Smarty wrote:
> On 12/31/2013 12:09 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
>> On 12/30/2013 3:56 PM, Smarty wrote:
>>> Having owned C5 and C6 convertibles which have been stored for the
>>> winter, I have become accustomed to using a trickle charger directly
>>> connected to the battery for many years. The rest of the car has been
>>> disconnected and only the trickle charger has been connected to the
>>> battery.
>>>
>>> The new C7 battery is no longer under the hood. It is in the trunk, and
>>> not as easily to disconnect and trickle charge.
>>>
>>> My question:
>>>
>>> Can I trickle charge via the cigarette lighter socket or another
>>> auxiliary power 12 V socket which the car also provides? Or do I have to
>>> get into the trunk, remove the trunk lining, and then connect directly
>>> across the battery as I have previously done for the last 15 years on my
>>> C5 and C6?
>>>
>>> Any advice would be appreciated.
>>
>> Turn off the car, open door, remove ignition key. Plug something into
>> the accessory socket. If it works, you can trickle charge via that
>> outlet. If it's dead, so are you hopes of trickle charging in that
>> manner.
>>
>> Most of the trickle chargers available these days (battery
>> maintainers) have both battery clips as well as a plug and socket. Why
>> not just connect a lightweight cable and plug to the battery? Summer
>> months, leave the plug capped and cable stowed next to battery.
>> Connect it to the maintainer cable in the winter. That's how I do it
>> with my C5 and formerly did it with my C4.
>
> Thank you for the helpful advice. I was concerned that the 12 volt
> sockets had diodes or some other method to prevent a current source to
> drive them rather than use them as a source of current. I also worried
> that the modern technique of disabling a power port when the key is off
> may, as you have indicated, disable the port after the engine is shut down.
>
> I like the idea of a direct connection to the battery, and indeed did
> that very same thing on both my C5 and C6. In both cases, however, I did
> not make such an attachment when the car was in the warranty period. I
> merely opened the hood and used the alligator clips / connectors
> directly to the battery.
>
> With the C7 battery concealed under trunk carpeting, this does not
> appear to be an option, although I may actually find it to be easier
> than I think. I have not pulled up the trunk carpet to really research
> this carefully, and felt my "best" option for the warranty period would
> be to use one of the 12 volt sockets.
>
> The C7 actually has a 12V port in the trunk, and perhaps this one will
> stay alive after the engine is off. I intend to test this as soon as the
> trickle charger and accessory cigarette plug cord arrive.
>
> Thank you very much again.
>
>>
>>
>>
>

....your C7 has a key?

--
- Rufus