Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
The advent of Low Maintenance etc batteries has superceded all the traditonal charging conventions.
Regular charging from low at less than about 4% of ah capacity (3.2 amps for an 80 ah battery) was and presumably still is considerd damaging.
Deep discharge is very wearing for any battery so hopefully most cars maintain a reasonable charge in the car for most of use.
Whilst the 1.2 amp chargers are great for maintenance if you significantly discharge and have a higher output charger this better for the initial. But if of traditonal unregulated type, with Low Maintenace important it not allowed to dwell above about 14.4/7.2 on charge. Requires close watching to avoid exceeding.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 254 Threads: 3
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Location: Shropshire, UK
I have followed this thread with interest.
I have one example each of both the Lidl and Aldi "smart-chargers". (Incidentally both have identical specs. and are both manufactured in Germany but by different companies). I also have 2 fairly new Exide Vintage range 6V 80Ah batteries; one mounted in the chummy and the other, at present, "on the bench". I have had the Lidl charger connected to the battery in the chummy - which it was maintaining at a constant 6.8 volts, the Aldi charger was connected to the battery on the bench which it maintained at 7.1 volts.
Motivated by this thread I decided, as an experiment, to change over the two chargers. The observed result of this was that both chargers held the chummy battery at around 6.8 volts and the bench battery at around 7.1 volts. At this point I noticed that the battery isolating switch in the chummy had been left on - this meant that the 6v to 12v up convertor that powers my satnav and charges my phones was connected across the battery. Off load this only draws less than 100 milliamps but, it appears that this small load was sufficient to prevent either charger reaching a terminal voltage in excess of 6.8 volts. This was verified by isolating the battery which then, after a period on charge, topped out at 7.1 volts matching its twin.
If you are to compare various "smart chargers" make sure that the batteries, in every case, are totally isolated from all other connections.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,230 Threads: 33
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Location: Salop
Car type: '28 GE Cup. '28 AD Chummy '30 RL Saloon. '34 RP Saloon. Too Many toys!
Ian. The Absaar charger only got the battery on the bench to 6.8v according to its display. However when I took it off and put the Aldi one on. That said 7.1v. The only thing connected to that battery was the charger. Seems like its a scale thing.
Ive had another 80ah Excide delivered today to Longden Road. For the grey saloon.
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06-03-2019, 11:33 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-03-2019, 11:34 PM by Mark R.)
I recently bought on of the Aldi chargers and put it on my 6v seven battery and it brought it up fine but I took it off in order to charge a small ''sealed" lead acid, I was rather alarmed it see it take it up to 14.9volts, reading the specs it would have gone to 15.1 before turning over to a float charge, I felt this was perhaps a little high but I'm sure the designer is far more familiar with the needs of batteries than I am. It seems a good charger, it automatically detected the 6 volt and small capacity (motorbike setting) 12v batteries.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
07-03-2019, 12:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-03-2019, 07:38 AM by Bob Culver.)
Traditional occasional recharging involved about an hour at plateau when volts would go to 15.5 and more. With amps beyond 14/7v limited to about 5% ah capacity .
For Low Maintenance batteries, beyond 14.2 is avoided as produces too much gas. But battery has to be held at this for a while to fully recharge. Yet curiously modern car regulators are set at 14.6 or so??
It is difficult to obtain succinct info. Or to exactly identify battery type.
13.8/6.9 volts floats a charged battery without adding further charge.
Modern batteries hold charge remarkably but modern cars drain them constantly. Those with little used moderns have more troubles than traditional Seven owners. The modern smart chargers very useful for them.
