12v battery charging

[BrianC]

Has anybody found a solution for a portable 12v charger?

I’m looking for something to keep in the boot should a 12v battery failure occur while away from home.

Standard chargers all require 240v supply and im not sure if any portable boosters can be used to trickle charge.

 

[tsedge]

Has anybody found a solution for a portable 12v charger?

I’m looking for something to keep in the boot should a 12v battery failure occur while away from home.

Standard chargers all require 240v supply and im not sure if any portable boosters can be used to trickle charge.

There are lots out there but beware cheap chinese imports that some have reported don't last or even can cause a fire.

The advice seems to be to keep it in the cabin as you cannot open the boot if the 12V battery fails. Some put it under the seats I think.

Then you need to charge it regularly for it to be of any use.

It is debatable whether it is worth it to buy a decent one and keep it charged vs just use your included AA membership if you get a problem.

 

[Rip Van]

Not a charger but it seems many have similar to this;
Amazon product ASIN B0BBV7KC7Z I keep mine under the passenger seat. Think I'm going to need to set reminders to charge it though, as I forgot about it 'til I saw this thread.

 

[BrianC]

There are lots of small boosters on amazon, which you can charge via usb and designed to provide a 30 sec or so boost to start an engine. Not sure any will trickle charge for half hour or so.

Anybody used one of these to start an ev?

 

[the briggie]

I use a Noco power bank. Good reviews and used once on my old Mazda MX30 and was

 

[johnb80]

+1 for Noco units.

Use the booster to bring your 12v to life, once the car is in run mode it will charge the 12v battery.

This is the one I got and it does exactly what it says on the tin, robust unit, plenty of capacity

Noco Booster

Following a recommendation on here initially I bought a GREPRO unit, it turned out to be a bad recommendation, I needed to use it on my i3, it was incapable of bringing the 12v system to life, it worked briefly but before I could wake the i3 up it switched off. After 3 attempts it was flat. Recharging it resulted in the casing swelling up, sure sign of distress on the lithium battery. I returned it to Amazon and purchased the Noco unit which has worked on 1 occasion on my i3 (i3 now has a new battery) and on 2 x diesel cars.

 

[BrianC]

Thanks guys.

Just looked at the NOCO boost gb20 or gb40. Again these are boosters and not trickle chargers. I just hope a quick boost is enough to get the car started.

I might just get one of these for peace of mind.

 

[Ian Key]

Thanks guys.

Just looked at the NOCO boost gb20 or gb40. Again these are boosters and not trickle chargers. I just hope a quick boost is enough to get the car started.

I might just get one of these for peace of mind.

You just need the booster to "wake" the car up then the main battery will take over charging it.

One of the main reasons the 12v battery has become flat is a loose connection so it doesn't charge properly. They remove the -ve terminal during shipping to stop it discharging and forget to tighten it back up during the PDI checks.

 

[the briggie]

I’m looking for something to keep in the boot should a 12v battery failure occur while away from home.

What size would a non mains powered trickle charger be unless its solar and even then a trickle charger tends to be used to maintain a battery with a slow charge not really boost it so what are you trying to achieve apart from your above message?
If its to start a car with a "dead" 12v battery then the boosters are the solution.
If its to start it so the car can start charging from the HV battery then the booster solves that as once started the 12v is automatically charged and you can leave the car on for a period to top it up. ( booster removed)
If its to get the 12v charged to a level and the turn the car off but maintain a trickle charge then other than mains its solar?

Apologies but I am slightly confused. Can you explain further?

Alan

 

[BrianC]

Just wasn’t sure a booster was the solution. I thought these were designed for a very quick boost to get a starter motor turned over.

 

[the briggie]

True of an ice car but for ev's they will put the necessary power into the car control systems to enable the car to start with the boost alone.

Alan

 

[johnb80]

Just wasn’t sure a booster was the solution. I thought these were designed for a very quick boost to get a starter motor turned over.

They provide an alternative 12v DC source, they will start to charge your car battery too but once the 12 v is established, hit the start button and the onboard charger will take over supplying the 12v that the car needs and charging the onboard battery.

 

[dawson2099]

Not a charger but it seems many have similar to this;
Amazon product ASIN B0BBV7KC7Z I keep mine under the passenger seat. Think I'm going to need to set reminders to charge it though, as I forgot about it 'til I saw this thread.

Me too. Left the car for 6 days and unresponsive for the 2nd time. Changed the battery last time. Back to the dealer. Now I need to get into the car to boost the battery. I had left the car connected to the charger. Wonder if that could be the cause?

 

[Kithmo]

Ctek do a charger with a built in battery so it's a charger come booster, a bit expensive though at £280.
CS FREE

 

[the briggie]

It's a bit confusing re charging though

"You can charge and maintain any 12V lead acid or lithium battery anywhere using mains, solar or leisure battery power"

"Battery charger: use it as a portable charger to top up your battery, connect to mains power, or if you are off-grid hook up to a solar panel kit or 12V battery for complete charging freedom anywhere you go"


So is it a mains charger at home or with 240v when away from home and a maintenance charger using solar or another 12v battery when no 240v is available?

So not truly charger away from home without solar or another 12v battery

 

[johnb80]

It's a bit confusing re charging though

"You can charge and maintain any 12V lead acid or lithium battery anywhere using mains, solar or leisure battery power"

"Battery charger: use it as a portable charger to top up your battery, connect to mains power, or if you are off-grid hook up to a solar panel kit or 12V battery for complete charging freedom anywhere you go"


So is it a mains charger at home or with 240v when away from home and a maintenance charger using solar or another 12v battery when no 240v is available?

So not truly charger away from home without solar or another 12v battery

It makes much more sense to use the onboard charger by waking it up with a booster pack. The CTEK etc would take forever to charge the battery, at least with the onboard charger you can be driving home while charges.

 

[the briggie]

It does give options as it is a booster combined with charging "capability" but a bit expensive for my liking...

 

[BrianC]

I saw the CS Free and when I noticed the price I thought I’d rather wait for the AA.

NOCO boost starts at £90 that’s a more acceptable price given you might never need to use it.

So what is the difference between a booster and a charger if both devices are Lithium battery powered?

 

[Grriff]

I bought an RAC booster pack for our old Jazz. It's a lead acid but should be suitable for our MG4.

 

[the briggie]

A pure 12v charger doesn't require a lithium battery. A combination one will have a battery for usb charging other devices or for a short burst boost/limited top up whilst not plugged into a power source. Most boosters have this capability but need topped via USB input or mains after use. Is there a pure charger on the market with a built in battery?

Alan