I recently posted some electrical gremlins I've suffered which I'm sure stem from not having a 100% healthy battery. I also had the battery die on me after leaving the interior lights on for about 3 hrs which also isn't good. I'm not using the car that much at the moment so I'm keeping it cozy and all locked up in the garage. This past weekend I decided to take her for a spin and she fired up immediately with no problems whatsoever and no gremlins. So keeping her locked seems to be better than not doing so.

Anyhow to the point of this thread. I know the battery is not perfect but it does seem to have some life left in it and I wondered if there's any merit in trying to improve the life/performance. Consequently I did some research and I'm contemplating fitting a full time battery conditioner that works when your using the car to desulphate the battery and improve it's peformance. I know I'm not using the car regularly at the moment but I will be shortly and wanted to hear from anyone that's used one of these and can vouch for any success. The below link is one from BatteryMINDer which gets good reviews and at $80 would seem good value. If they work then I would also use it on my other cars as well.

I appreciate that a new battery can be had for around $120 but I'd appreciate opinions from those that know their battery stuff and whether or not this is worth it or BS.

Steve


BatteryMINDer® OnBoard Battery Restorer-Conditioner 12-Volt With Battery and Charging System Indicator | All | Battery Chargers by BatteryMINDers.com

 

Well, I can't speak to the small ones, but RVs use similar systems to maintain their batteries. I good multi-stage tender is important to long battery life. The one I have in my RV does the de-sulphate thing every 30 days. I also have a couple motorcycles that I put on a battery tender for the winter months. I have a couple 4 bank chargers from this company Battery Tender - Home of the Battery Tender Jr. - Batterytender.com and it's doing a good job so far.

Lead Acid batteries just don't like to go below 50% capacity. Doing so causes damage. Keeping them topped off without overcharging is what allows them a long life.

 

Steve,

If you are "on-the-fence" at $79.95....you may crash down on the "get it now!" side at slightly over $50?

Amazon.com: BatteryMINDer 12 Volt OnBoard Battery Restorer/Conditioner - Model# OBD-12: Everything Else

It is offered on "Amazon Prime" which normally means if you are a non-prime member it is free shipping if your order is >$25.

Anyway....I ordered this one and suppose I rec'd it the 29th of December, according to Amazon's records. Uncharacterisitically, I seem to not have recorded when I actually fitted it. But I do recall it was before I failed to return to work on the 3rd of January due to some dread illness that befell me more or less late New Year's day. I have a couple of Batteryminder model 12117's and have been very happy with them. Over the Christmas holiday, when my XJ wasn't getting it's daily 100 mi. exercise, I found that with as little as 2 days' sit, unmolested, it had decayed below cranking voltage. Battery is an Interstate of the proper size and only 2 1/2 yrs old. I had been eyeing this product before Christmas as a possible present but when I went to help my lovely bride complete the order, it had gone off-prime (no free 2-day shipping) and the price had increased to the high $50's. With shipping I think it was into the high 60's at that point....I advised her not to order it not because I didn't think it worth that price, but more because I expected it would return to the better deal offered previously - and it did just after Christmas.

Ahh...I'm drifting, sorry. Anyway, the only previous problem I'd had battery-wise was this past summer when I did a paint-correction, new tires, and a bit of other maintenance, I had it sitting, uncharged and unstarted in the shop for about a week with numerous door and trunk openings and closings and I had to jump start it. Since fitting this product, the maximum unmolested at-rest elapsed time it has been exposed to is about a day and a half. No problems. I think it may be a bit premature to say it has had a positive effect but I'm a believer in the BatteryMinder systems and plan to acquire at least a couple more - one for the dual-battery Excursion and another for the wife's 05 S-Type. Daughter's 03 S-Type is running the SCC005:

http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...--p-16139.html

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...-s-type-64372/


I targeted my XJ for first installation not exclusively because it had a problem, but because it gets a 50 mile, largely highway run to work every day and another 50 to come home. Thought it would be the ideal usage spectrum for the product to be effective. One other note, if you do have the plug-in versions, like a 12117, you can charge the battery using one of those by just plugging into the jumper on the OBD-12.

Last thing, Northern Tool and Equipment ran a sale on the NPower 1.2W solar battery charger recently for $9 or $11 and the picture showed a 2-pin elec. connector that appeared as if it would mate to the batteryminder. I took a chance, thinking I could convert my OBD-12 to an inexpensive SCC005. Turns out the plug is compatible, but NPower and VDC Electronics use opposite conventions. They are wired such that + on one is - on the other, and vice-versa. Not such a big deal, easy enough to cut it off and reverse the polarity via re-splice but I'm unfamiliar with the BatteryTender line and thought I'd mention it in case they use an identical plug and someone is trying to charge through an OBD-12 with it..check the polarity.

 

Please, no offense, but I have to say I am at a loss as to why you'd not just get a new, high capacity AGM battery for your JAGUAR XK. It's a $70K (or more, new) car. A really good high capacity (1200 Amp) Absorbed Glass Matt battery can be had for around $200, depending on who you get it from. Autozone sells a battery tender for, like, $15 - $20 that plugs into the wall and simply attaches to your battery terminals, and I think there is one that actually plugs into a power outlet (formerly known as a cigarette lighter receptacle). The other links in this thread are for higher end and even better battery tenders.

