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In winter I don’t use my van much, sometimes once a week for very short journeys . Sometimes I may go two weeks or so.
As the van is stood outside on my garden hard stand , the battery charge is a problem as I need to keep manually charging it particulaly in very cold weather. It’s quite a task as there’s no local power sockets so I’m running long cables in the wet etc.
I’m thinking about making a camping mat foam jacket for the battery to keep the worst of the cold at bay. The mat is the blue foam with plastic silver foil on one side. I would leave some breathing holes etc . I won’t be doing any long journeys thru winter, just short journeys.
But I thought I had better check if this might cause problems ? Could the battery overheat ? I know thermal battery jackets are sold so I doubt this , but I need to make sure ?
Van is 1.6 diesel and battery is two years old.
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At night heat radiates from the ground upwards into space, but this process can be slowed by using insulating layers to trap the heat energy beneath (such as happens on a cloudy night). So, you could just place a thick insulating layer over the top of the battery and simply remove it when you want to start the engine - that way there shouldn't be overheating concerns (though bear in mind that any insulating system that doesn't introduce an extra heat source is only going to keep the battery a couple of degrees warmer than it would be without insulation - though this might make all the difference).
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That's not an issue at all. I don't think it ever gets cold enough in the UK for it to become an issue.
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It can be an issue if the vehicle isn't being driven much. I regularly measure the battery charge of my M49 van (which also only gets driven once every 1-2 weeks or so), and on cold mornings and in the winter generally, the charge tends to drop more quickly.
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Run a heated blanket off your battery.
Errr.... hang on a minute.... let me think about this..
Now a 2019 K9 1.2 petrol.
Before a 2010 B9 1.6 HDi diesel.
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I doubt it's the temperature of the battery per se but more the added load having to turn over an engine with thicker oil along with probably the heater fan/headlights/heated screen all being used due to winter that's the issue. There might also be a current drain in the car that drains more due to the increased lack of winter use.
I'd be looking to make it easier to get a Ctek / smart charger connected to the car via Anderson plugs and an weatherproof outside electrical socket installed by a competent electrician
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You're pushing the battery towards death by neglect.
You will either have to start and run the vehicle at shorter intervals ,do a much longer journey or take off the battery and hook it up to an Optimate when not in use.
Your exhaust is likely to be rotting away pretty fast too.
It is on my to do list.
But not right at the top
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(06-10-2024, 06:41 AM)Kyleonsite Wrote: I'd be looking to make it easier to get a Ctek / smart charger connected to the car via Anderson plugs and an weatherproof outside electrical socket installed by a competent electrician
I also have a CTEK with quick connect plugs installed on all my batteries so I just cycle the carger between them if needed, especially on vehicles that get very little use, some once a month or less.
Keeping the battery charged is the only thing you need to do. Having a charger connected once a month to top off is plenty.
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It’s surprising what you learn here !
Thanks to all for replies and comments, much appreciated.
Getting a mains outside socket well away from the house would be a big expensive job. I’m afraid that’s out. The only option running a cable over a wet lawn.
I know warm batteries work better than ice cold that’s my thinking. At least to keep the bitter cold off the battery in the worst of winter.
I shall run the engine every week if not using the vehicle to try to keep things working .
Also I bought one of those AA portable power boosters just in case. Handy to have.
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(06-10-2024, 09:18 AM)Bluebottle Wrote: I shall run the engine every week if not using the vehicle to try to keep things working .
This is good practice regardless of the battery, as it helps circulate fluids. Ideally the vehicle should be driven (to help prevent parts like brakes from binding or seizing), but even running the engine for 20-30 miins while stationary is preferable to not running at all (a customer of mine who used to work in the motor trade said that he found head gaskets were more likely to deteriorate when cars were taken off the road - presumably due to lack of circulation of protective coolant and oil).
On my M49 van, which admittedly doesn't have a load of electrical gizmos making demands on the battery, I have found that even on short journeys, driving just a bit further helps charge the battery just a bit more, which again can make a difference. So, if, for example, you need to make a 2-mile journey, try adding a loop to make it a 4 or 5-mile one instead.
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