Battery charging

[MarkH]

You guys are the experts here: connecting a CTEK charger to the Aux battery - both batteries should charge?

You can just connect to under bonnet terminals & both batteries will charge fully. Some have setup to use the 13pin trailer plug, saves popping bonnet & fiddling about with alligator clips.

 

[DCPU]

Is there a difference between alligator clips and crocodile clips... just asking?

 

[Eric]

Is there a difference between alligator clips and crocodile clips... just asking?

Number of teeth?

 

[bigleonski]

Is there a difference between alligator clips and crocodile clips... just asking?

Crocodile clips have pointier jaws and are more agressive??

 

[ECrider]

you can't see the lower teeth on a closed alligator clip

 

[emax]

Just re-reading this, and curious to know if you ever tracked the menu screen down? Could it have been some additional hidden/maintenance screens that we currently don't know how to access?

In the meantime, I asked my agent about this issue, and he said there is no such setting. So I guess my perception was wrong - or they
don't want to disclose it. Or maybe my old ears and eyes were just playing tricks on me.

But I at least wanted to correct my statement.

If there really is such a setting, we will find out sooner or later.

 

[BillyBunter]

So after driving across France for the past 10 days, I’ve noticed;
- at motorway speeds, battery charges at 1-2 amps
- around town, battery charges at up to 10 amps
- on a 5 hour run on a motorway, my SOC increases by around 4%
- a 30 minute drive around town can increase my SOC by 2%-3%
- I seem to lose 3% battery charge per day if not driven

Assuming my battery is fine and SOC display is accurate, based on my observations, the software for the smart alternator needs to be updated to provide more charging at higher speeds/loads. I have a diesel Trialmaster with auxiliary battery, 2500km. My battery was at 81% this morning and I’ve bought a basic charger to top it up. I will get my battery checked when I return home to rule out any issues with my battery.

100% same as me. Same charging rates and same daily loss of charge. Got down to 81% from a week on little use, at which point I got some electronic errors starting again so took it up and down an A road for 30 min and got back to 86%. Previously did a 5 hour mixed drive but mainly motorway and never got it over 93%. I'm getting one of those smart chargers Logsplitter has to see if it can get over 93.

 

[DCPU]

100% same as me. Same charging rates and same daily loss of charge. Got down to 81% from a week on little use, at which point I got some electronic errors starting again so took it up and down an A road for 30 min and got back to 86%. Previously did a 5 hour mixed drive but mainly motorway and never got it over 93%. I'm getting one of those smart chargers Logsplitter has to see if it can get over 93.

I've seen 98% after a run, but I do generally leave it on a charger when parked up.

 

[ORSO]

on the advice of the CTEK distributor, given the dual battery system, I purchased an MXS10.

 

[Ever Pragmatic]

I’ve got my Grenadier upto a full float/ maintenance charge using the Victron smart charger and also last weekend upto a maintenance charge using a 100w solar panel and in both cases were connected to the jump lead post under the bonnet.
View attachment 7815356

Ive had the vehicle parked up in the shed for two weeks and went to move it this morning to find that the batter had dropped to 45%. .. I was looking at connecting my trickle charger directly to the battery posts, but it looks like your solution is easier.. Did you earth to anything in particular under the bonnet, or just found anything to earth?

 

[PBD]

Ive had the vehicle parked up in the shed for two weeks and went to move it this morning to find that the batter had dropped to 45%. .. I was looking at connecting my trickle charger directly to the battery posts, but it looks like your solution is easier.. Did you earth to anything in particular under the bonnet, or just found anything to earth?

Mine has been standing for 12 days and it was only on 92% charged when I left it. Checked it today and 85%! Looks like the new main battery and software update have solved my earlier troubles

 

[Jean Mercier]

Ive had the vehicle parked up in the shed for two weeks and went to move it this morning to find that the batter had dropped to 45%. .. I was looking at connecting my trickle charger directly to the battery posts, but it looks like your solution is easier.. Did you earth to anything in particular under the bonnet, or just found anything to earth?

That means I will never be able to go on Holidays for longer than two weeks?
In fact, it doesn't matter, I don't plan to go on Holidays without my Grenadier (for the time being)

 

[Tazzieman]

That means I will never be able to go on Holidays for longer than two weeks?

Give it a bump with the Noco , good to go!

 

[holdmybeer]

Yikes, am I reading these experiences correctly?

I do not expect a robust and sensibly designed truck would require a battery tender for a few weeks of inactivity.

 

[Tazzieman]

Yikes, am I reading these experiences correctly?

I do not expect a robust and sensibly designed truck would require a battery tender for a few weeks of inactivity.

It's Generation Alpha. Even needier than Gen Z.

 

[Ever Pragmatic]

Mine has been standing for 12 days and it was only on 92% charged when I left it. Checked it today and 85%! Looks like the new main battery and software update have solved my earlier troubles

Not had the update yet. Had it on a trickle charge yesterday and that’s allowed the battery to get to 50%.. Im hoping that update cures this problem.

 

[Ever Pragmatic]

That means I will never be able to go on Holidays for longer than two weeks?
In fact, it doesn't matter, I don't plan to go on Holidays without my Grenadier (for the time being)

We’d been to Oman, and I’d have loved to have taken it but it slightly over by 30kg luggage allowance. We had to made do with Land Cruisers once we were there.. a 2022 one with the v6 petrol engine. Nice car but felt a bit underpowered..

 

[Jean Mercier]

Hesitated where to post this, there are several possible other threads where I could post it, and didn't want to start a new thread. This is meant as a reference for other users.

My car (Trialmaster, double battery and SmartPass) wasn't used during 5,5 days.
The voltage of the main battery dropped from 12.9 Volts tot 12.7 Volts.
When putting the contact on, the battery status (State Of Charge) of the Grenadier showed 85% and the voltage dropped to 12.3 Volts (all kinds of systems are draining some current).
The State Of Charge (SOC) of my cheap Chinese monitoring system is calculated in a different way and says 98% at 12.2 Volts.
See the next pictures, the first two coming from the Chinese battery monitoring system:

Quite happy with the behavior of my battery. (No "non-Grenadier" current consuming devices connected while "not driving", apart from the Chinese monitor).

 

[Lollo050968]

@Jean Mercier Yes! After SW Update even my Grenny have a less „quiet“ consumption..
Maybe one, two control units are now sleeping earlier.

 

[Tazzieman]

Mine charged to 94% yesterday ; previous best on the external charger was 90% Go figure!