Lately I am hardly using the car and often when I do go to use it, the battery is flat. Wondered about fitting some sort of disconnect switch, but if you know the standard set up on a 4x4 sierra Cosworth this does not look easy. Firstly it uses the flat post battery and secondly it has a plate with multiple wires attached. What if anything are others doing. I could just disconnect the battery completely but a bit more of a fiddle before and after using the car.
Also while reading this - I notice very little traffic on this forum these days. Where is all the conversation happening for Sierra/Sapphire/RS500 Cosworth these days. It it on facebook somewhere.
Thanks
David

 

You could put it on a battery charger while not using the car.

 

Trickle charger is the best solution really.

 

My 2wd Saff has a solar powered trickle charger fixed on the back of the garage roof feeding down inside. Keeps the battery charged up a treat.

 

Hi David, i use a battery conditioner, and to date its been faultless.

After having the same issues when going to start mine i looked about, i did have one that used a push fit connection from a fly lead but became awkward to use just have a simple croc clips now and its seconds to disconnect.

 

Is yours a 240v power source plug in? My garage does not have a 240v supply which is why I had to go for solar powered. Did you go to the show ? If so what was it like?

 

I disconnect the black cable on mine every time it goes back into the garage.
Battery keeps its charge and only takes a few seconds to connect when I want to use it

 

Yeah I'm fully powered in the garage, dropped in a new armour cable and cu when the old concrete floor came out.

Fully re wired and new lighting went in. I wouldn't have been happy before with heater and dehumidifier running and the battery conditioner without it all replaced.

Yes, made the trip to Whilton mill and it was a damp start but ended up dry and to honest it was a cracking turnout.

Hope your keeping well and we get to catch up next year face to face.

 

Hows that effect the alarm/immobiliser??

Thats my reason for not disconnecting the leads.....mine original had a kill switch but once that was off the doors wouldn't lock and the alarms were useless.

 

Car is manually locked, garage is secure and wires Range Rover parked in front of the garage

 

Thanks, I will be at Simply Ford at Beaulieu next Sunday, hope the weather stays fine. It is only 10 minutes from where I live so will give it a go. Off to Julian Godfrey in West Sussex on the 14th for a new centre push hydraulic clutch conversion. Hopefully next year car shows can get properly started again!!

 

 

 

Its not the neatest solution in the world but does the job for me.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. As said - A trickle charger is probably the best option but I am also temporarily without a garage at the moment so not as easy. As can be seen from Mad_Mat's solution, there are a heap of other wires connected directly to the battery that need to be disconnected if that's the option chosen. Mat - is that a single item that can be purchased or is it made up of a couple of units. Thanks again. David

 

Single item. Cheap n cheerful off eBay. Designed for round post battery but clamps up just fine to flat post type aswell.
See here

 

Looks a neat job to me. I presume you just simply unscrew the round black knob and it comes off?

 

So couple quick turns of the knob and the battery is isolated. It doesn't need to come completely off to isolate.

 

Thanks again Mat. Have you got that fitted on the Neg side?
David

 

Yes thats right its the negative side. Less wiring to deal with.

 

I have something similar to Mat, its a great solution, car is isolated and completely reduces the risk of fire ! Seen too many guys lose cars and garages due to trickle chargers etc being left plugged in constantly.