mx5cartalk.com

My 2001 NB8B has almost 11 years on it's second OE Panasonic Battery.
As regulars here will know, the car only gets one run a week - for about 1 1/2 hrs on the 'B' roads.
Then its back into the garage for another week.
I put my Trickle-charger on it for a week every month - in deference to the age of the battery and the fact that it only gets one start a week.
I know nothing about "electrics". What do people think - is there any point in what I am doing? Is this likely to extend the life of the battery?

Yes.

I put my trickle charger on my car every time it goes back in the shed,so it would be trickle charging 99% of its life.

I obviously did my research several years ago when I bought this Charger, but I have just noticed all the pictures of motorcycles and similar on the box.
Is this the right Charger for the MX5? Do others use something different?

I use the Ctek MXS 5.0 as it's good for AGM batteries.

https://www.ctek.com/au/all-products/car/mxs-5-0-aus

Nevyn72 wrote:I use the Ctek MXS 5.0 as it's good for AGM batteries.

https://www.ctek.com/au/all-products/car/mxs-5-0-aus

Sulfation primarily occurs when battery voltage falls below 12.4V. Maintaining charge above 12.4V maximises battery life. The C-TEK 0.8 is a quality piece of kit that will easily to that for you so long as you keep using it the way you do now

Nevyn72 wrote:I use the Ctek MXS 5.0 as it's good for AGM batteries.

https://www.ctek.com/au/all-products/car/mxs-5-0-aus

I use the same charger, for many years now, and found it an excellent product. I am thinking of getting another one, cos I have too many cars lying around not being used enough, and constantly shuffling the ctek from car to car is getting old ......

I have also used the Recond setting to recover a 600cca lead acid battery I thought was dead and buried. 2 years later that battery is still going strong..

If its dríven once a week x 1.5 hours ie 4 times a month I doubt that you need to charge it that often . My NB battery ( original) was still going after about 16years though after about 10 days not driving it seemed to crank slower so I used the trickle more often.

My Dog! 16 years! I knew the OE Panasonics were long-lived but that is amazing. Anyone else have one that lasted that long?

My old 1989 NA6 OEM lasted 13 or 14 years, but I replaced it in 2002 or 2003 as the Canberra Winters were becoming a bit of a struggle for it.

Shouldnt need a charger if running the car once a week.

But use the charger if you want. It is a trickle charger, so can be left attached more than just 24hrs.

I usually let it charge up for the day then switch it off. I've heard too many horror stories of fires started by chargers.

I've been putting it on the Charger right after my drive one week and just leaving it on until my drive the next week - so it gets a full week every month.
I guess I could leave it on there permanently but there is no power point close to the car and I have to run an extension cord across the garage floor which is really a trip hazard as the garage is fairly dark and we don't always switch the light on when making a quick trip to the freezer or 'fridge.
I always figured a week a month was probably sufficient given that the car gets a long run weekly.

Hmmmm... Completely misleading heading...

I came here thinking this had something to do with the Energizer Bunny and the incident last week...

bruce wrote:I usually let it charge up for the day then switch it off. I've heard too many horror stories of fires started by chargers.

I had a Haigh charger similar to the C-Tek ones that fused when sitting in the engine bay of my ute. I was really really lucky it didn't burn the car and the whole shed. Haigh offered to replace it for free. I said why would i want another charger that could burn me out.



That's why I changed to C-Tek.

Now I only ever charge with the charger sitting in its own clear patch of concrete garage floor, so if it does blow there'll be no other damage done.