| Index
to articles on battery maintenance for MGV8s See RAC guide to battery conditioners and trickle chargers. 
Back to entry webpage Updated: 210220 Posted: 201220 |
Articles
and notes on battery maintenance More reports of serious fire damage with using battery chargers A report of a serious fire damage to a car, garage, sheds and a caravan plus damage with electrolyte from a fractured battery. 210220 More What are the popular battery conditioners for a classic car? A survey of V8 owners indicated the two most popular brands of battery conditioners are the CTEK and Accumate201215 More Members' views on battery conditioners This note covers battery conditioners and is based on members' feedback of their choice of conditioner and experience with it. Here Peter Spurrs reports on the feedback. 201220 More Wall mounting a battery conditioner The general principle is to mount the unit in a safe, ventilated place where any heat that might be generated in or around a conditioner can be dissipated. Peter Spurrs feels a wall mounting is the obvious place. Soft and flammable surfaces are to be avoided. Some users secure the unit in a wooden or metal box which can also be wall mounted. 201219 More Prudent safety measures with electrical devices on a classic car during a lay-up Following reports that serious fire damage to a small collection of historic vehicles was believed to have been caused by a malfunction of a battery conditioner, prudent protective measures have been reviewed. One protective device is the use of an RCD (Residual Current Device), or as they are technically termed a Residual Current Circuit Breaker or RCCB. Nic Houslip feels any protection is better than none and the more the better. Here he provides information on how an RCD could be useful and how it works. 201216 More Care when using a battery charger rather than a battery conditioner A recent member survey by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) revealed the average annual mileage of the respondents' historic vehicles is 1,200 miles. The typical annual mileage for a modern classic like an MGV8 is probably around 2,000 to 2,500 miles so clearly they spend considerable time parked up, often in a lay-up over the Winter months. Many classic car enthusiasts keep their vehicle connected to a modern battery conditioner to maintain the battery charge level and condition whilst others do periodic charges of the battery using a battery charger. Here Nic Houslip highlights the differences between a battery conditioner and a more traditional battery charger and the care you need to take with a charger. 201218 More Articles setting out the concerns and tips Storing a V8 over winter - postings from the V8BB An interesting thread on keeping moisture off a V8 when stored in a garage during the Winter months ran on the V8BB in January. It was started by Peter Garton from Germany and attracted many interesting contributions. This note captures them for the series and illustrates how useful the V8BB can be - compiled by Victor Smith. (Jan 06) More Battery care for a winter lay-up Nic Houslip is often asked what is the best way to care for a car battery when laying up a car for the forthcoming winter. (Oct 13) More Winter lay ups Comprehensive four page article by Colin Grant, with the assistance of car care experts Hamilton Classics, published in the January 2011 issue of Safety Fast!, the monthly magazine of the MG Car Club. More Laying up an MGB or MGBGTV8 - a corrosion engineer's thoughts Geoff Seaton (Black 2896) from Berkshire was until recently an engineer with British Airways and is very familiar with the care and attention needed on maintaining quality machinery. Here he sets out some ideas on lay up products. (Oct 83) More Lay up and storage concerns for the MGBV8 enthusiast Dave Wellings provides a comprehensive note on how lay up and store a V8 and some of the issues to bear in mind. Many members take their MGBV8s off the road for the winter period to avoid the ravages of salt on the bodywork but a number of difficulties can arise when the car is fired up for an airing after a lengthy lay-up. Whilst the motivation for members laying up their V8s in winter is clear (they want to avoid the bodywork ravages from the salt spread on winter roads), it is just as important to ensure the car is kept dry whilst it is stored in the garage. Keeping the air moving under and around the car is a worthwhile precaution and an electric fan connected to a timer provides a useful period of breeze each day. Here Dave Wellings (Black V8 0974) provides some tips. (October 00) More Corrosion concerns Biofuels, particularly when stored for lengthy periods in a classic car laid up for periods during the winter months, attract water leading to corrosion in classic car fuel storage tanks and fuel supply systems. The FBHVC is actively working on these issues and have commissioned tests of corrosion inhibitors and have plans to encourage the distribution of an inhibitor for classic car enthusiasts. See biofuels information gateway SORN and continuous insurance when you lay-up an MGV8 Continuous insurance Classic car owners could easily trip up by forgetting their insurance renewal needs attending to when their car is garaged but not on a SORN. See our continuous insurance gateway |
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