Hello me again
I have an issue with battery usage.
I don’t use my car much it can be stood for a week or more between uses so I got a solar powered trickle charger which I have plugged into the 12v socket all the time the car isn’t being used.
The problem is the trickle charger seems to be damaging my battery I’ve had to buy 2 new batteries in the past year at £180 each.
Is there anything I can fit or have fitted to keep my battery charged but not overcharged when not in use?
TIA
Rob

C-TEK is what most people have, I have one connected almost permanantly since retiring and not using the FL2 every day anymore not had any issues with this and the stop/start function always works (though I turn it off) 2013 FL2 XS.
Defender 90 300 TDi.
Defender 90 300 TDi CSW.
1964 MGB Roadster.
1944 Willys MB "Jeep" with bullet holes. (gone)
17 hand Irish Drought Thoroughbred (mostly lame)
Nagging Old Boiler.

Mahatma Gandhi said if there is an Idiot in power those who elected him are well represented. The Enemy is our own corrupt Government.

RobTomo wrote:

Hello me again
I have an issue with battery usage.
I don’t use my car much it can be stood for a week or more between uses so I got a solar powered trickle charger which I have plugged into the 12v socket all the time the car isn’t being used.
The problem is the trickle charger seems to be damaging my battery I’ve had to buy 2 new batteries in the past year at £180 each.
Is there anything I can fit or have fitted to keep my battery charged but not overcharged when not in use?
TIA
Rob

RobTomo wrote:

Hello me again
I have an issue with battery usage.
I don’t use my car much it can be stood for a week or more between uses so I got a solar powered trickle charger which I have plugged into the 12v socket all the time the car isn’t being used.
The problem is the trickle charger seems to be damaging my battery I’ve had to buy 2 new batteries in the past year at £180 each.
Is there anything I can fit or have fitted to keep my battery charged but not overcharged when not in use?
TIA
Rob

I have no idea how many watts it is ill have a look tomorrow and it doesnt have any controls just a panel in the sunroof and a 12 volt plug.
Do the ones mentioned have to be connected directly to the battery and if so can they be left there?
Thanks again

If a panel is connected to a battery via a charge controller, the controller will likely have a user selectable charging profile - flooded lead acid, AGM, LFP etc - and will fully and properly manage the battery. A smart charger if you will.

The piddly little controller free 5-7 Watt panels will be unlikely to overcome a battery's resistance as it gets towards being fully charged and as a result, will be unlikely to overcharge. Anything greater and a charge controller is going to be a good thing.

Have a look at 'about this item' even the 10W version has an integrated controller. (example rather than any sort of recommendation)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voltset-20W-Water...1&th=1

I have a near £700 LiFePo4 battery with 230W of panel connected through a charge controller on my caravan - it is getting on for two years now since the battery has been disconnected. Slightly different I know but only in scale - it illustrates that properly set up, a permanently connected solar panel will not gerf an otherwise healthy battery.

For my car, I have a Ctek MXS 5.0 with an adaptor (bought from the shop* at the top of this page) to connect to the towbar socket but happily, it is rarely ever needed.


*not currently accessible

Linked here
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/exclusive/43...eries-2024

is a typical review of 'Solar Battery Maintainers'.

Most seem to say that they only work best if car battery and electrics are in tip-top condition, and you really need to have a Lithium 'Battery Booster' available in case sufficient charge has been given.

In the past, when I ran a Motor Caravan, before clever battery chargers, I found that unless I gave my battery a rest each day by installing a timer, they failed in the second year. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 82k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)