Trickle Charger misapprehension

[mach2andy]

I have always thought that the green light on my trickle charger was telling me that my battery was fit and healthy. I was wrong. The engine on my C2 started fine recently, but when I went to start it to put it back in the garage 30 mins later, the solenoid just made that pathetic chattering noise, with no cranking whatsoever. I hadn't left any services on. I called the AA using their app for the first time which worked fine. My new bestie Andy turned up within 30 mins and did a plethora of checks on the wiring which was all good. He told me the battery voltage was good which I already knew because I'd checked it myself. He then connected a small gubbins to the battery which had a QR code on it, and scanned the code with his phone. This apparently sent information half way across the world, and the result was a major thumbs down. The battery [which was at least 10 years old] had high internal resistance which apparently is not good. I changed the battery the next day, and anybody that has done this job on a C2 will know how awkward this job is especially single handed. So, at a guess, the green light is only monitoring voltage? Anyway I'm very glad I discovered my battery issue where I did. Much better than stalling the car half way round the Arc De Triomphe - where we"re heading in May - and finding the car wont start!

 

[Roscobbc]

You were really lucky and must have been looking after that battery really well for the battery to last 10 years........5 or 6 years is average, 6 or 7 years is good, 8 years is amazing - 10 years is almost unheard of!

 

[Chuffer]

The battery was at least 8 years old when it finally died last year in the C3 . It was in the car when I bought it in 2016 so no idea what age it really was .

 

[teamzr1]

Ten years when using a battery tender/maintainer is what the max age batteries of my 2 vehicles also get
Whenever they are parked, I connect the tender to them

Really it is the type you choose to buy as many just are tenders but are not cleaning the cells of battery
Others types are also trickle Charger, Float Charger, Battery maintainer and Desulfator

These types reverse the voltage flow and clean the crap off the cells
a battery could have good voltage but with degraded cells cannot handle the current loads

When selecting one, look to see if it also cleans the cells, maintains voltage level with no more than about 1 AMP
and it is the correct one for the battery type being used

 

[Mr. Cricket]

" anybody that has done this job on a C2 will know how awkward this job is especially single handed." You got that right!

On the '65 C2 BB the front drivers side wheel has to come off, then remove the wheel well liner to slide the battery out & in. Ball ache!

On the SB I use some bungee cords to hold the expansion tank out of the way rather than disconnecting it to access the battery. I then made a 'handle' out of two battery clamps and some 6mm twin + E cable without stripping the insulation of course to make it easier to lift it out and the new one in.