Jump or trickle

[Fastpatsilents]

In May we are disappearing to Scandinavia for three months in the motorhome leaving my V90 Cross Country at home. Obviously the cars battery will be flat when we return. I have a battery booster but wonder if I'm doing any damage letting it sit flat and should I put a trickle charger on, and if so anyone want to recommend a particular model.

[Ulrikas PA]

C-Tek always score highly in Auto Express (and the like's) reviews.

I had one for about 7 years and replaced it with a higher end model last year, which had a few more settings.

Definitely avoid jump starting if you can help it. Even 15 years ago when I worked for Mercedes GB, people would spike all sorts of control modules after returning from a 2-3 week holiday at the airport. And electronics have got a lot more integral.

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Fastpatsilents

In May we are disappearing to Scandinavia for three months in the motorhome leaving my V90 Cross Country at home. Obviously the cars battery will be flat when we return. I have a battery booster but wonder if I'm doing any damage letting it sit flat and should I put a trickle charger on, and if so anyone want to recommend a particular model.

Lucky you, 'Fastpatsilents' - love Scandinavia!

I wouldn't want to risk a battery going flat, especially on a modern car with a lot of complicated electronics. While I would also happily jump start an older car, I don't think that this is particularly recommended for a 'modern', either.

I would definitely invest in a smart charger, which can be left on indefinitely and maintain the battery in a full state of charge without over-charging it. I've had good results with a £30 one from Aldi. I've just checked in the garage and the box says ' Ultimate Speed Car Battery Charger ULGD 5.0 A1', but I'm sure that any similar one would do the job equally as well.

I hope that this helps and that you enjoy your trip!

Regards, John.

[Bob Meadows]

https://www.aldi.co.uk/auto-xs-car-b...90030347442700

Bought this a couple of weeks back- £12:99 with a descent guarantee- good reviews & works fine.
The above link says no longer available but it is so worth checking.

"A trickle charger/conditioner is a must if the battery is underused"
Bob.

[Tannaton]

- Do not let the battery go flat - the car will be fine but on modern batteries if left flat for just a few days it can finish them off.

- Best option would be a C-TEK or Noco smart charger. They will charge the battery smartly, and then switch off but monitor the voltage and top up the charge if and as needed.

- I would avoid a supermarket own brand charger for this, although they're good value - all of them that I've read up on switch to continuous trickle charging when the battery is full - you do not want this for 3 months.

- Or, second best option and perfectly good, get a cheap simple (traditional, non-smart) battery charger like that below and a 7 day plug in timer, leave it set up so the battery charger comes on say 2 hours a week. Again avoid the supermarket chargers as with most of them when first powered on you have to press a button before it will start to charge.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laptronix-B...2C102&sr=8-294