Bramblecat

Well winter and the wet are fast approaching and I have decided to link the car back up to the Optimate 4 as I won't be using it that much and I want to look after the battery. Normally I would attach the Optimate direct to the battery, which is ok but I am looking at buying a cigarette lighter adapter and charging through the lighter. I have no idea how this works but my mates TVR is kept on a trickle charge like this with no problem.

My question is this safe and does this work on an S and if so anyone know how it works?

Cheers

Martin

dennohue

You need to check that your Auxilliary Power Socket is live when the ignition is switched off! Mine is not.

RobinA3

Neither is mine, i have my trickle charger wired to the battery directly.

tej

If I'm not mistaken my S has a switched live for the ciggy lighter also but my TVR has a permanently live cig lighter, which is actually quite annoying as it means I have to remember to pull the phone charger out everytime!

Bramblecat

So for this to work the lighter has to be permanently live?

mikey k

Yes
and as others have said it isn't
I had an Optimate and made a harness to go direct on the the battery with it.
The Aston has a socket in the boot specifically for this as the battery goes flat in a fortnight other wise
You could do something like that?

unclefester

Don't you think selling the S2000 and buying an Aston just to gain a boot charge socket is a little extreme?

tej

I had a 4way accesory socket thingy wired into the switched live feed by the fusebox in the drivers foot well, think theres a permanent live down there too. I'd be tempted to wire in something like that down there or hardwire the trickle charger to there and it'll be nice and hidden to.

Bramblecat

Yes I will certainly have to have a long hard think as to what to do. The car has to sit outside the garage and the last thing I want to do is have the charger sitting under the bonnet all the time where it may become damp.

Thanks for the advice guys.

euan

Why don't you just extend the charger lead long enough to allow you to keep your optimate in the garage, or am I missing something?