My MX5 is getting very little use at the moment, I bought a new Westco battery last December and I try and start the engine each week if I get chance. Came to it last Saturday and it was totally dead, not even a flicker of life from the dashboard lights. So I ordered an Optimate 4 from MX5parts and it arrived yesterday.
My question is: how do you know when the battery is fully charged? I know it will probably take a few days to charge.
At the moment the following LEDs are lit:
Green (power on)top left side
0.2, 0.5, & 0.8 AMPS in the centre of the display
Yellow charge light (on steady) lower right side
None of the “TEST” LED’s
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I am guessing that the 0.2,0.5 & 0.8 LED’s will go out once the battery is fully charged? And maybe the yellow charge LED as well?
I am sure they are a good machine, I just wish the instruction manual was written more clearly.
Cheers,
Paul
Cant help with the optimate im afraid, but i was concerned you have been starting the engine and not actually driving the car?
This will be taking charge away but even if left idling for quite some time wont recover charge like driving will.
If you are gong for a 45min drive please ignore this comment.
I bought the car early last October (a 91’ LE with 52,000 miles). I have only done 326 miles since and the longest journey (75 mile round trip) was going over to Mazmania for the new hood. Since fitting the new battery I have only used the car twice and both trips where 10 miles or less.
You guessed right, I had been starting the car and letting it idle for 10 mins. The immobilizer is drawing current and probably flattening the battery.
Hopefully I will be able to just connect the Optimate each weekend to top up the battery… either that or disconnect the battery until I want to use the car.
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When I lived in the UK, I used to leave my Optimate/Ctek permanently connected during the winter months. I used the adaptor kit to put permanent connections to the battery, and the socket comes out behind the drivers seat. Dead easy and very reliable
Thanks Geoff,
The battery took a total of 48 hours to charge fully. In the end the charger showed just the green power on LED and the green test LED. I have now fitted the harness to the battery clamps, but I could not see how to feed the socket inside the cabin so I have left it so I can connect up inside the boot.
I have just ordered a couple of extension leads for the optimate so that I can mount the charger on the wall.
Oh and I actually took the car out for a drive yesterday… the first time in 6 weeks.
Cheers,
Paul
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