rowbos Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 5 minutes ago, Araf said: Not sure what the postman thinks of @John K having a mains lead hooked up to the letterbox. 😄 Not a problem. They throw the post in his garden as they walk past. The history of binocular and camera abuse triggered the restraining order that inhibits them getting any closer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 42 minutes ago, Araf said: If you're handy and have a soldering iron, get some lighting flex and extend the 12v side of the CTEK. That's what I have done with all of my chargers. Lighting flex can be easily trapped in a window. Not sure what the postman thinks of @John K having a mains lead hooked up to the letterbox. 😄 postie arrives...... ZZZZzzzzzzttt ...... smoking crispy thing lies on the @John K front step clutching handful of charred envelopes hope he's planned this scenario - well officer it's like this...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted April 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 If she is twitching from the volts it's a bonus..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaregs Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 1 minute ago, John K said: If she is twitching from the damaged genitals it's a bonus..! CFA.😃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowbos Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 2 hours ago, John K said: If she is twitching from the volts it's a bonus..! That will be the only way you'll get her twitching I'll warrant 😏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaregs Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 3 minutes ago, rowbos said: That will be the only way you'll get her twitching I'll warrant 😏 Well, he is a well known "Twitcher" i.e. bird watcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted April 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2020 12 hours ago, rowbos said: That will be the only way you'll get her twitching I'll warrant 😏 I've heard an AC current can prevent rigor mortis from setting in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted April 5, 2020 Report Share Posted April 5, 2020 20 hours ago, Araf said: If you're handy and have a soldering iron, get some lighting flex and extend the 12v side of the CTEK. That's what I have done with all of my chargers. Lighting flex can be easily trapped in a window. If no soldering iron, wire snippers and chocolate block? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart_H Posted April 5, 2020 Report Share Posted April 5, 2020 25 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: If no soldering iron, wire snippers and chocolate block? You must have seen my boot release cable fix from last year! 😆 ...it still works though 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxstercol Posted April 5, 2020 Report Share Posted April 5, 2020 Timely thread this as have been wondering what to do myself... Haven’t actually ‘driven’ the car since just after Christmas & it’s just sat in the garage. I’m putting the CTEK on it every month so far & have been starting it once a month but wondering if this is sensible? I also read somewhere that running an engine without driving results in ‘hotspots’ in the engine which isn’t good. Can’t leave the CTEK on it permanently as to be honest I don’t actually trust it! I can have it on charge for along time & it doesn’t go into maintenance mode, however if I switch it off at the wall & then switch it back on it instantly goes into maintenance mode. I’m worried that it might fry my battery! I’ve got one of those Aldi / Lidl smart chargers that I picked up when on offer for peanuts, I don’t use this as although it’s a maintenance charger, the instructions state that you should remove the negative terminal of the battery before using... I thought the whole point of it was to have it plugged into the car when the battery is connected. Doing my head in not driving it though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTM520 Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 @Stewart_H I have the same issue. Lockdown mode: I have a bathroom at the front of the house so the extension lead plugs in the hall, through the bathroom, out the window which has a system where you can open it but can lock with it being open then out to the car. I put the whole ctek and the plugs in the front boot and just leave the front boot ajar, so with just the cable between house and car, if it rains all is well. Non-lockdown mode: When not at home during the day I leave the car locked but the CTEK is on the battery terminals and I just push the little connector up at the top of the bonnet. I then put the CTEK in a wee bag on the window of the car (enough to keep water off but still let some air around it) then the plugs I wrap in a bag and put on top of one of the front wheels. I unplug at night and if it's going to be really heavy rain I just don't bother. I don't do it every day either, but I see a little bit of charge going in is better than nothing. 12hrs was enough to get the CTEK to light up green and go trickle charge mode and if not being used then it doesn't take long the next day or day after to get it up to that status again. It's not been plugged in for 3 days as the wife has wanted the hot tub plugged in. So I now want a second extension cord just for the CTEK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 On 4/1/2020 at 3:57 PM, Darkstar said: I ordered an Amazon FireTV stick to run Kodi yesterday and apparently it is an essential item so will be delivered tomorrow. We used to use Kodi, great for downloading the latest movies but it seems to slow up to the point of it being unusable...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart_H Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 1 hour ago, BTM520 said: @Stewart_H I have the same issue. Lockdown mode: I have a bathroom at the front of the house so the extension lead plugs in the hall, through the bathroom, out the window which has a system where you can open it but can lock with it being open then out to the car. I put the whole ctek and the plugs in the front boot and just leave the front boot ajar, so with just the cable between house and car, if it rains all is well. Non-lockdown mode: When not at home during the day I leave the car locked but the CTEK is on the battery terminals and I just push the little connector up at the top of the bonnet. I then put the CTEK in a wee bag on the window of the car (enough to keep water off but still let some air around it) then the plugs I wrap in a bag and put on top of one of the front wheels. I unplug at night and if it's going to be really heavy rain I just don't bother. I don't do it every day either, but I see a little bit of charge going in is better than nothing. 