Will Caliban start on Monday morning?

[Rolfe]

I think it's highly likely that 20% is too low for the car to keep the 12v topped up. In another thread there was a suggestion that the cutoff was 50%, although that seems ridiculously high to me.

I don't see why they can't just give the figure in the handbook.

 

[T1 Terry]

I doubt there is a cut off on the HV battery regarding SOC% more likely voltage sensing.

Lead acid batteries are very slow charging, especially the last 30%, the last 10% can take up to 24 hrs to charge to 100%. Because the genuine 100% isn't reached regularly, the plates begin to sulphate and the actual available capacity drops ......
Think of it as a water tank slowly filling with sand, the water runs out the top and you think it's holding the full capacity, but the tank could be 80% full of sand .... the water will still run out the overflow, but there isn't the full tank capacity of water available, only 20% .... and you suddenly run out of water unexpectantly .....

Putting a reconditioning charger on the 12v battery will flush out the sulphur from the active lead plates and return the capacity ..... as long as the battery isn't left too long or ever reached the point of being so sulphated there was not enough capacity to power up the system .......

Lead acid batteries are cheap, but definitely not suitable for electric vehicle aux batteries, sodium ion would be the ultimate option, they can handle being deeply discharged without damage and recharge fast, the 14.3v +/- even 0.5v would still be within the upper safe range for a sodium ion 4 cell battery ........

Maybe I should design a replacement battery for EV's and hybrids like the Prius, they have a very expensive battery that simply doesn't last ......

T1 Terry

 

[decrep]

I think it's highly likely that 20% is too low for the car to keep the 12v topped up. In another thread there was a suggestion that the cutoff was 50%, although that seems ridiculously high to me.

I don't see why they can't just give the figure in the handbook.

Just reading the handbook, I'd assume "Too Low" means around 10%. But why leave us guessing?

 

[tsedge]

I'm not really worrying about it. If I were, I'd be sitting in the car for half an hour every day. I'm just weighing up the possibilities .

Ah... I was deceived by the "stop worrying" option on your poll!

So you simply like to exhaust the possibilities in discussion in advance of making a decision, then?

Fine. I've said everything I have to contribute.

Bon chance!

 

[MG Clive]

Ah... I was deceived by the "stop worrying" option on your poll!

So you simply like to exhaust the possibilities in discussion in advance of making a decision, then?

Fine. I've said everything I have to contribute.

Bon chance!

Bon chance? now if she was in France, it would be more of a worry.

 

[tsedge]

Bon chance? now if she was in France, it would be more of a worry.

I humbly apologise for my inappropriate outburst of French.

What is more appropriate...? Ah... Sealbh math dhuit.

 

[securespark]

Not sure if it helps, but have just checked His Lordship's figures.

34% and 12.4V.

 

[securespark]

I don't see why they can't just give the figure in the handbook.

I suspect it's too much of a variable, depending on things like the condition of the batteries and the external temperature.

 

[Rolfe]

Ah... I was deceived by the "stop worrying" option on your poll!

So you simply like to exhaust the possibilities in discussion in advance of making a decision, then?

Fine. I've said everything I have to contribute.

Bon chance!

Maybe I was worrying about it when I started the thread on Tuesday evening. But a lot more has been said since then.

 

[Rolfe]

I suspect it's too much of a variable, depending on things like the condition of the batteries and the external temperature.

I don't know where the suspicion came from that it was 50%. That seems pretty ludicrous on the face of it. The only car I know where they did the experiment, the answer was 30%.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

I would be more worried about your Hotels draconian parking policies should you overstay your allotted allowance!

 

[Rolfe]

Oh, they're sharks. But that's not the issue. My friend negotiated a substantial discount by paying in advance for five nights parking, but the deal was that we can't leave the car park during that time or we have to pay again for the remaining time when we return.

 

[siteguru]

What did/do the T&Cs actually say about parking? If she booked 5 nights parking, surely you can take the car out during the days?

 

[Rolfe]

I don't know. But anyway, thinking about it, simply putting the car in ready for a bit would be a lot easier than taking it out to put it on a charger. At the moment though, I'm feeling lucky.

 

[T1 Terry]

I don't know. But anyway, thinking about it, simply putting the car in ready for a bit would be a lot easier than taking it out to put it on a charger. At the moment though, I'm feeling lucky.

I wouldn't do that, lead acid batteries are very slow charging.
There is a sudden inrush current, then the voltage rises to the point the charge control limits the input current to stop the battery going over voltage.
The more sulphated the battery is, the faster that max charge voltage is reached and the slower the battery accepts and more capacity ...... you will just drain the HV battery and not really improve the 12v batteries capacity.
It would be something like leaving the car in ready mode for 2 hrs to add 10% capacity to the 12v battery ..... no gain really, you might have a 12v battery that will wake up the system, but a HV battery so low you can't reach a charging station.

If it doesn't switch on Monday morning, either a jump start from the friends car, or a walk down the road for a small boost charge battery .......

T1 Terry

 

[Rolfe]

If it doesn't switch on Monday morning, either a jump start from the friends car, or a walk down the road for a small boost charge battery .......

T1 Terry

That's what I've decided to do. There are a lot of cars in the car park obviously, but I don't know any of their owners so getting a jump start that way might take as long as just going up the road to get a starter battery. The main thing is that I have a plan of action just in case the car doesn't start.