Battery tenders, especially for lead acid batteries, must be used on batteries that sit and have current draws when not in use. Also, as someone pointed out above, drawing a lead-acid battery down below a certain threshold will destroy the plates in the battery, especially if this done over and over again. Sulphation is definitely a problem with lead-acid batteries; it is a chemical process that creates lead sulphate and destroys the plates. Some battery tenders will desulphate lead-acid batteries but this doesn't eliminate the problem completely. It will, however, lengthen the lead-acid battery's life.

I just don't understand why someone would quibble over a couple hundred bucks for a really good battery for a ~$45K (current value) automobile.

The battery tender is also necessary if the car isn't driven often and you do want to maintain the battery at maximum efficiency for the sake of the car...(not the battery).

This is a Jaguar XK - not a Toyota Tercel, or Chevrolet Camaro

 

I am also a big believer in battery tenders for these cars. There are several excellent ones out there for less than $70.00. Most come with a choice of two cables used to attach the tender to the car. One is a cable with alligator clips for the battery terminals, the other with soldered rings for permanent connection to the car. In my case, I permanently wired the cable for the tender to the battery in the trunk of my XK. Then anytime I need to use it, I just open the trunk and connect the tender to the pre-installed cable, plug the tender into the AC outlet in the garage, and I am done. Couldn't be any easier.

Installation of the tender cable is easy as well. One simply connects the hot lead to the battery itself and the ground to the tire hold down clamp. I am told to never connect the ground directly to the battery post, as this somehow "confuses" the ECU.

Haven't had a dead battery in over a year...

 

Thanks everyone for your comments and thoughts.

Mr.Rscultho. I'm not in the least offended by your comments, fully understand your logic and appreciate the recommendation of an AGM v. lead acid. Could be the way to go.

I fully expected someone to chime in with " stop pissing about, just get the battery replaced and move on " - especially as it's the original which is at least 5 years old. However cost was not my real driver here and didn't explain fully.

Firstly if this does what it promises it strikes me that you could leave it attached to continuously condition the battery - existing or new. The battery compartment is tucked away nicely so it's not like you're leaving this under the hood looking a mess. It then also provides a convenient hook-up to attach a battery tender when I'm not using it for periods of time. Given that I dont use the XK all the time plus the cars sensitivity to an unhealthy battery it looks as if I've got to make a purchase of some sort of tender/ charger so this configuration struck me as interesting. The fact that it could possibly extend the life of an existing battery was also interesting and simply a bonus. However I will admit that my natural instinct to tinker and get the most out of something did kick in which doesn't always have logic. Just like my wife driving 50 miles to another Mall to save $10 on a pair of shoes. Doesn't stack up financially but try telling her that and it does keep her happy!!!

Happy Valentines Day.

 

After Jag warrantied my battery, I installed a CTEK Smart Charger in hopes that this new battery will stay healthier longer. (it's not a daily driver) This model appears to be identical to the one offered at the dealer (but with a Porsche emblem attached) for a lot more $$.

 

12 volt On Board Desulfator $52.50 INCLUDING Shipping U.S.
BatteryMINDer OnBoard Battery Restorer-Conditioner 12-Volt

 

Google Batterystuff.com for $52.50 I HAD url but the filter took it off.
BatteryMINDer OnBoard Battery Restorer-Conditioner 12-Volt

 

Ron:

Check out the CTEK Battery charger with smart brain on Amazon. Many of us Jaguar owners use this product. Cost about $53.00 to $65.00 w/ free shipping. CTEK3300 delivers a charge to the battery when needed, and you will most likely never have a problem again with weak or low battery.

Check this out:

 

Get a new battery. Up until about two months ago I also had an original battery that was five years old (2007 XK) and fortunatley it failed when I drove over to my brothers house where I could jump the car off.

Bought a new Interstate battery from a Firestone store.......got it the next day and installed it. No problems. I never use a battery tender and have driven all over the western half of this nation without one or the need for one.

 

Since I don't have a garage or an outside socket to plug in a conventional maintainer, I bought a solar panel:

Solar Battery Maintainer 12v 6w

At present, I just attach it when the car is going to be left for a while, but I intend to wire it in permanently. It needs a relay to disconnect it when the ignition is on, since current from the alternator will damage it.

it sits comfortably on the luggage cover under the hatch, and seems to do a good job of balancing the drain from the alarm and tracker. I suspect that it might not work indefinitely, but it ought to stop the battery from dying after only a couple of weeks of inactivity.

 

When using a Battery Tender (or similar device) desulfation should not be a problem because you are not deep cycling the battery anymore.
On my boat I had 2 6V Trojan deep cycle house batteries which were deep cycled every day when over-nighting. So I gave them a 16V equalizing charge once a year; they lasted 13 years!
Of course my 12V 3 stage Marine Charger had an equalizer switch (for 16V) BUT you MUST disconnect battery from ALL your 12V components! Easy on a boat because of the battery on/off switches..............
SO my message is don't deep cycle your battery; good Jag dealers ( eg. Jaguar of Tacoma ) don't allow their batteries to run down........then you don't ever have to worry about sulfation and thus short battery life.

Cheers, Adrian

 

Buying a CTEK Battery minder like the 3300, Battery Tender, or any other brand trickle charger is a preventative measure that costs very little compared to the price of the car. If you can afford a $100,000 car then you should be able to spend $60.00 for the security of knowing you will have a charged power source when you need it. It is widely known and discussed here on these forums that the Jaguar brand automobiles have a tendency to eat up batteries.

When I went to the Jaguar dealer in El Paso in May of this year, their $108,000 Jag XKR Convertible in the showroom had a dead battery. A simple state of the art charger would have saved this dealership from embarrasment.

 

who makes an agm battery for 2009 xk? It is a size 93? thanks