Flat battery on 718 GT4

[Olderandwiser22]

Looking for a little help.

My 718 GT4 has been parked in the garage from September 2021. I have a CTEK charger hardwired to the battery with the connection threaded through the wheel well - bonnet, boot and doors are all locked.

Anyway - I have sort of forgotten about the car for the last 3 months and the battery is now flat - the doors will not open when pushing the button on the key.

Have connected the CTEK to the flying lead from the battery tonight - do you think this will be enough to bring some charge into the battery to allow me to open and start it? I have the charger set in 'Normal' mode.

Thanks

[LiamH66]

Olderandwiser22 said:

Looking for a little help.

My 718 GT4 has been parked in the garage from September 2021. I have a CTEK charger hardwired to the battery with the connection threaded through the wheel well - bonnet, boot and doors are all locked.

Anyway - I have sort of forgotten about the car for the last 3 months and the battery is now flat - the doors will not open when pushing the button on the key.

Have connected the CTEK to the flying lead from the battery tonight - do you think this will be enough to bring some charge into the battery to allow me to open and start it? I have the charger set in 'Normal' mode.

Thanks

If the CTEK seems happy, you'll most likely get away with it. If the CTEK throws up a fault, switch its setting to "recond" mode. If it throws up a fault after that, try it at least twice more from a standing start in recond mode. This has got cars going for me when in any other situation I would have considered the battery well beyond help - they hate spending any time without charge. You'll need a up to a day of trickle charging.

Gut feel is that you'll get away with it, but I'd recommend replacing any lead-acid battery that has run properly flat. I have 3 CTEK chargers that look after various seldom-used vehicles. My 981 GT4 is never left for more than a couple of weeks without being used or connected to a CTEK. The battery was in my mind past its best when I bought the car in 2018. Have not had any issues so far.

Fingers crossed for you.

Liam

[Olderandwiser22]

LiamH66 said:

If the CTEK seems happy, you'll most likely get away with it. If the CTEK throws up a fault, switch its setting to "recond" mode. If it throws up a fault after that, try it at least twice more from a standing start in recond mode. This has got cars going for me when in any other situation I would have considered the battery well beyond help - they hate spending any time without charge. You'll need a up to a day of trickle charging.

Gut feel is that you'll get away with it, but I'd recommend replacing any lead-acid battery that has run properly flat. I have 3 CTEK chargers that look after various seldom-used vehicles. My 981 GT4 is never left for more than a couple of weeks without being used or connected to a CTEK. The battery was in my mind past its best when I bought the car in 2018. Have not had any issues so far.

Fingers crossed for you.

Liam

Many thanks for your detailed response. I have a funny feeling it will have thrown a fault code when I check this morning.

[Olderandwiser22]

LiamH66 said:

If the CTEK seems happy, you'll most likely get away with it. If the CTEK throws up a fault, switch its setting to "recond" mode. If it throws up a fault after that, try it at least twice more from a standing start in recond mode. This has got cars going for me when in any other situation I would have considered the battery well beyond help - they hate spending any time without charge. You'll need a up to a day of trickle charging.

Gut feel is that you'll get away with it, but I'd recommend replacing any lead-acid battery that has run properly flat. I have 3 CTEK chargers that look after various seldom-used vehicles. My 981 GT4 is never left for more than a couple of weeks without being used or connected to a CTEK. The battery was in my mind past its best when I bought the car in 2018. Have not had any issues so far.

Fingers crossed for you.

Liam

Your advice worked perfectly. The car kicked into life this afternoon - many thanks.

It is sitting on the charger now until its first run out this year.

[LiamH66]

Olderandwiser22 said:

Your advice worked perfectly. The car kicked into life this afternoon - many thanks.

It is sitting on the charger now until its first run out this year.

Happy days, my pleasure!

My 981 GT4 is waiting until week after next to get road tyres back on (track day tyres still on from September track day), then another week for 6 year service and fresh MOT, and then it will be back out as well. Thanks for the reminder to make sure the battery is fully charged!

Liam