12hrs was enough to get the CTEK to light up green and go trickle charge mode and if not being used then it doesn't take long the next day or day after to get it up to that status again. It's not been plugged in for 3 days as the wife has wanted the hot tub plugged in. So I now want a second extension cord just for the CTEK! Ha! The downstairs loo window in vent mode and locked is exactly the same technique I ended up using a couple of days ago I had a spare extension reel which I removed the plug from and threaded through a hole I drilled in the garage window frame (it's old and needs replacing so I'm not too precious about it). I ran the cable between the joins in the slabbed path so hopefully no one trips over it (fingers crossed) and in to the house through the window to connect up indoors. I had to resort to using the crocodile clips to connect the CTek to my battery as the ciggy lighter adapter doesn't work on my old 986S (2000 model). I managed to connect the clips flat/level in order to close the bonnet/front boot and run the cable out to the charger sat on the passenger wiper arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 no need for a CTEK for me - SWMBO has just stolen the Box to go to the post office at get milk and a couple of other bits. Roof down too while i'm stuck on yet another conference call Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sa utah Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 48 minutes ago, Mattman42 said: no need for a CTEK for me - SWMBO has just stolen the Box to go to the post office at get milk and a couple of other bits. Roof down too while i'm stuck on yet another conference call Well I’m afraid to say that short trip and roof action will have depleted the battery. You might want to reconsider the CTEK. I’d not be without ours. All 4 currently on duty ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 11 minutes ago, sa utah said: Well I’m afraid to say that short trip and roof action will have depleted the battery. You might want to reconsider the CTEK. I’d not be without ours. All 4 currently on duty ! never had a problem yet to need a CTEK, even doing short journeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 I just bought one of those Bluetooth battery monitors, BM2 for £17.89 off ebay. Its now fitted to the wife's Jaguar as it every so often flattens it's battery. Hopefully it will warn us when we need to give her a quick run to recharge it. Using a ctex is not a great option as the wife refuses to touch it and I can't always be around when she needs the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thanatoid Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Darkstar said: Hopefully it will warn us when we need to give her a quick run Will that be OK with her? No dinner if you don't do x - miles? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sa utah Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 CTEK make a battery monitor that is also a permanent batter connection cable. Attach it to the terminals and the feed it to a convenient place. 3 LEDs show you the battery state and you can plug the charge into it without going near the battery CTEK Indicator eyelet M8: practical LED indicator for immediate indication of battery charge levels https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002MT8S7E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D1IJEbV969N4T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted April 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 14 hours ago, sa utah said: CTEK make a battery monitor that is also a permanent batter connection cable. Why did I read that as "baby monitor", which left me wondering what sort of cross over product that was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazbot Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 I have the ALDI charger. It charges at 3.8 amps until the battery is charged then drops back to 0.8 amps maintenance charge also guaranteed for three years. Its brought back the really sleepy battery on my 88 Scirocco and recharged the spare Boxster battery without issue, great value as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTM520 Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Random question...does anyone know if you get uses less battery when unlocked? Alarm not set etc? Only if you had a garage of course but would make sense? I left it unlocked since last Saturday by accident 🙈 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NutsyH Posted May 1, 2020 Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 +1 - Boxster lives in garage and is always on a ctek as I only do about 4K per year in it. Also now my Cayenne also on Ctek. Both cars sorned. I intended to sorn Mrs Nutsy's AMG GLC43 because it's the most expensive to tax but when I connected the ctek to its charging points it blew the Ctek!!! Bought another, connected the Cayenne and all good so sorned that instead. It's no great let down driving the Merc instead of the porkers....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Thorpe Posted May 3, 2020 Report Share Posted May 3, 2020 Just catching up on this thread. In response to the original question, has no-one mentioned damage to cat’s from idling to warm up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topradio Posted May 3, 2020 Report Share Posted May 3, 2020 I think it's a really bad idea to start a car and just let it idle for a while before putting it away again. I won't even start my engine unless I'm going to drive it at least 10 miles plus and even then the oil is only just up to temperature. The gearbox oil will probably take at least another 10 miles before it starts to get near its operating temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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