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I can't trickle charge my car. Can I piggy-back power from a fully charged, matching battery?
I'm not always wanting to drive my 2003 Volkswagen Golf 30-odd miles once every two weeks during this time of year to keep my battery charged due to low usage. I have no electric available within my garage, which is 200 Metres from my flat. Am I able to piggy-back a fully charged, matching battery to my car battery via jump leads for, say, a month? Taking the battery off and charging at home means the ECU resets during the next drive (for 20 minutes) and is not advisable according to my local garage. To keep swapping batteries within a 2 minute period is achievable but a lot of bother. Thank you for your technical assistance on this subject.
Asked on 3 December 2020 by Steve.
Answered by
Keith Moody
I'm struggling to think of any trickle chargers that can use a 12v battery as a power supply but it is possible in theory. Another option might be to invest in a jump pack with a three-pin socket which you can charge and then use that to trickle charge the car. Alternatively, you could go for a solar-powered trickle charger - although these can be very hit and miss and you'll need to make sure your car gets enough light to give it a fighting chance of success.
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