a regular charger will work fine as long as it's for 12v. dont' over charge it though. leave it overnight and unplug it next day.

 

What you are saying makes sense. A tender gets warm because it is converting 110v to ~13v.

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments. In the end, I just could not see myself leaving a power pack in the trunk totally unsupervised. So, I did what most everyone here would probably do: I bribed the garage folks to look the other way as I parked in a "restricted" area where I could have access to an A/C outlet....i'm not proud but at the least the Aston is getting the care it needs.

 

hope that restricted area isn't in a fire lane

 

I have to agree with gekko, as I have left my '07 for 3/4 weeks at a time, in the Bay Area, with no starting/battery problems - it might be different in a much colder climate.

macksamus - have you checked the "Battery Charge" section in your Owners Manual? Are the '09's with the ECU (read key) significantly different than the earlier models?

The following information is taken directly from my '07 owners manual:

"A new fully charged battery has the ability to start this vehicle, if left unused, for up to 45 days without the battery conditioner being used or the Battery Disconnect Switch (BDS) being activated.

In cold climates, this time may be reduced.

Aston Martin recommend that if this vehicle is to be left unused for ten (10) days or more the battery conditioner (mains power available) or the BDS (mains power not available) should be used.

Battery Disconnect Switch (BDS)

Located in the trunk (right side).

If this vehicle is not going to be used for a period of time, and mains power is not available, press the Battery Disconnect Switch (BDS) to shut down all electrical systems, except:

• Vehicle access, via the remote transmitter
• Engine immobiliser (PATS)
• Alarm functioins
• Door window memory
• Clock

Radio presets will be lost.

This will allow this vehicle to remain unused for up to 70 days (appox.) without any long term damage to the battery.

Once the BDS is activated the glovebox is locked (for added security). The Owners Guidebook will not be accessible.

To reactivate the electrical systems open the driver's door with the vehicle key or the remote transmitter, and insert the vehicle key into the ignition barrel."

I would be interested in knowing what's different on the '09's and later, if anything?...and I presume those having troubles/issues may have had a battery that was weak/would not hold a full charge, or did not drive the car enough to fully charge the battery...if the '09's are indeed the same, and you can live with the loss of radio presets, you might try and get your "bribe" amount reduced .

In any event, you have scored a beautiful set of wheels, and we'll have to meet at a Bay Area event in the near future...

On a related issue, has anyone tried using a "vehicle memory saver" (which I don't have) that plugs into the OBD II port. It's used, when you change the battery, to save the car's electric/electronic settings. Is it any different in practice than the 9 volt adaper (that I do have) that plugs into the auxiliary power recepticles in either the center console or in the trunk? I'm gearing up for the battery change mentioned above, as I hate to make a trip to the dealer unless absolutely necessary...Thanks!

 

DonL,

My manual says the exact same thing with respect to use of a battery conditioner or BDS. For that reason, I was not worried about leaving it parked without a battery conditioner for up to a month and simply engaging the BDS. However, my service advisor felt that 30 days was too long and that my battery would be drained by the time I got back (and that could lead to all sorts of problems).
In the end it all worked out as I got access to an A/C outlet in the public garage. But for those who want to check that status of their battery, purchasing a digital volt meter would be a good $20 investment. My dealer told me that voltage anywhere in the 12s is good. If the battery hits the 11s, it should still be sufficient to start the car but then the car should be run for at least 30 or so miles to get the voltage back up. If you hit the 9s or 10s, you should definitely plug in the battery conditioner overnight. And if your battery is drained below 6v, the battery conditioner cannot charge the battery and you will need a jump start.
My car was in for service earlier this week and the battery registered 12.55v. After about 5 hours with the battery conditioner, it was up to about 12.8v. According to the battery conditioner user's manual, the conditioner should hold a healthy battery at a set level near 14.4v.
And sorry, but I haven't heard of the vehicle memory saver. Also, how do you know that your battery needs replacement?
Send me a PM if you get wind of any Bay Area events; would like to meet up with other owners in the area.

eric

 

PM sent.

 

"My dealer told me that voltage anywhere in the 12s is good. If the battery hits the 11s, it should still be sufficient to start the car....." I don't think so, anything less than 11.6 and it's stone-cold DEAD!

Here's a definitive chart on the Percent of Charge vs Voltage. With modern, cheap digital voltmeters you can read to a resolution of 0.01Volts.

Temperature: 67 degrees Fahrenheit

Percent Hydrometer Unloaded
charge reading voltage
100 1.262 12.61
75 1.207 12.28
50 1.157 11.98
25 1.117 11.74
0 1.097 11.62


Temperature: 77 degrees Fahrenheit

Percent Hydrometer Unloaded
charge reading voltage
100 1.265 12.63
75 1.210 12.30
50 1.160 12.00
25 1.120 11.76
0 1.100 11.64


Temperature: 87 degrees Fahrenheit

Percent Hydrometer Unloaded
charge reading voltage
100 1.268 12.65
75 1.213 12.32
50 1.163 12.02
25 1.123 11.78
0 1.103 11.66

 

That's interesting....thanks for sharing. And i'm glad i'm using a battery conditioner where if I just listened to dealer and tried to run it anywhere in the 11s i would have been SOL.

So, is 12.6 about the highest it can go? Why does the battery conditioner user manual say it maintains a set level of 14.4V?

 

I have the stock A-M "Battery Conditioner". I drove my car about 100 miles yesterday, so the Battery was probably near fully charged. I connected the Battery Conditioner when I got home and the orange light came on as it usually does. I just checked now, after 24 hours of being connected--the green light is on and the Battery (with the Battery Conditioner connected) reads 12.55volts. This device appears to be a "Smart Batter Conditioner", that just maintains my battery at or near full charge. The last thing I would want to see is the voltage in the mid-13Volt range or higher--overcharging the battery.

 

reviving an old thread.

my v8v lives in the garage in my apartment building (meaning no access to an a/c outlet). no outside light gets in, only the motion detected ceiling (it's underground).

trying to figure out any ways to maintain the battery in this situation during times when i wont be driving the car that often. i do try to take it out for at least 30-45 minutes once a week minimum.

maybe something has changed in the last 6 years... maybe not!