Battery Tender

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montyaloofah

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Hi

Does anyone know if i can use a battery tender that plugs into the car's lighter socket to keep the battery charged? I have a Porsche Charge-O-Mat 2 that i would like to use on my 2011 LR4. Recently have noticed the LR4 not turning over to start with the verve it used to. i'll go days without driving it.

Thanks
 

umbertob

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That probably wouldn't work on the LR4, since all 12V sockets in the car switch off via timed relays a few minutes after you shut off the engine. Conditioning / charging the battery regularly is a good idea however, especially if you go days without driving, or drive short distance commutes on a regular basis, as the battery may not get enough time to recharge properly when engine and alternator are running. I have a relatively inexpensive Shumacher SC-1200A-CA auto-switching rapid charger / trickle charger - with alligator clips to connect it directly to the battery terminals in the engine, and it works quite well. I try to give both my main and auxiliary AGM batteries a charge once a week in my garage (the Shumacher unit has a switch for flooded, deep cycle / AGM and gel cell types) to keep them conditioned and in tip-top shape.

One thing Land Rover recommends when using a battery charger or maintainer is to connect the negative alligator clip to a grounding point inside the engine (there are a couple of them easily accessible in front of the battery compartment), rather than directly to the negative terminal on the battery itself. This is due to the BMS - Battery Monitoring System - module mounted on the negative lead of the battery, which may not detect current flow supplied by the charger otherwise and may retain wrong battery conditions info as a result.

Please note I have a 2013 with no Stop/Start system - I do have a secondary battery, but it's an aftermarket unit that runs my refrigerator, cameras and other devices separately and is connected to the main / cranking one and alternator with a Traxide isolator... Don't know if different precautions and procedures would have to be taken when charging the battery of a 2014+ LR4 fitted with the Stop/Start system with an aftermarket battery charger. Probably not, but you may want to check on TOPIx or ask your dealer first.
 
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NASdiesel

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I use a tender but it is hard wired to the battery. I would avoid the 12v socket, I don't know enough about how the ECU controls it but it is disconnected from power a few seconds after the ignition is off.
 

umbertob

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Well, current travels both ways, so charging the battery through an accessory socket or cigar lighter should be possible... Unless the socket is switched (which is the case in the LR4, short of jumping / bypassing the relay that stands between battery and socket.)
 

roverman

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The one on the back of the center console isn't switched. At least in mine...
 

montyaloofah

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Good info, thanks very much! i'll find one that connects directly to battery terminals.
 

umbertob

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Huh. They take their sweet time (perhaps as long as 10-15 minutes after turning off the ignition), but on my 2013 all 12V sockets - cigar, front, back seats and cargo area - eventually switch off, and stay off until I either unlock / open the doors or start the car again.
 

Surfrider77

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The one on the back of the center console isn't switched. At least in mine...

I never checked this. It would be amazing if true on my 2013. I hate that my phone charger turns off with the main socket once the relay times out. My BMWs sockets all stayed live with the car off.
 

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