Please recommend a battery charger?

[olddriver]

Please recommend a Battery charger that I can use while leaving the Battery connected to the car?  There are loads on Amazon so it’s difficult to pick one out, but it doesn’t have to be from Amazon.

[APS]

I've used Ctek chargers plugged in permanently for years to different batteries. Zero problems. I also hear good things about Noco.

[Derek.w]

Ctek & Noco are very popular look for around 5 Amp output I am using 3.8 Amps charger myself.

It also shows 80% Battery charge in total out of 8 leds for charge status plus bike, car & frost modes.

Frost mode is for temperatures of +5 degrees or less down to -20 degrees.

Ctek if power goes off when it returns there is no need to press the mode button as it will continue from were it left off.

Noco I beleve you have to press the start button again but this may be down to model you select.

[Mjolinor]

+1 for Ctek. That feature of starting where it left off does not sound like much but the number of times I forget to turn it on and have been left in the lurch stopped me using other makes a long time ago.

[Gren]

I have the Noco Genius 5, it has normal and AGM settings, and remembers them after power off/on.  It comes with croc clips but you can also buy an adaptor for the 12 cigar lighter socket so that you can charge through that - provided the socket is live when the engine is off.

I've left it plugged in and "maintaining" a Battery for a few weeks and it worked well.

[Derek.w]

A 3.8Amp Ctek smart chargers for use Wet batterys,Ca/Ca, MF,Gel & AGM batterys & covers the range of Battery sizes ie 14-130Ah

[olddriver]

3 hours ago, Derek.w said:

Ctek & Noco are very popular look for around 5 Amp output I am using 3.8 Amps charger myself.

Thanks very much for your reply.

I want to charge my GR86 as it has only been used for 3 short journeys in the last 6 weeks and I want to ensure it starts OK on Christmas day, and I will probably need to charge my 1998 Corolla as that has been standing unused for 3 months.  I would prefer to charge them slowly, so tempted to buy the Ctek MXS 3.8 U.k Battery Charger but do you think that I would be better off with the Ctek 5.0 T Battery Charger, there is £12 difference in Halfords:-

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers/ctek-mxs-3.8-uk-battery-charger-665137.html

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-chargers/ctek-mxs-5.0-t-uk-battery-charger-665079.html?recType=OCWOTBRec

I find understanding the spec of these things a bit bewildering!

The GR 86 Battery is obviously new but the Corolla battery is probably 3 years old.

[Derek.w]

Main diffrance is ampage output in car mode bike mode is the same it also has a AGM mode led

So its can handle 110Ah batterys

The 3.8Amp one it can handle AGM batterys & other batterys upto 85Ah looking at the specifcations via your link to Halfords links

BUT my MXS 3.8 Amp USER MANUAL quotes Battery size 14 to 130 Ah car mode or cold weather mode

Bike mode 1.2 to 14Ah batterys Note bike mode covers both sets ot tempritures -20c to +50c

[davidif]

11 hours ago, olddriver said:

Thanks very much for your reply.

I want to charge my GR86 as it has only been used for 3 short journeys in the last 6 weeks and I want to ensure it starts OK on Christmas day, and I will probably need to charge my 1998 Corolla as that has been standing unused for 3 months.  I would prefer to charge them slowly, so tempted to buy the Ctek MXS 3.8 U.k Battery Charger but do you think that I would be better off with the Ctek 5.0 T Battery Charger, there is £12 difference in Halfords:-

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers/ctek-mxs-3.8-uk-battery-charger-665137.html

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-chargers/ctek-mxs-5.0-t-uk-battery-charger-665079.html?recType=OCWOTBRec

I find understanding the spec of these things a bit bewildering!

The GR 86 battery is obviously new but the Corolla battery is probably 3 years old.

I keep my GT86 on a Noco Genius 5 charger continuously when not being driven.

[CholmondeleyBiscuitt]

@olddriver As it's only a weekend plaything, I always leave my GR86 connected to my NOCO10 Battery Optimiser when not being used. I have a Noco eyelet terminal lead permanently attached to the Battery, and it's cable tied to the wiring and strut brace so it's easily connected to the charger. I then have 2x 3m Noco extension cables running from the wall mounted Noco10 charger, under the garage door and into the engine bay from the underneath; that way the cable doesn't interfere with the bonnet and doesn't drape across any paintwork. It's a system I used for my KonaN too and it works a treat. If you have additional Trackers, immobilisers and Dashcams with parking monitoring as I have, then a permanent connection is a must. 🙂
 

[APS]

16 hours ago, olddriver said:

Charger but do you think that I would be better off with the Ctek 5.0 T Battery Charger, there is £12 difference in Halfords:

Not much difference beyond maximum current. I chose the 5 ampere just because it can bring back a flat Battery a little bit quicker and keep a car going a little longer if used as a power supply with the engine off. Both are very gentle and use next to no power once in maintenance mode. 

[Derek.w]

Both Ctek chargers come with eylet and crocodile clip connectors plus a 5 year warranty.

I personly prefere slow charging that why I have the MXS 3.8 but to be honest I donot know the specifcations of the batterys fitted to your vehicle but its bound to have a sticker on top or side of the Battery.

I loaded a image from my chargers user manual hope it helps.

[olddriver]

Thanks for your advice guys and particularly Derek.w and Cholmondeleybiscuitt for taking the trouble to take pics, I decided to buy the Ctek MXS 3.8 U.k Battery Charger.

[olddriver]

I bought the Ctek MXS 3.8 U.k Battery Charger from Halfords, received 10% discount which was on offer, and they would have delivered it the next day if I hadn’t had a dental appointment, so I changed that to the following day, ie 2 day delivery.  I was initially apprehensive about using it, but it is very easy to use, and included in the pack there is what looks like a sturdy bag with a diagram on the outside showing the order in which to connect the charger.  The unit is light and the cable is a reasonable length, probably 1m long.

[Roy124]

This is definitely when you should buy a known brand rather than a Chinese knockoff.