Trickle charging ?

[MadBaz]

Hi is it safe to trickle charge the 12volt battery in the boot , and if so is it simply that you attach the leads to the positive and negative terminals ?

 

[JohnV6]

Use a battery conditioner not a charger. I use CTEK on my ICE cars . Get flying leads with a fuse included.

 

[MadBaz]

Thanks will have a look forward one

 

[Romeo77]

I want do warn about charging 12v battery connected to car.
This can damage dc-dc converter !!!
If charging absolutely needed better to disconnect negative lead before doing that.

 

[mgpooter]

Thanks all good stuff guys. Slightly off topic but just asked AI about how the engine charges the 12v battery, here's what I got:-

The MG3 Hybrid+ uses a combination of its petrol engine and an integrated generator to charge the 12V battery. Here's how it works:

1. Engine Operation: When the petrol engine is running, it drives the wheels and simultaneously powers the generator.
2. Generator: The generator converts mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy.
3. DC-DC Converter: The electrical energy generated is then passed through a DC-DC converter, which steps down the high voltage from the hybrid system to the 12V required by the battery.
4. Battery Charging: The stepped-down voltage is used to charge the 12V battery, ensuring that it remains charged and ready to power the vehicle's electrical systems.

This system allows the MG3 Hybrid+ to maintain the charge of the 12V battery efficiently while the vehicle is in operation

 

[keithy]

I recently left my car in Edinburgh airport carpark for 7 weeks. I connected a solar trickle charger through the OBD port. The OBD port is inside the vehicle so no messing about under the bonnet or in the boot. On return eveything was fine. £22ish on Amazon.

 

[Romeo77]

I recently left my car in Edinburgh airport carpark for 7 weeks. I connected a solar trickle charger through the OBD port. The OBD port is inside the vehicle so no messing about under the bonnet or in the boot. On return eveything was fine. £22ish on Amazon.

That little solar panels will not give enough power to ramp up voltage on 12V battery to unsafe range for DC-DC converter; they provide 3-5 watt only.
Problems with the DC-DC converter may occur if we connecting an external charger without disconnecting the battery from car; that can at some stage of charging deliver 15-16 volt to perform desulphatation and reconditioning (but this stage is good for the battery because it generates bubbles that helping mix the electrolite. If the electrolyte is not mixed during charging, a bad thing happens: stratification of the electrolyte.
This happens when battery after discharge is recharged on the car and not reaching bubbling stage, sulphuric acid that is released from the battery electrodes not mixed well with distilled water and because it's weight is higher then water it makes mess. On top we will have electrolite with less acid in it and bottom of electrodes will be in electrolite with almost all sulphuric acid that released during charging. That will not let the battery reach its full potential.