Car battery charging

mardycow

help please, i want to charge the battery in my Toyota Rav 4, 2 litre.have seen a few battery chargers but getting confused, i don't want to remove the battery from the car to do it, I saw a car charger thingy on qvc sometime back that runs off electric and you can store in the boot for emergencies but they don't seem to have it anymore, any advice please, Also don't really want to spend too much for it (£50ish max)

goldspanners

i think you need to tell us more about your situation, whats wrong with car,how often is it used,where is it parked over night,etc....

hewhoisnotintheknow

maybe she doesnt use it very much, if thats the case how about a solar charger, i use that on my motorbike to keep it topped up

LandyAndy

espresso wrote: »

It shouldn't really need charging if the car is being used. If it's not holding a charge get a new battery.

But get the alternator checked out first.

mardycow

I use the car every day but for short journeys, it does start first timeand the battery is under 2 years old, I had the battery checked and it is fully topped but the guy said it could do with charging up. I just want to be pro active so don't get caught out with the cold weather, does that cover most of the points in the replies.

goldspanners

if you only use it a little and want to be pro active then i suggest using the car a bit more,this will help reduce engine wear,keep the battery charged,save premature exhaust wear,and keep the moisture out of the interior.

but if you insist on a battery charger all you need is a small charger giving a trickle charge over night.

hewhoisnotintheknow

i think she means its topped up with distilled water

shown73

If most of your motoring consists of relatively short journeys, you are quite sensible in wanting to top up the charge, especially now in winter. With lights, heater, etc all going, your system will struggle a bit. Battery chargers are very cheap, and you don't need anything sophisticated just for the occasional top-up. All the pundits will explain at great legnth why you should always disconnect the battery when charging, and they are probably right, but I've been topping mine up in-situ for years with no ill effects. With modern cars, disconnecting the battery can result in quite a few problems, with ECU settings, radio codes etc.
Perhaps drop into an independant car accessory shop for some advice, and a cheapish charger. Not sure about Halfords. Some of their blokes are very good, but its a lottery. Good luck anyway, and keep up the sensible approach.
Had to smile a bit about the suggestion that you should drive more, to keep the battery charged! Hardly money-saving, is it?

goldspanners

shown73 wrote: »

If most of your motoring consists of relatively short journeys, you are quite sensible in wanting to top up the charge, especially now in winter.
Had to smile a bit about the suggestion that you should drive more, to keep the battery charged! Hardly money-saving, is it?

keep smiling when your exhaust has fallen off due to rotting from the moisture inside it.

hardly money saving paying for a new exhaust earlier than needed.

i dont mean run the car the length of the country,just a few more miles,one half decent drive per week,will be more than enough.

anewman

Lidl have one in their specials soon http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20081106.p.Battery_Charger.ar8 I got the same one when they've been on offer previously and it works well enough for me. Takes a while to charge a dead battery but that's probably a good thing.

Don't bother with the jump start packs IMO. They have their own battery and that can get knackered and die. I would say there's no advantage keeping one in your boot unless it's fully charged regularly and you have a known issue - but then again if you have a known issue you should be getting the battery and alternator checked/replaced.

hewhoisnotintheknow

SOLAR CHARGER on the dash or parcel shelf