[Wrangler]

Wrangler on 3rd July 2018 at 9:58 am

Just a quick question. I wont be using my Wrangler for 3 -4 weeks. Should I disconnect the battery? If I do disconnect would it complicate things/

[Andrew]

Andrew on 6th July 2018 at 10:57 am

Disconnecting the battery will not complicate things at all above messing with the clock time. Many modern vehicles alarm systems kill the battery in less than a month.

[Morpheus Prime]

Morpheus Prime on 16th July 2018 at 11:24 am

as far as i recall, even if you disconnect the battery it’s still going to lose charge?

probably not as fast as when you have it connected to an immobilizer – but i still think that when you return to your car after a month, she wont start.

if you do take you battery out, OR unhook the positive terminal. i would seriously recommend using a battery charger that trickles the power into the battery to keep it alive or charging. there are a few of these on the market ranging from R 1000 – R 3000.

the worst thing you can do for a battery is let it go flat. when it goes flat – it significantly decreases the lifespan of the battery.

batteries are not cheap – perhaps the 4×4 guys can publish an article for you on Battery maintenance and care. ive learned many lessons from doing things the wrong way and trusting mates opinions than actual expert advice or fact.

i too would appreciate the insight.

[Andre du Rand]

Andre du Rand on 16th July 2018 at 1:06 pm

It is recommended to use a storage battery charger like a Victron Smart IP65 4A, it can be left on the battery during these 4 weeks. a Nice feature of the charger is that is has Bluetooth built in so you can use your smart phone to monitor the status of the  battery using VictronConnect, a free app used for Bluetooth enabled Victron products.

Disconnecting could be a solution but you might have a tracker that needs to report.

A battery will self discharge if left connected, if disconnected it will have to be looked after by means of charging, here you need a charger with a storage mode as described above.

Attachments:

1. 

   IP65_2018_DE_smart_web_230.pdf
   

[Morpheus Prime]

Morpheus Prime on 16th July 2018 at 1:15 pm

Thanks Andre.

cool brochure. however the App part seems to be in German.

do you know if the battery connect by Victon can work on any batteries? or only Victorn batteries?

also…..can you only check the battery status over bluetooth? or does it have WIFI internet capabilities also?

if for example i want to monitor the status of my solar batteries remotely?

i dont think the connection for bluetooth between my home and my office will work. haha.

Many thanks!

 

[Wrangler]

Wrangler on 18th July 2018 at 9:58 am

Thanks for the great advice guys.

I’m liking what I see from the Victron and at least it wont be a hard knock on the wallet. i see they are stocked in Somerset West.

[Morpheus Prime]

Morpheus Prime on 18th July 2018 at 10:03 am

no problem Wrangler!

i’m not sure if they have any offices in Edenvale, but please do let me/us know if you spot any other cool gadgets there. im not that familiar with the Victron brand however they do seem to have some cool stuff!

[Len]

Len on 18th July 2018 at 10:04 am

just place it on a intelligent charger. I work away for 6 weeks at a time, and this way my battery gets charged and discharged.

[Andre du Rand]

Andre du Rand on 18th July 2018 at 6:54 pm

Hi Morpheus, Victron Energy has various monitoring options, there is a free website where all data is gathered and available for viewing by owners of, this off course is for Solar Systems that run houses in Off Grid application. https://vrm.victronenergy.com/installation-overview

For Automotive applications the monitoring is point to point for users which gives them real time data about power production and power consumption and battery status according top A/H used.

In Edenvale we do not have a stocking dealer yet, but email scott@getoffgrid.co.za and he can help you with products and pricing.

 

I hope that helps, best regards.

[Andre du Rand]

Andre du Rand on 18th July 2018 at 7:07 pm

Oh yes the VictronConnect Bluetooth app is available in 12 languages:)

 

The App can be used in Demo mode once installed, that means you do not need to be connected to a product to learn what this app and product can offer you.

I have made a quick guide to set the app into demo mode:)

Go to this link for direct downloads of the App.

https://www.victronenergy.co.za/support-and-downloads/software

 

Enjoy it, there are some You Tube Videos for tutorials also available.

Attachments:

1. 

   VictronConnect-Demo-mode-select.jpg
   

[Willy Pittner]

Willy Pittner on 25th November 2018 at 3:18 pm

Hi Wrqangler,

There are many ways to skin a cat so the saying goes. a lot of these clever chargers with bluetooth and WIFI are all good and well. I had a cruiser with tracker in it and it always killed my battery in 2 weeks. My wifes Audi (as with all of them) tend to do the same. I built a cheapie batery trickle charger and have it routed all over the garage. When we go away I have a permanet cable connected to the battery terminals and when we go away we just plug it in and no problems.

As you well know on a daily basis there is no problem about battery running down as the drain minimal. Over time it eventually kills the battery. The tricle does not need to be more than a couple of milli-amps, it just need to replace what ever is used out of the battery.

Incidently my Maza 2500 turbodiesel can stand for months without a problem, but then the most electronics in it is probably the radio.

It depends how much you want to spend at the end off the day.

Regards

Willy