# Trickle charger for Winter



## Karls (Jul 12, 2010)

Will be laying my car up for Winter once the first salt hits the roads and wanted to get the ideal battery trickle charger. Can the GT-R be charged via the cigarette lighter?

I've been looking at the CTek chargers but if anyone has a suggestion then I'd be grateful to know.

Is there anything others do to the car before storing it before the Winter?

I've read that some put the car on axle stands but is this strictly necessary? My car will have to be stored outside with an indoor cover underneath an external cover but if it's on axle stands then this will obviously raise the external cover off the floor, thus allowing the weather under the car!


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## Mook (Mar 20, 2007)

Ctek are excellent, a lot of us use them


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## Karls (Jul 12, 2010)

Mook said:


> Ctek are excellent, a lot of us use them


Cheers Mook but can I plug it into the cigarette lighter?


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

I've just ordered one of these. Seems a good price.

Oxford Maximiser 360T Battery Charger - Lids Direct


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## furrywoolyhatuk (Apr 16, 2009)

My gtst wouldn't charge from the cigarette lighter with my solar charger, all it did was to make my boost controller turn on and off intermittently! In the end I used crocodile clips and linked it directly to the battery.


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## RCCC (Dec 15, 2009)

which is the best trickle charger for r35?


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## Alan (Jul 1, 2001)

Accumate is one of the first and best around, i have been using 4 of these for bikes and car. 

AccuMate Battery Chargers - the intelligent 6V, 12V & 24V maintenance chargers


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

R35 won't charge through the cigarette lighter, it's only live with the accessory/ignition on.

I use the Accumate linked to above with the small croc clip attachment and that feeds out through the rear of the bonnet, allowing you to close it.

Accumates also look a bit more weatherproof to me than the Cteks, although keeping it out of direct rain would obviously be a good idea!

BTW, no need to stop using it during the winter. It does have 4WD you know!
Snow is a bit more of a challenge on worn summer tyres though... 




(and makes it sound strangely like a truck diesel!)


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

I've got a ctek on mine, works great, had a Ring trickle charger and it was pants, broke after six months..very annoying to come home to hear the alarm siren bleeting out its final breath.. My wheels were wonky to and I didn't give it much thought..the steering was not much fun next time I drove it, the arse was jumping all over the place.


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## bazza_g (Sep 10, 2009)

Seriously, can someone explain to me the logic of having a £60k 4WD supercar that gets 'tucked up in bed' for winter...?!


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

I guess if you have other cars why risk damage from wet, dirty, salty, sandy, crap covered roads. I'd rather risk the damage than get a bus, one simply won't do public transport.


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## countvonc (Feb 11, 2009)

cleethorpes said:


> I guess if you have other cars why risk damage from wet, dirty, salty, sandy, crap covered roads. I'd rather risk the damage than get a bus, one simply won't do public transport.


Exactly I have a 4x4 for winter.


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## londongtr (Dec 8, 2009)

+1

Even if you don't want salt on your 10 year corrosion warranted car then I can see no logic in using a trickle charge when you could sit in the car listening to the engine burble away for 30 mins every couple of weeks...refuge from the kids of Christmass if you ask me.




bazza_g said:


> Seriously, can someone explain to me the logic of having a £60k 4WD supercar that gets 'tucked up in bed' for winter...?!


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## GTR ally (May 19, 2008)

I use the harley davidson one I had for my bike. It has the lead permanatly fitted to the battery with the small rubber covered plug. I use it as my car can sit for months while I'm away working.

I too will be laying the GTR up for the winter, simply because I can't enjoy it the same in the winter and it breaks my heart to have spent all the time and money on the detailing to see it get in such a state. And the fact I have other lesser vehicles to drive in the winter.

If it was my only car then yes I would use it, I'm not a public transprt person either.


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## ChuckUK (Jan 1, 2009)

I have just purchased a CTEK XS 3600 to charge the GTR during it's stay in the garage this winter. 

Can anyone tell me if they connected the charging terminals straight to the pos/neg of the battery or pos to the battery and neg to the chassis ?


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

I always thought you shouldn't connect direct to the battery, I always connect the earth to the chassis and the positive to the loom under the bonnet..but then I have a 33


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

I couldn't see an earthing bolt sufficiently near the battery, so just connected both clips to the battery terminals.

Pretty sure modern sealed batteries no longer vent much hydrogen?


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

an explosion is a longshot...but worth considering, just need to keep a bit of ventilation going...and connect the negative first...


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## ChuckUK (Jan 1, 2009)

Straight to the battery it is then, thanks guys.


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## Mook (Mar 20, 2007)

I've got my ctek with the socket connected straight to the battery terminals. When I get home I pop open the boot and plug the car into the external socket on my drive and close the boot on the wire

I tell my neighbours it's got electric motors like a G-whizz
Mook


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## Kadir (Mar 23, 2008)

For those that have no readily available electricity sockets, what alternatives are there, if any?


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## Mook (Mar 20, 2007)

I used to have a solar panel which worked reasonable well until I started using a car cover. Lol


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

Kadir said:


> For those that have no readily available electricity sockets, what alternatives are there, if any?


a bus pass.


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## Kadir (Mar 23, 2008)

Bus?! LOL.. Better off staying indoors.. Thanks all the same..


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## TREG (May 20, 2004)

I use a Ctek as well.

The battery is fitted with a battery meter that connects to the charger directly when required. You can also charge the battery via the cig lighter with the correct connection.


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## deerhunter (Dec 7, 2009)

i use an Optimate Battery charger, i also use them on my bikes .Ducati 998 and Suzuki Gsxr Thou and theyre pretty good ,never had any problems starting car or bikes after they,ve been laid up for winter 
the Gtr gets put away for winter . why expose it to all that snow,grit,salt an shit that is on the road, :smokin:


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