Can you use a regular battery charger on a gel car battery?

I would highly recommend the CTEK range of chargers - they are smart chargers and battery re conditioners all in one. I have one with a convenience lead permanently connected to the battery, so all I have to do is plug in whenever I want.

Now, here is a thing - I actually have a Ring smart charger that I bought for the Nissan, which is just over 18 months old, used twice, but is simply not big enough for my current car; depending on the load you are putting on it, it may well be perfectly suitable for you - that being the case, it is yours if you want it, free.

It is suitable for batteries up to around 90CCA (and would most likely do more, but I don't think it a good idea to stress it), so that would be engines up to around 2500cc/3000cc (or thereabouts)

I would need to find it as it has been put in a cupboard somewhere, but that shouldn't take long. Let me know, and if you want it, I will pop it in the post.

 

This is it (or maybe the model before it, but it looks the same) - RSC404

 

Cars of the past would simply apply a charge current to the battery the whole time that the car was running - if the battery was full, it was full and it made no difference.

Modern cars have charge control circuitry, especially so those that have stop/start systems fitted; these monitor the charge state of the battery all the time (senses variations in the output voltage from the battery and/or current draw when charging), but like everything computer controlled there is a set 'minimum' threshold for the charge state. On my old Nissan, I believe that was 67%, so when the car was started it would charge at full rate until the battery reached 68% and then it would drop the charge rate to a lower level, almost a trickle charge if you like - this, allegedly, saves fuel (probably about a teaspoon every five years or so!), and thus went some way to appeasing certain groups.

The trouble thereafter is twofold - firstly, car batteries of any variety do not like to be in a charge state of anything less than about 98% as it shortens the life of the battery; secondly, modern cars are so heavily reliant on electronics that they will do some really odd things if there is a voltage discrepancy, even a tiny one. Now, this does not bother the car industry in the least, as it means they get to sell you a new battery every two or three years instead of the five that they used to last - plus they get the possible benefit of diagnosing your electrical woes, and telling you that you have had a faulty relay, or a dodgy earth point before they reach the diagnosis that you need a new battery.

For the relatively small amount of money involved, popping your car onto a smart charger (and the beauty of them is that the charging can most often be done with the battery in situ) once in a while helps keep that battery happy, extends its life, makes starting the car that wee bit easier and at this time of the year it also dramatically reduces the chances that you will get to your car in a cold dark car park and find it not wanting to start.

 

To some degree, I think you are right - it's one of things where something is done for the right reasons, then having unintended consequences

 

You're welcome @HarryS - maybe just as well, as I don't know where it is at the moment.

I would suggest taking a look at the CTEK MXS5.0 - should pretty much cover what you need, and more; build quality is excellent, as is their ease of extendability

 

Champion - looks like a cracker of a deal!