should i keep the trickle-charger on all throughout the hibernating season?

i read its manual and don't like all the warnings. and i don't like having something hooked up buzzing in the garage on its own all the time either.

it seems like putting it on for couple of days every 2 weeks would be enough.

it's supposed to turn itself off from charging when the battery gets to 14 V, but it seems to be on for a great portion of the time. it buzzes and seems to be doing something even when its lights says it is not charging.

14 V does not seem to be necessary either. when i have checked the battery before, i have found it before 11.6 and 12.6 V, and the car always started. it'd be nice to be able to set the charger to a selectable voltage. During the winter, I start the car every other weekend. I let it run for about 10-15 minutes...I've had no problems with dead/weak battery issues. Also, I take it out of gear and roll it a foot or so to help prevent flat spots.

I'm not much for battery tenders after the one for my Harley (OEM charger) craped out and overcharged to the point acid was bubbling out...lucky it didn't start a fire. I've used Battery Tender brand tenders for 8 years on five different cars, and have had no issues with over-charging. These type shut themselves off after a full charge, and I've never noticed any noise/buzzing. I'd be very wary of any "trickle charger", as they usually do not have an auto shut-off circuit. My BMW bike came with a "smart" 3-amp charger when I bought it twelve years ago. The fitting is a tad smaller than a normal US lighter, which gives me confidence that it will be perfect for the Lotus. I bought an extra socket from Rider Wearhouse so that I can use the charger on my tractor more easily. No comments about a lighter socket on my tractor, please.

I keep my bike on this charger 24/7/365 unless I am riding or giving the tractor it's weekly topping off. The charger has a meter showing current flow; steady on a discharged battery (the tractor sucks at charging its battery) or the occasional flicker as it pulses a topped off battery to see how charged up it is (and this also encourages the removal of deposits on the plates).

I stopped buying bike batteries once I started doing this. My ride to work is too short to put a good charge on, so I used to go through batteries every few years. So far, no overcharges. I plan to keep the Lotus on this charger the same way when I get the Lotus. I'm going to keep the charger when I sell the bike. I've used Battery Tender brand tenders for 8 years on five different cars, and have had no issues with over-charging. These type shut themselves off after a full charge, and I've never noticed any noise/buzzing. I'd be very wary of any "trickle charger", as they usually do not have an auto shut-off circuit.
this one indeed does have the auto shutt-off.

there is a an LED to indicate good power from the wall and there is another one to indicate whether or not there is actual charging going on. however, judging by its constant buzzing, its still seems to be doing something even when it is indicating that it is not charging anymore. the manual says that the buzzing sound is normal, but does not go into whether it should always be heard or only during charging. My BMW bike came with a "smart" 3-amp charger when I bought it twelve years ago. The fitting is a tad smaller than a normal US lighter, which gives me confidence that it will be perfect for the Lotus. I bought an extra socket from Rider Wearhouse so that I can use the charger on my tractor more easily. No comments about a lighter socket on my tractor, please.

I keep my bike on this charger 24/7/365 unless I am riding or giving the tractor it's weekly topping off. The charger has a meter showing current flow; steady on a discharged battery (the tractor sucks at charging its battery) or the occasional flicker as it pulses a topped off battery to see how charged up it is (and this also encourages the removal of deposits on the plates).

I stopped buying bike batteries once I started doing this. My ride to work is too short to put a good charge on, so I used to go through batteries every few years. So far, no overcharges. I plan to keep the Lotus on this charger the same way when I get the Lotus. I'm going to keep the charger when I sell the bike.
which charger? a bmw special or can be bought? During the winter, I start the car every other weekend. I let it run for about 10-15 minutes... Starting a car for a short time is not good for things. When you first start up an engine, all kinds of "gunk" collects in the oil (excess fuel, blow-by from the rings, moisture, etc). When the engine is fully warmed up, this "gunk" tends to evaporate (and gets sucked through the engine via the PCV valve). But starting a car up and letting it run for 10-15 minutes doesn't really warm up the engine - it never really gets warm enough to "boil" off the "gunk". Doing that over the winter just tends to build up more "gunk". To warm up an engine fully, you really need to drive it for 20-30 minutes - and that means actually driving it on the open road, not sitting in a garage idling to charge up the battery.

I'm not much for battery tenders after the one for my Harley (OEM charger) craped out and overcharged to the point acid was bubbling out...lucky it didn't start a fire. I'm also one of those that have used my Battery Tender brand battery tender and never had a problem. The one I used prior to that never gave a problem either.

But don't use a trickle charger - they will over charge. I use battery tender on two of my little used cars and my motorcycle year round. Never had any problems with them. I bought mine when cycle gear were having a sale (50% off).

