the Sportster last night. Battery is dead as a doornail. It was fine over last winter but I guess the exceptionally cold weather this year may have something to do with it's demise. So - new battery this w/e which is a bit of a pain in the wallet...
But what does everyone else do about keeping the battery alive over winter? Is it worth buying one of the trickle chargers? I think C-tek are one of the most well known?
That is exactly the way to go, I have a microlight which has a small motorbike sized battery which is on trickle charge all the time. Over this winter at our airfield, those without trickle chargers experienced the same problems as you and those of us with them were fine.
I looked at a Sportster last weekend, that too was on a trickle charge and started first time.
My trickle charger is just a bit bigger than a mobile phone charger and was bought from Halfords. They are self monitoring and switch themselves on and off to maintain full charge. Just has an led light that is either red or green.
Simples.
Dennis
MartinClan wrote:
Checked on the Sportster last night. Battery is dead as a doornail. It was fine over last winter but I guess the exceptionally cold weather this year may have something to do with it's demise. So - new battery this w/e which is a bit of a pain in the wallet...
But what does everyone else do about keeping the battery alive over winter? Is it worth buying one of the trickle chargers? I think C-tek are one of the most well known?
Checked on the Sportster last night. Battery is dead as a doornail. It was fine over last winter but I guess the exceptionally cold weather this year may have something to do with it's demise. So - new battery this w/e which is a bit of a pain in the wallet...
Will it not charge at all? Have you tried a standard charger overnight and seen if she'll turn over?
I've not considered a trickle charger for Vikky - she fired up fine earlier this week (first time since September last year) when I took her for her MOT... Maybe she didn't get as cold, as she's sat in an integral garage which benifits from the warmth of the house.
I've not considered a trickle charger for Vikky - she fired up fine earlier this week (first time since September last year) when I took her for her MOT... Maybe she didn't get as cold, as she's sat in an integral garage which benifits from the warmth of the house.
My "intelligent" charger lit the LED that said the battery was US. I have an un-intelligent charger somewhere - I may try that before I write it off.
I was a bit surprised that the battery was completly dead - but I do have an alarm that, while not taking a lot of juice, may have taken enough to finish it off. Plus - it has been verrrry cold in the garage overnight.
I would think that the alarm will have done it in more than the cold.
These intelligent chargers are a nuisance because they won't charge it up from completely dead, only mostly dead. In my experience.
Tim
I use a halfords one that fill up then changes to maintenance mode. I also start the engine once a month ish and let it warm up / run for a while If the roads are dry and salt free I take it for a run.
My battery was dead once this winter, but only because I left the doors open to dry underneath after a wash - interior lights stayed on - oops!
I have a C-tek unit, which from memory cost about £50 ish.
I had exactly your problem and the C-tek recovered it, I did a fair bit of reading around on the internet and the general concensous was if the C-tek didn't recover it nothing would.
I took the view it was worth a punt as even if it didn't recover it (which it did) I would still need it anyway to stop the same fate on the replacement battery.
If you shop around on line you can get the C-tek for about the same price as some of the Halfords clones of it.
I have a C-tek unit, which from memory cost about £50 ish.
I had exactly your problem and the C-tek recovered it, I did a fair bit of reading around on the internet and the general concensous was if the C-tek didn't recover it nothing would.
I took the view it was worth a punt as even if it didn't recover it (which it did) I would still need it anyway to stop the same fate on the replacement battery.
If you shop around on line you can get the C-tek for about the same price as some of the Halfords clones of it.
John
Thanks John. That was the conclusion I was reaching. Have ordered a CTEK 3600 although I suspect the battery may be beyond even that. But as you say - worth a punt...
Thanks John. That was the conclusion I was reaching. Have ordered a CTEK 3600 although I suspect the battery may be beyond even that. But as you say - worth a punt...
Robin
The 3600 is the model I have Robin, hope it sorts it out for you.
Had a look around on the internet. A lot of places seem to be selling the same unit as Malpin. (or at least look very similar) they state that it is weathproof.
Will look around a bit more see if I see something that fits the bill. Might cut a hole in the car cover and put a window in over the windscreen. Probably best to keep it out of the rain.
Well having left the battery on cahrge for nearly two days using the CTEK charger the green light, indicating a full charge and healthy battery, has come on. Amazing - I really thought that the battery was shot.
Well having left the battery on cahrge for nearly two days using the CTEK charger the green light, indicating a full charge and healthy battery, has come on. Amazing - I really thought that the battery was shot.
Robin
Robin
Glad to hear the C-tek did the trick, good result.
If the roads are dry and salt free I take it for a run.