Mike-360R Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 @StevehS3 - yes it is something I've thought of and is a much simpler and easier solution. Likewise, whenever the car is garaged I use the master cut-off switch to isolate the battery. If the car is left more than a few weeks (e.g. over the winter) I give the battery a quick boost with the C-Tek charger and I've never had any issues of an electrical nature getting the car started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 28 minutes ago, Mike-360R said: @StevehS3 - yes it is something I've thought of and is a much simpler and easier solution. Likewise, whenever the car is garaged I use the master cut-off switch to isolate the battery. If the car is left more than a few weeks (e.g. over the winter) I give the battery a quick boost with the C-Tek charger and I've never had any issues of an electrical nature getting the car started. I think with a master cut off you could go many weeks without needing a charge. I don’t have one and it starts as normal after a couple of weeks without use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlastairA Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 Not sure if they still do them but I use a CTek battery monitor that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and provides a charge status graph over time. Quite handy to keep an eye on during the off-season. Also sends a notification if a charge is required. Just straps straight across the battery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattB Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 If you have a battery master switch fitted, bear in mind that fitting a CTEK charger directly to the battery and then fitting the socket in the cockpit goes against the Blue Book should someone want to race the car: External Circuit Breaker 8.1. The circuit breaker, when operated, must isolate all electrical circuits with the exception of those that operate fire extinguishers. MattB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Stamp Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 (edited) On 15/07/2024 at 17:38, BigCol said: Me too. C-TEK socket in the cockpit so can connect without the need to remove the bonnet. I have used the same CTEK cable method as BigCol but with a black M16 IP68 waterproof compression fitting from ebay to give me a splash proof CTEK cable "through the bulkhead routing." This type of fitting has a rubber insert that is compressed gently around the CTEK cables when the unit is tightened. The CTEK eyelets are a tight fit but will just go through the unit with care. Here is the link and a screengrab of the eBay purchase item - it was £2.93 for 1 fitting I think. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223907579809?var=522652470781 The CTEK eyelets go straight onto my JWM Lithium battery terminals. Edited July 17 by David_Stamp Spelling correction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 This is an intriguing little device from Sealey for around £25 online. Two wires connect it to the battery and it shows diagnostic information such as charging, cranking performance, temperature etc along with alarms for low voltage (eg time to connect a charger if the car is garaged). It also has GPS so the app shows where the car is parked. The power draw is minimal at 1.5mA average. https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637945901/battery-monitor-sensor-vehicle-finder A review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrooZPhwoA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ainsley Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 That's quiet a nice little tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David JLM Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 (edited) I love a gadget! Operating temp up to 40 degrees c. I'd have though the engine bay of a 7 (and other cars) went well above this - anyone used it without goosing it? Edit - other cars batteries are often hidden elsewhere... Edited July 18 by David JLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlastererPete Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 I’ve looked into that Sealey BT2020. It comes across as a vehicle tracker but it merely records where it has been. You can’t actively track it. But for battery monitoring purposes it may work if it could handle the temps as mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Hutton Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 That does look cool. Just ordered one on eBay for £26.95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCol Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 8 hours ago, David JLM said: I love a gadget! Me too… no idea exactly what I’d use it for but that’s not the point! take my money… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Hutton Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 Here it is! My latest totally unnecessary upgrade 🙂 Dead easy to setup and worked with the phone app immediately. Haven't done the cranking and charging tests yet but will do next time I get the car out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 It will be interesting to see the battery drain over time when the car is not used. I don’t have an isolator and have in my mind approx. 10% discharge per week so I pop it on the charger for a few hours once every week or two. Perhaps I need one too 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ainsley Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 Wont the immobiliser drain the battery over time ? Oh, and my OCD sensor is itching with those crossed wires all in blue 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCol Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 31 minutes ago, Ainsley said: Wont the immobiliser drain the battery over time ? Oh, and my OCD sensor is itching with those crossed wires all in blue 🙂 Oh yes! It’s the main reason many of us have an isolator switch. Oh yes! 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 1 hour ago, Ainsley said: Wont the immobiliser drain the battery over time ? Oh, and my OCD sensor is itching with those crossed wires all in blue 🙂 Yes it does and the Banner isn’t a big battery but I think the drain is less than expected. I checked mine and after a couple of weeks (without an isolator) it was at 12.48V and started as normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlastairA Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Here's a screenshot of my battery status during the off-season. FIA switch to isolate the battery - battery capacity drops to around 80% over 6 weeks and as StevehS3 says, car starts perfectly. I think the faster decline in December was realted to a cold snap around that time (this does correlate with the temperature graph on the next tab). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Does this device log the minimum voltage during cranking? Deterioration in that is probably the best practical predictor of not starting when needed. And i'm very dubious about how much information can be derived from voltage when not under load. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 11 hours ago, StevehS3 said: Yes it does and the Banner isn’t a big battery but I think the drain is less than expected. I checked mine and after a couple of weeks (without an isolator) it was at 12.48V and started as normal. We know that drain when unused varies enormously between Sevens... ... but we don't have enough measurements... Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlastairA Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 13 minutes ago, Jonathan Kay said: Does this device log the minimum voltage during cranking? Deterioration in that is probably the best practical predictor of not starting when needed. And i'm very dubious about how much information can be derived from voltage when not under load. Jonathan Yes it does Jonathan, but the sampling rate is insufficient to get a really detailed view of performance during that time. I think the batttery dV/dt (rate of change) is a useful indicator of battery health and charge status (also shown by the battery icon colour in the image) and whether or not plug in the conditioner / charger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ainsley Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 Id forgotten about temperature, of course that will make a massive difference. Thinking electrically I forget its a chemical battery. We have an old Landy at work that keeps getting a flat battery, there are no drains on it, but overtime the battery just loses its charge and that's normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 2 hours ago, Jonathan Kay said: We know that drain when unused varies enormously between Sevens... ... but we don't have enough measurements... Jonathan This was my little test. I agree with Jonathan, this seems to vary from car to car. Also, correlating [almost] no-load battery voltage to capacity will not be very accurate I expect. I just wanted to get a feel for how long to go between charges. I don’t have an isolator. Edited July 23 by StevehS3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Kay Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 Just been under the bonnet. My DIY accessory "cigar lighter" socket has a 15 A fuse. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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