Urgent charging question -help please

[Shaky]

Guys

I need your advice and expertise, quite quickly on this one please.

At very short notice, I am going to have to go abroad for 6 weeks.

This has left me with a quandary with the Grenadier, regarding charging and battery drain over the time I am away.

Do I leave it on charge permanently whilst away or charge it up as far as it will go, and then leave it for the duration.

I won’t have anyone who will be able to start it or drive it whilst away, so that isn’t an option.

I have a NOCO 5, currently charging it up via the positive port under the bonnet/hood and the negative on the engine block bracket.

Is that charger going to be fine left on, do I risk the chance of fire/damage to battery or vehicle electronics ?? Or do I risk leaving it without charge for six weeks ??

I leave in 48hrs so as much info is needed quite quickly please.

Cheers

Shaky

 

[ECrider]

Guys

I need your advice and expertise, quite quickly on this one please.

At very short notice, I am going to have to go abroad for 6 weeks.

This has left me with a quandary with the Grenadier, regarding charging and battery drain over the time I am away.

Do I leave it on charge permanently whilst away or charge it up as far as it will go, and then leave it for the duration.

I won’t have anyone who will be able to start it or drive it whilst away, so that isn’t an option.

I have a NOCO 5, currently charging it up via the positive port under the bonnet/hood and the negative on the engine block bracket.

Is that charger going to be fine left on, do I risk the chance of fire/damage to battery or vehicle electronics ?? Or do I risk leaving it without charge for six weeks ??

I leave in 48hrs so as much info is needed quite quickly please.

Cheers

Shaky

The NOCO 5 is a smart charger so will monitor your battery SOC and trickle it when needed to keep it at it's optimum level.

My advice, leave it connected.

 

[landmannnn]

Agreed. Not many modern cars will manage 6 weeks on standby.

 

[Lollo050968]

leave it connected. the Noco knows what to do.

 

[Clark Kent]

Guys

I need your advice and expertise, quite quickly on this one please.

At very short notice, I am going to have to go abroad for 6 weeks.

This has left me with a quandary with the Grenadier, regarding charging and battery drain over the time I am away.

Do I leave it on charge permanently whilst away or charge it up as far as it will go, and then leave it for the duration.

I won’t have anyone who will be able to start it or drive it whilst away, so that isn’t an option.

I have a NOCO 5, currently charging it up via the positive port under the bonnet/hood and the negative on the engine block bracket.

Is that charger going to be fine left on, do I risk the chance of fire/damage to battery or vehicle electronics ?? Or do I risk leaving it without charge for six weeks ??

I leave in 48hrs so as much info is needed quite quickly please.

Cheers

Shaky

Sorry to go against the flow, but I'm quite risk adverse on this stuff. Maybe in part because my Dad was a volunteer fire fighter and attended a lot of electrical fires in unattended homes. A flat battery is a PITA. A flat house is something else.

If you don't keep it on charge the battery/ies will slowly discharge but I don't think there would be any consequences unless you try to start and operate the vehicle (with a low battery). Anecdotally there is some evidence of system sensitivity to a low battery charge but it's not solid. If you don't operate it in a low volts state it shouldn't be affected.

My approach would be to leave it off charge, lock it up and sleep easy at night. When you get back home put it on charge for 24 hours (or until the charger says it's complete) without unlocking and waking up the car. Leave the charger hooked up as it is now. Turn off the charger at the unit or the wall then turn it on when you're back home.
Just my opinion

Edit: Whatever you choose, be sure to secure the keys well away from the vehicle so the vehicle doesn't detect the keys and wake up while you're away.
Safe travels.

 

[NQ94]

I'm with Clark Kent on this one, my other preference if the car is locked long term in a garage is to record any security codes for radios etc and disconnect the battery after the car has fully gone to sleep. Charge the battery if required on return from your trip. Reconnect the battery and let the car do a full ignition on power up before starting so ECUs etc can have a good power supply to restart and reset actuators without the voltage drop from starting.
I am not keen even with a multi stage charger on leaving batteries in enclosures charging long term without regular inspections or decent venting.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Any decent quality 12v smart charger for a car will do a good job for that period of time.

Just make sure the crocodile clips are attached securely.

View: https://youtu.be/8xTWkOpDNWE

 

[Logsplitter]

It’ll be fine left on charge with a good smart charger.
My Grenadier has been on charge now for 10 days since returning from Morocco. In January it was on charge for five weeks whilst I was in Asia. Last year whilst waiting for shipping it was on charge for almost two months. I have kits inc boats and portable fire pumps that are left on trickle charge permanently.
I use a Victron smart charger.

 

[Jiman01]

I have the same charger and over winter vacation left it for 3wks without issue. I do agree that it's a risk, albeit a small one to keep in hooked up while you're gone.

Although a PIA, the safest route for the truck and your batteries, would be to remove the batteries from the truck and charge them in a safe location away from the Grenadier. I think it’s overkill for a 6wk trip but as far as safety goes, its the way to go.