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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

car battery charger


China Man

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Now I decided to keep my supra and get the modification I want bit by bit I need a battery charger to keep the battery alive.

 

I have 2 cars now and I drive the supra once every 2 weeks and I don't have garage so the alarm drain the battery away...

 

any recommendation for a good battery charger? I am tempted with the one that can pump air as well as charging and jump start, any ideas?

 

Benson

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I have a massive solar panel on the boot floor. Its about 5w. Doesn't stop the battery from going dead :(

 

I also have a Gunsons automatic battery charger that I've extended the wires on so it can go out of the garage and to the car parked by the garage door.It has a permenant float option that keeps the battery topped up to just the right level when switched to auto. I leave it on this all the time.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/9-AMP-GUNSON-6-12-VOLT-AUTOMATIC-CAR-BATTERY-CHARGER_W0QQitemZ230188689689QQihZ013QQcategoryZ28641QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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  • 2 years later...
Guest mike6187
Kranz wrote:

I have a massive solar panel on the boot floor. Its about 5w. Doesn't stop the battery from going dead

 

I also have Gunsons automatic battery chargers that I've extended the wires on so it can go out of the garage and to the car parked by the garage door.It has a permenant float option that keeps the battery topped up to just the right level when switched to auto. I leave it on this all the time.

 

I also got the chance to try the Gunsons automatic battery charger but the charger didn't last that long to me. So, i shifted to the Wagan Solar Power battery. Since then, my car battery charged at top performance.

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How much cable comes with these then?

 

I've got a CTEK XS3600: cable from unit to battery connectors is just long enough to run from the battery, across the engine bay, over the airbox and down the side of the car with the unit on the floor beside the car. The mains cable is fairly long (1-2 metres at a guess?), but of course that's easy to extend if you need to.

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CTEK XS3600 would be a good bet :)

 

I've got a CTEK XS3600: cable from unit to battery connectors is just long enough to run from the battery, across the engine bay, over the airbox and down the side of the car with the unit on the floor beside the car. The mains cable is fairly long (1-2 metres at a guess?), but of course that's easy to extend if you need to.

 

I also use the CTEK XS3600, a great little unit, comes with quick release plug and fly leads you can leave connected to the car :thumbs:

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  • 4 weeks later...
I've got a CTEK XS3600: cable from unit to battery connectors is just long enough to run from the battery, across the engine bay, over the airbox and down the side of the car with the unit on the floor beside the car. The mains cable is fairly long (1-2 metres at a guess?), but of course that's easy to extend if you need to.

 

How do you extend them then?

 

Do you cut the cable and use speaker wire etc to make up the length?

 

I really need to get a charger pronto as the battery really struggled today on start up.

 

H.

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How do you extend them then?

 

with an extension lead.

As he said, a standard mains extension lead.

 

H, maybe you misunderstood what I wrote: the XS3600 charger is made up of a standard mains cable, then a transformer (like most laptops have) which is also the control box, then the low voltage narrow flex that you connect to the battery. You should find the low voltage flex is long enough, and it'll only be the mains side that might need extending.

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As he said, a standard mains extension lead.

 

H, maybe you misunderstood what I wrote: the XS3600 charger is made up of a standard mains cable, then a transformer (like most laptops have) which is also the control box, then the low voltage narrow flex that you connect to the battery. You should find the low voltage flex is long enough, and it'll only be the mains side that might need extending.

 

Ahh right.

 

My car is outside and under a cover and I would ideally like to run the cable under the car and up through the engine bay as I don't like the thought of the wire resting against the paint for a month or so.

 

The problem I have is that I have a socket right near the front door but I would need about 4 metres of power cable to get the charger inside the car or under the bonnet OR have 4 metres of charging cable from the CTEK unit to reach the battery from the house. Either way I can't get the charger near the car with the standard 2m of cable.

 

I suppose a mains lead extension could work but the cable would be quite thick for getting through doors and then closing them afterwards. I would prefer the extend the thinner cable after the charger.

 

H.

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Ahh, I see. In that case your best bet would be to splice some extra length into the low voltage flex. I'd cut the flex somewhere in the middle, and solder in some extra flex. Anything of the same gauge should be fine. Make sure the joins are very well insulated and watertight obviously, seeing as it'll be outside.

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Guest wantthatone

 

i certainly would'nt leave a battery charger in the engine bay charging....

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Ahh, I see. In that case your best bet would be to splice some extra length into the low voltage flex. I'd cut the flex somewhere in the middle, and solder in some extra flex. Anything of the same gauge should be fine. Make sure the joins are very well insulated and watertight obviously, seeing as it'll be outside.

 

OK. You would think that someone would do one with a decent length of cable on the charging side of the transformer?

 

I have looked at loads and come up with very little. The CTEK 3600 looks favourite at the moment.

 

H.

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Can't you just let the battery go flat and jump it when you next need to use it? If not I'd be happier about 12 volt wires running outside than mains ones.

 

Aren't batteries useless after they have been flattened for a while. Also, my insurance wouldn't cover me if the alarm isn't operational. Although with a falt battery the car is not as easy to steal..!!

 

I have bought the CTEK 3600 tonight and should get it Tuesday. I just hope the cable will reach when I am thinking of putting the car .

 

H.

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