I have just had my battery replaced with a GEL sealed battery and was advised by the garage to use a trickle charger only, if the car is unused for more than a few days. However most trickle chargers state that they are unsuitable for GEL batteries which I understand are mostly used in the aviation industry.
Will I damage the GEL battery if I use a regular 12 volt charger?
Is it really necessary to use a stabilised 13.8 volt charger for a car battery?
If you can sort me out I'd be grateful so as to protect my investment in an expensive battery.
The battery was a warranty replacement and fitted without any discussion. They just told me that it was fitted and to use a trickle charger. If I had been given an option I would not have chosen a GEL battery since I have no idea what the benefits are or why I should fit one.
It's not a silly question but I'm not into expensive toys.
I bought a trickle charger from Draper (Charge Master) which I had been told was OK to use but when I asked Drapers Tech Support they told me that it should not be used and would damage the battery.
My garage insist that it is a GEL battery, could they be misinformed?
Was the original battery a gelcel? If not then you would probably need the alternators electronics chaning to actually charge it correctly as they have different charge and votlage requirement to ordinary sb/sb batteries.
Frankly I know nothing at all about batteries post lead/acid. I believe that the replaced battery was fitted when the car was manufactured in 1998. The replacement has no visible markings or ID as it sits in a jacket with Velcro fastening top. I have written to the garage seeking clarification of the whole business and trust that they will see fit to let their customer know what they fitted and how to care for it. Maybe they will break the rules and tell me.
SLA (sealed lead acid) types are used were there's a danger of spilling. They offer no advantages over a wet type for normal use and are considerably more expensive, like for like. Only vehicle I'd expect to see them used on is a serious hobby off roader that might be overturned.
Yes. But I'd first ask if the charging system on your car is suitable.
For SLA type, yes. But some better car chargers may have this option.
If all you need is a trickle charger to combat self discharge (which is tiny) and say things like the radio memory and alarm, Maplin do a SLA 0.35 amp wall wart for 13 quid.
It's a second user 1998 Skoda Octavia and as the car was purchased last December from a Perrys Vauxhall dealership, they replaced the battery under the Network Q warranty. The Perrys people appear to treat all customers as idiots not capable of understanding simple automotive information and so customers are not given leaflets that come with replacement batteries and they decline to discuss technical matters. Hence my problem.
I've not had a leaflet with any of the replacement batteries I've bought either. However, they've usually got the relevant information printed on them, or any such available from the makers by quoting the part number.
However, it's almost certainly not designed to use a 'gel' - which means SLA - battery. These use a paste rather than a liquid as the electrolyte, and this is only needed where there is a risk of the battery being overturned etc for some time, etc.
I'd be most surprised if it is indeed a 'gel' type they've fitted. Many think modern 'sealed' car batteries are gel types but they're not - simply wet types with a slightly different design and venting arrangements.
If you get the name and type number off the case it should be possible to tell exactly what is indeed fitted.
As a rough guide, a gel battery costs about twice that of a semi-sealed or low maintence type with absolutely no advantages for car use.
FWIW, it's not advisable to use an ancient or unregulated charger with any modern car battery as they're not designed to cope with heavy gassing. So saying, a trickle type charger can't produce heavy gassing anyway.
The battery is seated in a tight fitting jacket, there is a moulded wiring box covering the top and there are no visible markings or ID's. To get it out is a very major operation and I've heard that because of the complexity of the wiring people have had great difficulty getting it out and back without problems.
The previous battery just died in an instant and Perrys would not tell me what the cause of failure was because I did not need to know as it was being replaced under warranty. My worry is that it may have been a charging problem which could happen again. All electronic car control systems are way over my head and one needs to have confidence in the garage but this is difficult when they don't believe in basic communication with customers.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.