Hi everyone, I have a 2008 2.2 lit diesel auto that is going to be laid up for a while due to illness. Can I charge the battery without removing it from the car ?

The handbook says to remove but I am bothered about the stories I hear about electronic issues if you disconnect the battery.  HELP.

Cheers

Rod

Rod, if you have a smart charger/maintainer such as the CTEK, then yes you can leave it on the car. Simply hook it up and forget about it. Not only will it bring the battery up to full charge, it will then maintain it.

Hi Jim, Thanks for that. II will check my charger. Its a Gunson but not sure if same as C-tek. If it wont do I will buy a C-Tek

Cheers

Rod

All handbooks seem to recommend removing battery for charging  but I know of no body that ever does it.  When I first got my XF I asked the main dealer if it was necessary to remove the battery before charging and they said definitely not.    Its just the manufacturers covering their respective arses !   As to chargers you need one that will properly maintain the battery and capable of handling AGM batteries ( if that is what you have )  I use a C-TEK with no problems.

I have a Ctek battery charger which is connected to my s type's battery.

Due to the current situation my s type is used less that my wife's Toyota Yaris.

I also have an external electric socket outside the garage and I charge my battery every 5/6 days.  The last battery I disconnected to charge it was on my BSA in 1962.

Peter

Thanks everyone. I will buy a C-Tek and leave battery in the car.

Cheers

Rod

I can also recommend the CTek Battery Sense Monitor. Fixes to the battery and connects to your phone (CTek App) by bluetooth to give a state of charge as %. Actual voltage and Temperature on your phone. Mine sits on Drive and Bluetooth does reach front rooms of house about 10yds away.

Very comforting when you are only using the car every now and then. Quite pricey at £50 but well worth it for the peace of mind

John

I have a 2.0d sport and was unable to charge battery on the car due to location. I had a completely flat battery so I locked the doors from inside and finally the driver door manually with the key. The next day, with a fully recharged battery I was unable to get the key to open the door with the key in the lock. I ended up removing the cover from the passenger wing mirror, removing the indicator bulb and then using 2 wires I connected the battery into the bulb holder making sure of polarity, and then I was able to use the remote key fob to unlock the car. Hope this helps someone

John