Battery isolator?

AntStark

AntStark

Zorg Guru (IV)
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
May 15, 2021
Points
173
Location
Hampshire
Model of Z
2002 3.0 Sport
My Zed has a parasitic drain, which is unnoticeable in the summer as I am using the car weekly. Thinking ahead to the darker months has anyone fitted a battery isolator and if so which one. I know I should 1. Get it looked at and fixed 2. Keep it on trickle charge ..but would like this option too.
thanks
 
How bad is the drain.
As remember you are always going to have a trickle drain from alarm , immobiliser which will eventually kill any battery .
A smart trickle charger would be better longer solution ( if the car storage situation allows this ) then this would keep battery topped up as required.
Stephen.
 
Will go flat , to the point of no dash lights, in just over a week. Wondering if it’s the aftermarket stereo tbh.. might disconnect that and see. Agree a trickle charger is the best option and it’s garaged so no issue with that. .. me remembering to attach it is the weak link in that arrangement 😀
 
A week then if battery good you got another problem.
Aftermarket stereo have been known to do this .
Would not do any harm to take it out leave car see if makes any difference to discharge rate of the battery.
Stephen.
 
Presumably you’ve checked the usual suspects of boot light, cigarette lighter with something plugged in etc.
 
Yes mate..boot light has an LED bulb too so wouldn’t drain that much even if it was on. Fag lighter is removed. Checked seat adjustment isn’t jammed on too
 
Have you considered a battery tender product? Trickle charging is a great alternative to an elusive item like a parasitic draw, I would definitely use that option.
I have one for my motorcycle and its on a timer so its charging or monitoring a couple of hours a day.
 
The experience that I have with battery isolation switches is that they are nothing but trouble. We had them on a fleet of test vehicles - the intermittent random disconnects were bad enough but when a few of them started to get too hot to touch they were swiftly removed from the fleet. If you have to disconnect it’s safer to just remove a battery terminal.
Have you checked how much current drain you’re getting and that your battery is in good health?
 
ChrisD said:
The experience that I have with battery isolation switches is that they are nothing but trouble. We had them on a fleet of test vehicles - the intermittent random disconnects were bad enough but when a few of them started to get too hot to touch they were swiftly removed from the fleet. If you have to disconnect it’s safer to just remove a battery terminal.
Have you checked how much current drain you’re getting and that your battery is in good health?
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Thanks for that. ..maybe not a good idea then. Battery is good but not measured drain. Will trickle charge over winter and add to the fix list next year .
 
Get a CTEK battery conditioner Ant. You can leave it connected all the time, it self regulates and keeps the battery charged. I have used one for many years for my old Triumph, and I did use it for a short time last winter on my Zed. You can fit a semi permanent lead to the battery terminals then it’s just a simple plug to the charger.
 
Tony Francis said:
Get a CTEK battery conditioner Ant. You can leave it connected all the time, it self regulates and keeps the battery charged. I have used one for many years for my old Triumph, and I did use it for a short time last winter on my Zed. You can fit a semi permanent lead to the battery terminals then it’s just a simple plug to the charger.
Click to expand...
You connect it direct to the battery rather than the terminals under the bonnet Tony ?
 
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AntStark said:
You connect it direct to the battery rather than the terminals under the bonnet Tony ?
Click to expand...
I did use the terminals under the bonnet Ant, just left the bonnet not fully closed Toavaoid pinching the lead. The only thing with the under bonnet terminals is that you would have to use the crocodile clips, which is fine. On my Triumph I have a short fly lead with ring terminals onto the battery connections which then plugs into the charger lead. CTEK do a range of different connection options.
 
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