Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

This is probably a stupid question but I've got an Accumate Optimiser in the garage, and a pretty dead battery in this Snowfocus:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/...8ecbcf88_z.jpg
(pic is from 9 days ago and it's been snowed on every day since! But allegedly there's a thaw on the way and I'm hoping to use it on saturday)

I can't easily get to the battery because of all that snow, but I can get into the car now via the boot after a lot of shovelling. And I've got an Accumate with a 12V adaptor on it. So, any reason I can't just plug it into the cigarette lighter socket and leave it charging? I can't think of any but I know very little about cars other than that this one is a bit annoyed with me for burying it (we had to dig out the silver one and the snow had nowhere else to go!)

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

I used an optimate a couple of weeks ago on my mates Ferrari F430 overnight, which worked a treat. I don't see why it wouldn't work on a focus, unless the battery is completely fubar'd

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

I suspect you may have one problem. The charger will probably only work if the 12v socket is permanantly live. If it requires the ignition to power anything, then I would expect that you'd need to leave the keys in the ignition to be able to charge it.

The charger itself works fine on car batteries, I used it last winter to charge my MX5 after a couple of months without use. It does take longer than for the bike battery, but that's only expected due to the size.

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

Prettty sure 12v socket is live when the ignition is off on the Focus so should work if you have the right cables...

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

as long as it has no diodes in the + line it will work

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

Yeah, it's always on- I've run a pressure washer off it with the ignition off. That's good news then, thanks folks! (guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow when I get home from work...)

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

Must be a Jap thing, neither my Mazda nor Suzuki are live without a key in them. Strange, especially as the Suzuki has three 12v sockets, including one in the boot. Anyway....

As a word of warning, if the battery is completely dead, expect it to take anything up to 24 hours + for it to be fully charged.

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

It's not totally flat, but very weak... I gave it a few cranks but I could hear it fading so quit while I was, er, behind.

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

Sounds like my bike nearly every time I try to use it. :rolleyes: Having an optimate is one thing, having somewhere to plug it in nearer than 50 metres from the garage is quite another. :(

Re: Accumate charger vs Ford Focus?
 

My TDCi cranks slowly after a sub-zero night but it's never failed to start first time after a couple of seconds, iirc yours is Diesel too?

If you hear a clunk or other loud noise as the engine catches beware as the dual mass flywheel can be damaged, the culprit on mine was the starter motor...