RAV4 Giant 1999 battery

[torry400]

Have had the Giant since new - 20 years. The Battery always drains if the car isn't started for more than two weeks. As a result of the coronavirus lockdown it is now properly flat as the short runs to the shop have simply been inadequate. The Battery probably needs replacing but I need to get it to a garage! I know that with this car, if you disconnect the Battery the alarm goes off. Three questions:

1) Can I charge the battery safely with the battery still connected?

2) If I bought a trickle charger such as the CTEK MSX 5.0, would this be able to revive the battery from a dead state? The point of buying this would also be to maintain a new battery (when installed) in the future.

3) I assume that a trickle charger CAN be connected whilst the battery is connected to the car. Presumably, as long as the battery has some charge (which it obviously hasn't at the moment), it can be connected through the cigarette lighter?

Any help greatly received.

 

[IanML]

CTEK MSX 5.0 is a good choice - I have one.  I have had no problem charging with the Battery connected.  The horror stories apply to the very old, cheap uncontrolled (no program) devices.  You can charge a flat Battery provided it has not been left in that state too long.  The CTEK can detect a sulphated Battery and has  a program step to handle it, but there are limits.