Dose's Sometimes DIY and Pay Someone Home & Boat Improvement Thread

[MBS206]

11 minutes ago, Duncan said:

I guess it depends how much you use a car, but my #1 reason for killing lead acid batteries is not driving the car (charging the battery) often enough,. I've got sick enough of dying batteries that I've switched to AGM; they are much more expensive but deal better with cold weather and almost always recover from being dead flat, unlike lead acid ones

Yes, letting batteries go flat, and then recharging them is not kind on them at all. My above was more around as the batteries age on. Going flat and recharging them very quickly shortens their life span.

[silviaz]

1 hour ago, MBS206 said:

Yes, letting batteries go flat, and then recharging them is not kind on them at all. My above was more around as the batteries age on. Going flat and recharging them very quickly shortens their life span.

Yup. When I bought my car initially, the battery was flat for a long time and took over a week of constantly driving to FINALLY get the light to go green on the battery. Then if I didn't drive for a few days it would go red (as in needs a recharge), it just got weak as it sat for too long. Ended up destroying part of my security system and would set off my alarm randomly lol. Now I just use a trickle charger, great stuff and repairs your battery to.

[silviaz]

1 hour ago, Duncan said:

I guess it depends how much you use a car, but my #1 reason for killing lead acid batteries is not driving the car (charging the battery) often enough,. I've got sick enough of dying batteries that I've switched to AGM; they are much more expensive but deal better with cold weather and almost always recover from being dead flat, unlike lead acid ones

Why not just get a trickle charger?

[MBS206]

54 minutes ago, silviaz said:

Why not just get a trickle charger?

If Duncan got "a" trickle charger, he'd still have about 10 cars going flat a week...

[Duncan]

lol yes, I have 3 trickle chargers....but even if you don't have too many cars they still need a secure space near 240v to be connected....FWIW I also have battery earth disconnect switches on the cars I use least, just open bonnet and turn switch after use

...plus I think it was earlier in this very thread when Dose had a charger fail and try to burn his car down without warning

[silviaz]

On 13/07/2025 at 10:49 PM, MBS206 said:

If Duncan got "a" trickle charger, he'd still have about 10 cars going flat a week...

I see lol.

[silviaz]

On 14/07/2025 at 6:26 AM, Duncan said:

lol yes, I have 3 trickle chargers....but even if you don't have too many cars they still need a secure space near 240v to be connected....FWIW I also have battery earth disconnect switches on the cars I use least, just open bonnet and turn switch after use

...plus I think it was earlier in this very thread when Dose had a charger fail and try to burn his car down without warning

Now that worries me because mine is on 24/7 and bonnet closed for my security system lol. I'll just hope for the best.

[No Crust Racing]

I got sick of thinking about batteries so just kept buying chargers.

I've got a ctek (racecar), a "noco" thing from supercheap (tow car with 2 batteries), and an old "SupaCharge" branded lead acid thing (farm ute/mower) and will need 1 more when the Silvia gets a battery again (if the 86 stays). 

I always make sure the charger itself is in free space/away from car etc, just to be sure.