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...em=TUC_21-2100

Not sale price at the moment this one indeed does have the auto shutt-off.

there is a an LED to indicate good power from the wall and there is another one to indicate whether or not there is actual charging going on. however, judging by its constant buzzing, its still seems to be doing something even when it is indicating that it is not charging anymore. the manual says that the buzzing sound is normal, but does not go into whether it should always be heard or only during charging.
You will find that most "power supplies" that convert AC to DC do some buzzing even when nothing is hooked up to them. It's pretty normal. I used a Battery Tender all year long on my Elise just to make sure I
have no problems with a full charge. Works perfectly. I also keep several
other cars and bikes on separate Battery Tenders with great results for
at least ten years now. If you can't find a Battery Tender (even Pep Boys
has them), you can use any of the small "uncontrolled" (full on or full off)
small current chargers and connect it to a timer (as used for appliances in
the house). Having the timer apply power for two 15 minute periods per
day works well.
Jim Starting a car for a short time is not good for things. When you first start up an engine, all kinds of "gunk" collects in the oil (excess fuel, blow-by from the rings, moisture, etc. When the engine is fully warmed up, this "gunk" tends to evaporate (and gets sucked through the engine via the PCV valve). But starting a car up and letting it run for 10-15 minutes doesn't really warm up the engine - it never really gets warm enough to "boil" off the "gunk". Huh? In my 45 years of experience with cars, I've never heard that sort of logic. Most (if not all) manufacturers recommend that vehichles be run frequently to lubricate internal parts, which also abates moisture, etc. One of the worst things you can do is leave an internal combustion 'sitting around' for extended periods. My engine is at full operating temperature at 15 minutes. Tim...I'm sure you're a nice, educated fellow, but watching some of your posts over the past few months leads me to believe you sit around sometimes and make these things up to impress someone? And hey, I'm not claiming, and will be the first to admit not be expert on anthing automotive - but enough with the pure speculations...please. During the winter, I start the car every other weekend. I let it run for about 10-15 minutes...I've had no problems with dead/weak battery issues. Also, I take it out of gear and roll it a foot or so to help prevent flat spots.
I was taught not to do this. One of the byproducts of combustion is water which gets in to the oil. Normal driving with hot oil over a period of time cooks off the water. However, cold oil in the garage in Ohio in the winter will not get hot enough for long enough and you will collect water in the engine oil. Rolling the car a few feet sounds reasonable. but enough with the pure speculations...please. The recommendations to "start a car every couple of weeks" went out in the fifties, along with the "put the car up on blocks to prevent tire flat spotting" recommendations.

It's not "made up" and it's not "pure speculations". Check around. And check with someone knowledgeable, not just "the old way or doing things". But hey, do what you want... The recommendations to "start a car every couple of weeks" went out in the fifties, along with the "put the car up on blocks to prevent tire flat spotting" recommendations.

It's not "made up" and it's not "pure speculations". Check around. And check with someone knowledgeable, not just "the old way or doing things". But hey, do what you want... If you want to put your car on a trickle charger and moth ball for 4 months, go for it. You're just the fellow Lotus service departments are looking for. You seem to thrive on having the last word, so go ahead and rebut, and I'll declare you the winner. I'm too old for chat wars...signing off of this thread. Here's my 2 cents:
1. trickle chargers are good if they are smart, otherwise remove the battery
2. jackstands are good as tires are rubber (i.e., plastic) and have "memory"
3. put stablizer in fuel
4. do not set the parking brake, as it will be hard to unset in the spring
5. personally I would not run the engine for 5-10 minutes at a time, the Lotus manual recommends to "start off quickly" after starting the engine, as previously discussed in this thread Jim Itin; in viewing the Battery Tender photos on line, it appears to me that the diameter of the opening in the connectors is too small to fit over normal automobile battery terminals. Other devices I have used allowed such connections.

Is the photo deceptive, or is there another way to connect the quick-disconnect harness? 2. jackstands are good as tires are rubber (i.e., plastic) and have "memory" Jackstans are bad. As Suspension bushings are rubber and have a "memory" - and are much more expensive to replace than tires. Good point. Suspension can be supported after the car is jacked. Hello !
Found something in Elise-community, seems to be directly by Lotus:
"Vehicle Storage:
If the car is to be stored for a prolonged period, a secure garage is the recommended practice. The following guidelines are provided for information:
• Ensure the engine oil and filter, coolant and brake fluid have recently been renewed. The a.c. system should be in good working order and fully charged.
• Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the car, including the engine compartment. If necessary, use a ‘jet’ washer to remove dirt and salt deposits from the underside, but do not use around bearings, hydraulic components, painted surfaces or the soft top roof.
Allow to dry completely.
• Chock the road wheels, leave off the parking brake, and engage reverse gear.
• Increase the tyre pressures to 60 psi (4 bar). If possible, move the car slightly every month to help avoid flat spots on the tyres.
• If possible, operate all the controls periodically (without starting the engine) including pressing the brake pedal vigorously.
• Protect metallic components in the engine bay using a proprietary product such as WD40 or ACF 50.
• Either leave the battery in the car and connect a battery management (conditioner) type of charger, or remove the battery and trickle charge every two months. Note that with the battery disconnected or removed, the alarm system is de-activated. Lotus supplies a number of different battery charges and conditioners. Please refer to the accessory section or contract your dealer for further information.
• Unless the garage is equipped with a de-humidifier, the use of drying agents (Silica-Gel) is recommended in cars with leather upholstery and in conditions of high humidity.
• The use of unapproved car covers may have a detrimental effect on the body paint finish, which will not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
In general, all cars are kept in best operating condition by regular use. "

Hope this helps !
Matthias so i should have changed my oil.
i can possibly still do it if a nice weekend happens so that i can drive the car around for half-an-hour after the change.