Battery Charging...

[jimmy]

I have just bought a trickle charger for my chimp''s battery (a solar powered one), it goes into the cigar lighter. Does anyway know if the ignition has to be on for this to be able to charge the battery. r J

[Don]

Don't think so, no. I have the kit fitted that brings a charging point into the engine bay and that certainly doesn't need the ignition on! I'd have thought that having the ignition on would negate the point of having the charger (as the car would then be using charge...rather than gaining it). If you use the car regularly enough you won't need it. I have a trickle charger and I only bother with it if the car will be laid up for longer than two weeks....and when will that ever happen?

[apache]

never seen one but I guess if it is like any other charger it will have an ammeter on it, plug it in and if it shows anything it must be working

[craigw]

if its from innovations, no you don't, I've got one & it works fine

[jimmy]

Craig it is.. They mention that their is an LED which goes green to show the charger is working have you got one as i cant see one on mine. r J

[macca]

quote:I have just bought a trickle charger for my chimp''s battery (a solar powered one), it goes into the cigar lighter.

This might be a stupid question but if it is solar powered why do you need to plug it in the ciggy lighter? Answering my own question, is this because you might need to use it when it was not sunny (e.g at night when the car is in garage with no sunlight - you know, the most obvious time to have a battery on trickle, hence whats the point of solar power?)

[IPAddis]

quote: This might be a stupid question

Well I don't think you've thought about it!

quote:but if it is solar powered why do you need to plug it in the ciggy lighter?

To connect it to the battery?! I am assuming that you thought there would be a direct connection to the battery but that wouldn't work either as how can you charge a battery from itself? Ian A Griff 500

[craigw]

No green light on mine. The instructions are crap. The red light flashes to indicate that it is connected to the cig lighter. mine worked enough to start the car when it had been left in a garage near a window for 3 weeks.

[macca]

It was a stupid question wasn't it!! What a dipstick!

[macca]

Thanks capt'n. Hands up, I didn't think about it at all.