Trickle Charger every day and no more long cranking..

[nissanh]

I wanted to update you all with this simple fix.

Yes, the battery is old nearing 5 years, however, I started using a trickle charger for past 2-3 months and I started noticing, every morning, the engine starts in just 1 second of cranking.

I find vehicles that is driven 3-6 miles a day or each way at low speeds barely getting a complete charge. Alternator is pumping 14 V.

My 92 Toyota Sprinter (aka Geo Prizm) had a never ending wiper skipping and tried everything even a new windshield. With a fully charged battery, no more wiper skips... travels like I've never seen it before since the day I bought it 14 years ago.

 

[jgue467]

Wife and I have 4 vehicles between us. Some don't get driven as much or often as they could.

So from time to time, I'll rotate a 4amp smart charger amongst them, they all Love it.

I have a SxS and 2 quads that also don't get driven but every other weekend, so each has a 1amp smart charger hooked up, they fire up instantly, no choke required even!

On one vehicle that doesn't get driven much, I connect the quick connect wire so its super fast on/off too.

 

[pluton]

I find vehicles that is driven 3-6 miles a day or each way at low speeds barely getting a complete charge. Alternator is pumping 14 V.

I have come to the same conclusion, based on my '97 T4R using a group 34 AGM battery. The itty-bitty short trips around town don't replace the battery capacity lost from just a few starts.

 

[Brian.]

Not to mention that short trips are hell on the fluids too (and thus on the components that rely on those fluids). Hope you folks are getting a longer drive in once a month or so, 50 miles at least, though you can probably get by with 30 through the summers.

 

[Ted02]

My Tacoma and ‘71 El Camino are both garaged and seldom driven, though I do start and warm them up real good a few times a month. Both have CTEK chargers hooked up 24/7, and neither hesitate to crank right up.

The El Camino has a now six year old red top Optima, which judging by hundreds of reviews nowadays, should be long dead by now, but so far I have no complaints with mine (knock on wood!). I’m curious to see how long my Optima will last under the current conditions, and whether or not it will crap out once the car is finished being restored and back on the road semi regularly?

 

[lockedlex]

Yep, same here. Have 4 cars. All get a charger. One only gets driven maybe 30 miles every 2 months.

Charger is absolutely necessary if you're not putting at least 40 miles on it for every "Cold start." This is more so the case on newer cars or those that have more electronic doodads or features.

 

[gamefreakgc]

A deep cycle battery also helps eliminate this issue, although periodic charging is still required to keep it at full capacity. Doesn't matter if it's been sitting for a week, or I've been using my 4Runner as a portable boom box all day. Fires up strong every time.