Was in Two Stroke Oil

, but please remember, a vehicle battery cannot be fully charged by driving the vehicle around irrespective of distance covered. If you want more info, send me a pm and I will send you some info.  With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

Last edited by DiscoGeorge on 3rd Dec 2010 3:35 pm. Edited 1 time in total

DiscoGeorge wrote:

but please remember, a vehicle battery cannot be charged by driving the vehicle around

athelstan wrote:

WHAT !!

Hi athelstan

I see you are a fellow swiss

This is one of the oldest misconceptions in the motor industry and also the reason why "weekend cars" such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin etc are delivered to customers with a custom branded CTEK charger.

We should actually start a different thread for this.

I used to lecture on this topic for a famous bavarian motor manufacturer and know what I am talking about (same as 2sO) With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

DiscoGeorge wrote:

but please remember, an electric vehicle's battery cannot be charged by driving the vehicle around

My freelander has an alternator , it job is to sap power from the engine, but as a side affect it charges the battery. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Hi guys

I really think we should start a new thread and ask the moderator to transfer the last few postings to that thread.

As far as this topic is concerned, I can ask ten workshop guys for an opinion and I will be assured 10 different answers. If on the outside chance one of them was correct, then I had a lucky day.

With the advent of ever more electronics in motor cars, this problem has been exascerbated. Auto electricians know about this phenomenon and make good money selling batteries. With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

scenario, some one leaves a tractor ignition on all night = flat battery = jump start then drive it. later you stop for lunch, eat lunch have a little nap whatever, then the tractor starts itself because it charged its own battery

Maybe it never charges the battery 100% Im not sure/dont care but it charges alright , Now dont say anymore as you are fast loosing credibility. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

So my previous car that I had for 5 years running on the same battery with no external charging should have gone flat over that time because the alternator could not keep up with the consumption.
This belongs in "Forum Humour"

I started it in Off Topic but await this wonderful explanation on batteries

Then I'll moved to the trash can  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

As I said - WHAT !!!

Thanks to CG DG you have a clear A to Z of the functionality of the ALTERNATOR.

Oh, and DiscoGeorge - I am not Swiss. Having one of you lot in then family is bad enough, but I make exceptions for her as she's intelligent and good looking. Our daughter is 50/50 Swiss/English and therefore quiet naturally her english common sense always keeps the incomprehensible unhinged Swissness under control.

Hi guys

for all you "specialists" out there:

An Alternator charges at 13.8V max

A completely flat Battery needs an average charge voltage of 14.4V -14.7V peaking at some 15.8V to fully charge together with the correct amperage.

When a battery is charged with lets say a 12Amp charger, it starts to bubble and to emit gas (hydrogen). This situation can not be tolerated "in car" due to safety reasons.

So the function of an alternator is to put back into the battery what is being taken out plus a little more and all of it with a max. charge rate of 13.8V max.

A battery with a charge of less than 49% will have an accelerated sulphation rate.


This whole scenario has become a problem some years ago with new cars having ever more consumer electronics, alarms etc.

In past years it never was a problem unless someone left the lights on.

I used to lecture on this subject to the national dealer network of one of the big german manufacturers. So I definitely know what I am talking about.

The manufacturers of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini Aston Martin etc. see this problem in such a serious light that they supply their vehicles to customers with a battery charger with instruction to connect it to such charger if not in use. They all use custom branded versions of the CTEK brand, which can be left connected indefinitely.

So Before making funny comments, read up on the subject, it could save you getting stranded.

Oh and BTW I see some comments from contributors to the 2sO saga. and why am I not suprised  With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

And I see your just as patronizing as you normally are  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Still charges the bleeding battery though doesnt it so your saying that our battaryies are only 50% charged, if so then I guess they are double sized to suit the car. but maybe Ferrari dont want a heavy battery in their sports cars so fit a small battery and supply a charger.... then Ferraris are rarely used so need a top up charge to make sure the footballer owner has a car that starts, when he remembers that he bought it and should maybe drive it now and again. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

We will talk about lead flooded cell battery here, right?
So then, that 13.8V (2.3V per cell) you are talking about is the continuous preservation voltage. Anything bellow will translate in a rapid sulfation battery, over time as you said.
But you can go up with the charging voltage until 14.4V (2.4V per cell) which is the gassing threshold (serious/dangerous production of hydrogen) of the flooded cell lead battery.
So the car alternator is allowed to have 13.8-14.4V tolerance.
For example, my alternator is keeping a 14.2V on the battery. And the voltage was measured with several professional (and correct calibrated) multimeters.
Indeed, a correct charged lead battery should be charged in stages and the final stage - equalization charge when active hydrogen is produced - with voltages over 15V (2.5V per element) up until 16.2V (2.7V per cell) should be done with temperature monitoring equipment.
But a 14.4V voltage and bellow, but not less than 13.8V, is enough for the battery to regain its partial charge and the sulphation process to be as accepted slow as that the battery to last at least 4-5 years, an acceptable life for a car battery.
So, maybe should be said that "a vehicle battery cannot be charged completely by driving around"...
Just my 2 cents...
PS: Without wanting to upset anybody, a civilized discussion over this subject, in other words this thread, should be put in Technical section, not Off-Topic.

npinks wrote:

And I see your just as patronizing as you normally are

 With kind regards
DiscoGeorge
1998 Disco1 ES 300Tdi with twin TrueTracs
2005 Disco3 TDV6 S
And some more serious stuff

DiscoGeorge wrote:

, but please remember, a vehicle battery cannot be charged by driving the vehicle around

Quote:

So, maybe should be said that "a vehicle battery cannot be charged completely by driving around"...

I think you should have said that in the first instance