Can you run the car if.......

[huwp]

.....you have a battery conditioner attached?

 

I have always removed it in the past then started the car.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

I would remove it first, due to the high current drawn by the starter motor.

 

Why would you want to leave it attached ?

 

Edit ...... increases the risk of driving off while still attached too 😳

 

Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 3 Jan 2013 17:05:53

[huwp]

Quoting Stationary M25 Traveller: 

I would remove it first, due to the high current drawn by the starter motor.

 

Why would you want to leave it attached ?

 

Edit ...... increases the risk of driving off while still attached too 😳

 

Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 3 Jan 2013 17:05:53

 

Just laziness if I'm honest. Would save the phaff with the bonnet. The car currently sits in the garage with the conditioner attached and with the bonnet resting in place.

 

Huw

 

 

[Roadsport06]

To be more lazy (but requiring a bit of work first) connect it to a 12V socket, no need to pop the bonnet each time.

[Jonathan Kay]

It's unlikely to cause any damage, but imagine how you'd feel if it did.

 

Fit the cigar lighter socket (as above), then disconnect the charger before starting.

 

Jonathan

[weeman]

How will you be able to drive the car with the conditioner attached and if you're not intending to drive the car do you mind my asking why you want to start the engine.

 

I'm not meaning to be contentious, but I am curious.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Long extension lead ?? 😬

 

Reminds me of a fire station in the Midlands ......... exhaust gas extraction hose is fabric with a wire spiral to keep it round. Fitted to exhaust outlet when vehicle parked in the appliance bay. When the vehicle moves off, it is ejected, along with the electricity hook-up.

 

That is the theory.

 

One day, it didn't eject, and the vehicle got a considerable way up the street before the wire broke and it came shooting back to the station.

 

Bl00dy dangerous having a cheese cutter wire with a charging 14-tonne fire truck stretching it 😳

[keybaud]

I wouldn't try and start the car with the conditioner attached, as the starter motor will try and draw current from both the battery and the conditioner at the same time if it is switched on, as they are effectively in parrallel. The conditioner should be able to limit the current drawn by the starter motor, but you run the risk of melting the cables or destroying the conditioner if it doesn't do this properly.

 

Edited by - keybaud on 3 Jan 2013 19:31:22

[rjnewman]

Mine, ordinary halfords, has 3A fuse in line so I guess that would prevent you melting to much. Have also run the cable through to just under the steering wheel, can't forget to unplug it that way and don't need to take off bonnet.

 

Hope that helps

 

[Drumster]

....or stick one of these on the wire

[tbird]

My Technical head says it wouldn't be a problem, most have short cct protection of some sort so even if it did try to draw loads of current it would probably be OK, but I still would,t do it. probably be more worried about spikes than actual current

Are you actually suggesting you start up with conditioner powered up or switched off at mains, I might risk it with it powered off.

Think if I thought taking bonnet of was that much faff I would wire up an accessable auxiliary socket in the cockpit.

 

Tim

[SLR No.77]

Amazing how some people can't read! OP said "run the car" not "drive it"

 

I've started mine with the Optimate still connected with no issues.... the Optimate just reverts to the red error light and is easily reset afterwards by turning off and on the 240v supply. Having said that I'll not take any responsibility for anyone else cooking something!

 

Stu.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

But it progressed to increasing the risk of driving once started.

[weeman]

Amazing how some people can't read! OP said "run the car" not "drive it"

 

If this is aimed at me Stu then perhaps what I wrote wasn't clear enough.

 

I was trying to ascertain why anyone would want or need to start their cars engine without either A/ driving it or B/ removing the bonnet to work on the engine.

 

Seeing as the OP had clearly ruled out B/ this only leaves A/. I stress

that I didn't mean to be contentious.

 

So, in essence, I wasn't trying to answer the OP's question I was posing a question of my own.

 

 

 

[SLR No.77]

All tongue in cheek ..... or rather ,

 

Back on track it's probably worth checking the info for the specific conditioner because that's the bit of kit that's most likely to get damaged ...... maybe even more so if driving off with it attached!

 

Stu.

[huwp]

Apologies for the delay in returning.

 

Perhaps I should have made it clearer from the outset. The car is on Axel stands so won't be going anywhere. I just wanted to run the engine for a while and wondered whether I would need to remove the conditioner.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Huw

 

 

[Clive Faulkner]

I can't understand why anyone would wonder about the reason for wanting to run the engine without driving it. I run mine up to temparature at least once per month through the winter as I always did with my motorbikes. I try to take it out occasionally if there's no salt down but the minimum of running it to temparature will minimise problems come the spring especially since the advent of unleaded fuel.

[weeman]

I can't understand why anyone would wonder about the reason for wanting to run the engine without driving it.

You're absolutely correct Clive. On reflection, just because I won't start my car for no good reason doesn't mean that I should wonder about what other people do with their cars.

 

I don't start my engine unless I can get the oil up to temperature fairly quickly and without leaving it to tick over for a lifetime, that means driving it.

If I want to circulate oil after a prolonged period of non use, I remove the plugs, stop the fuel supply and spin the engine over on the starter. I'm not saying this is the right way, just that it's my way.

Despite never wanting my posts to be judgemental and always being genuine, it seems I always manage to irritate someone.

 

 

[Clive Faulkner]

Hi Weeman

 

I wasn't criticising your post mate. We all have our own ways of dealing with the winter and our occasionally used cars. I may be a bit over the top starting mine as often as I do but when I had bikes, especially 4 stroke singles with 600cc plus engines, I have suffered problems after the winter lay-up. We learned through experience when unleaded fuel came in that it goes off over the winter and no one had told us. That's why I start mine up regularly. It's probably also because I'm getting on in years and came through the years of dodgy electrics etc but I always want to give my car every chance of coming through the winter unscathed.

[weeman]

I suspect Clive, that this is one of those subjects that divide opinion. Bit like aero v screen or full hood v half hood.

I can't imagine that your way or mine is having a deleterious affect on our respective engines, rather, that we've arrived where we are through customs and practice. The two things that have always concerned me (perhaps unnecessarily) are a cold start or choke mixture and cold engine oil. With modern engines and lubricants my theories might be flawed but old habits are hard to break.

 

 

[SLR No.77]

Driving it off whilst on axle stands could be whole different problem ......

 

Stu.

[weeman]

😬