How To Charge The Battery?

[Maz]

Hi guys, first does anyone know if i disconnected the air con/clock panel will stop the car starting or not? if not then i think i have a very flat Battery, as i couldnt start the car tonight, starter motor not even turning, so i went out and brought a charger, but couldnt get a extenison lead, as my kitchen with the nearest main stocket is about 20 yards from the garage, so have to get a extenison lead tomorrow, but can any of you experts tell me if there anything i need to watch out for when charging the Battery, e.g like how to connect the lead from the charger to the Battery (-neg first then +pos second?), and do i turn power on before or after connect the charger lead to the Battery? im a bit worry i will bow the Battery up if i dont do it right, so any advices will be very grateful....

Regards

Maz

[AltezzaScott]

I think its the positive first then the negative clamp goes on the manifold heat shield.

I bought one of those chargers with a torch and compressor for pumping up your tyres a while back.... really handy little tool, and i think it was only about £30

[yemgi]

The car doesn't need the aircon clock panel to start / run

The easiest is to take the Battery off the car, no lead needed ;)

connetc the charger to the Battery, then power it on

[Maz]

I think its the positive first then the negative clamp goes on the manifold heat shield.

I bought one of those chargers with a torch and compressor for pumping up your tyres a while back.... really handy little tool, and i think it was only about £30

you dont connect the lead to the Battery but the manifold heat shield????

[DaveEllen]

yup thats the earth...........red to the positive terminal on the Battery black(negative) to earth

[Maz]

cant i just connect Neg to Neg on the Battery? and also been told from the guys at Motorworld that i have to connect and disconnect Negative first is this true? and if i need to connect to an place other than the Battery Neg terminal, where is the best place to connect? and i know i sound very stupid but where is the manifold heat shield? hehe ;) ;) ;)

[Bazza]

if jumping one car from another it is prefable to disconnect the negative lead first, mainly because there are earthing points all around the engine bay , even the bodywork, if you were to disconnect the live first and accidently drop it or make contact with an earth you would be shorting a Battery out and big sparks would follow.

i was told that the ideal way to attach leads is to put the live on the Battery, and the negative on an earth point away from the Battery this is to stop any sparks occuring near the Battery,

[Whitebeam]

The idea is that you don't make or break the circuit on a Battery terminal as this may cause a spark. So connect positive to positive on the Battery (as there are not many places to get at it) and then make the negative circuit somewhere convenient away from the Battery (as the Battery negative is connected to the chassis). Pick a point that is not painted and fairly solid so you get a good connection and dont scratch the paint.

Disconnect the negative first as well when you're finished.

The reason you avoid sparks near the Battery is that they can give off hydrogen gas if they have been charging / discharging heavily. (Remember grade 3 chemistry with the hydrogen gas in the test tube!)

[Maz]

(Remember grade 3 chemistry with the hydrogen gas in the test tube!)

Errrr... im worry... ;) ;) ;) :duh: :duh: :duh:

[Bazza]

(Remember grade 3 chemistry with the hydrogen gas in the test tube!)

erm......no!

[AltezzaScott]

Loo at the exhaust manifold..... then that plate of metal about 5 inches away is the heat shield mate.... thats perfect for the negative cable to be clamped onto..

see picture

[Maz]

your engine bay look different to my matey, here my engine bay, i circled 4 places, not sure where the manifold heat shield is, another thing is i had the engine bay painted black so not sure if i have any places now that i can clamp the lead to..... :duh: :duh: :duh: :duh:

my engine bay

[Bazza]

the circle left of the engine

is the shield

make sure it isnt painted

it looks black in the picture

[Maz]

the circle left of the engine

is the shield

make sure it isnt painted

it looks black in the picture

Thank matey i will try that tomorrow, its not painted, just rust and dirt i think...

so do i still connect and disconnect the Negative terminal first?

Thank guys for all the helpful information...

[Bazza]

my engine bay

yuk sweaty power steering hoses

[Maz]

my engine bay

yuk sweaty power steering hoses

Thank again matey, i only just notice now that you mention it

[AltezzaScott]

the circle left of the engine

is the shield

make sure it isnt painted

it looks black in the picture

Thank matey i will try that tomorrow, its not painted, just rust and dirt i think...

so do i still connect and disconnect the Negative terminal first?

Thank guys for all the helpful information...

Rust and dirt or YOUR car..... i`m disgusted!!!!

[Maz]

does anyone know what Battery does the IS200 use, Volts/amp etc, i think im going to get a spare one as well, is there anything to watch when changing Battery?

[Maz]

sorry about this guys. just make sure i get this right...

Connect charger to battery…..

Connect positive + first,

Then Connect Negative - last to an earth point.

Disconnect charger from battery…..

Disconnect Negative - first,

Then Disconnect Positive + last.

Re-Connecting the Battery to car……..

Re-Connect Positive + first,

Then Re-Connect Negative - last.

is that right?

[Maz]

also i forgot to ask if i need to disconnet the Battery from the car frist before i connect it to the charger? or i just need to disconnect the positive lead from the car?

Regards

Maz

[Brettster]

I think the best thing to do Tony would be to remove the Battery from the car and charge it in the house

undo the black wire first, then the red reverse when putting the Battery back in again.

there's two bolts that hold the Battery in place with a bar that goes front to back of the Battery, there's also a plastic thing over the Battery that just lifts out. its a 2 min job as I changed my Battery in Halfords car park in the dark the other week

the standard Battery is 45 amps i think and the one i got from Halfords was 65 amp and cost me £55.00

you could just replace the Battery, I find mine start's much better, the lights dont dim anymore and the car seems a little bit more responsive too. and it would save you having to charge the Battery up

[Maz]

does new Battery come alreay charged Brett? im thinking of getting a deep cycle Battery...

[mudzs]

Yes they do come already charged bought one for my van yesterday from Halfords £85 :eerrrmm:

[Maz]

in that case i may get a new 1 and use the old Battery for spare, how do you guys store spare Battery? just leave it in the house?

[Brettster]

does new battery come alreay charged Brett? im thinking of getting a deep cycle battery...

yes they come fully charged Tony :) just plug and play

the £300+ price put me off the deep cycle Battery hehe