Those of you who use a trickle charger, how do you have it connected? Straight to the battery or can you use the post in the engine bay? I bought one recently for another car but I think I'm going to use it on the 928 instead.

Thanks,

Joe

 

Joe,
Go the Alan Moore's website and you will note how it should be done by the 928 Electrical Expert.
Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

 

I totally removed battery and it charged on a battery tender junior for 2 days,im checking if battery holds charge,but you can also attach it while its totally connected in the car,it doesnt hurt anything because its just a trickle,if it was stronger than you have to disconect.

 

The front jump post is fine - in fact mine is permanently mounted in the car (in the passenger fender area) with a 110v socket in the front grille - and is connected to the jump post and ground point on the fender in front of the radiator.

This is only true for a trickle charger/maintainer of course... disconnect battery if charging on a medium or high rate charger - for high rate chargers vent the battery also...

Whatever you do don't plan to use the power outlet/cigar lighter socket - it won't work, I mention this since some come with such a plug already installed.

Alan

 

Thanks for the replies. That's what I was looking for. Much easier just to hook up to the post in the engine bay. I haven't driven the car much in the last year and went to start it today and it really hesitated to start (it's been getting like that the last few weeks since I've only been driving it once a week and very short trips). Thanks.

 

Joe

Not a fan of using the front jump post for convenience reasons (electrically it's fine)

I looked at wiring direct to the battery with a socket somewhere in/under the rear pu so it could be dis'd without opening the hatch. Failed on this as I didn't want to drilll holes. Plus i know of one owner who did ti this way and regularly drove off with the charger still attached.

The solution I came up with was to wire a socket (to recieve 12v from the charger - I use a Projecta 250 voltage sensing 1.6A maintainer) into the always hot supply to the drivers seat motor. Wires routed under the seat rail and into the cover around the handbrake (E brake in the US) . Connection is via gold plated phono plug socket in an existing hole in the front face of the E brake cover under the handle of the E brake.

Wire to from the charger is led through the door opening - different place every time so no long term effects on the door seal or the wire itself. My chargers are hung from the garage ceiling just behind the door opener motor and use the same mains socket.

one point worth noting - The chargers (maintainers) I use only produce volts when they can sense something between approx 10V and 13V connected to them so once they are disconnected from the car battery there is no output from the charger and hence no danger of shorts if the phono plug touches metal.

 

My Battery Tender (TM) came with an extra set of leads with ring terminals on one end and a plug on the other. It's long enough to connect to the battery, and run it up and out of the spare wheel well and tuck it behind the tool panel. When I want to trickle charge, I just pop the hatch and connect the charger. Easy peasy. This way the hatch is open (interior lamps are all set to off) so I don't drive away with it connected.

 

although it does work on the first half year of 88's...

 

Shhh! its not supposed to happen... maybe there was a renegade Ford worker employed at Porsche at that time... probably swapped them all over at night...

Alan

 

Agree its not ideal to have to open the hood to do it.

Thats why mine just plugs into the wall from the front grille.

Front grill so I can see it when I approach the car (its a bright orange cable!) + in the worst case it just pulls clean out...

Can't honestly say I've used it a lot - but I have used it and its a great convenience. I always carry the plug lead in the car and since most people have an extension cable you can borrow it is quite practical. I have thought about adding a block heater to it (but its only been a thought so far). If I lived somewhere other than Phoenix I might be more motivated...

Alan

 

Mine attaches to the under-hood terminal via a fused cable to a two-pin Molex connector. Heat shrink on the ends. the stub end with the Molex sticks out slightlt under the edge of the fender flange at the front apron. I set the little maintainer in between the headlight driveshaft and the condenser, with the hood latched but not closed. I have to walk past the hood to get to the driver's door so not much danger of driveoff with it there. It's also under the car cover, so when removing the cover it's quite likely that the cord would be noticed. If after all that the car is driven away, the extension cord feeding the maintainer will pull off before any damage is done.

I use the maintainer if I'm gone more than a week. The battery will start the car after six weeks without the maintainer, but it's a little sluggish. The maintainer is cheap battery insurance.

 

Rob your red door safety lights are still on....just unplug the brown wires to the pin switch on the hatch receiver then your interior lights will all be off.

 

Here is where mine lives...

Alan

 

Jim-

D'oh! Thanks for the heads up! Will do....