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Done something silly...
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1733
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:36 pm    Post subject: Done something silly... Reply with quote

I've been using one of those battery conditioner widgets for a while now, so far so good, last battery I put on the Herald is getting on for 7 years old and is in rude health - would definitely recommend them for classics that don't see much use for whatever reason.

The something silly was this afternoon... I was doing a compression test and left it hooked up. Having completed the dry test I had started on the oil down the bores test when I noticed a wisp of smoke from the battery conditioner Shocked evidently keep turning the engine on the starter had overloaded it somewhat... I quickly whipped the mains plug out, and the croc clips off the battery terminals, and the smoking ceased. So a few minutes later, compression test completed, I got cleaned up a bit and opened up the battery conditioner. No obvious damage, though the transformer and a couple of heatsinks on the (surprisingly complex - looking) printed circuit board were rather warm to the touch. It didn't go bang (like the last kettle we had!), nor did it burst into flames, so the question is whether it's now knackered. Normally it's hooked up 24/7 while the car's in the garage, but I'm kind of reluctant to trust it after this in case it does decide to go bang and burst into flames with predictably dire consequences.

Electronics really isn't something I know much about - it's one of those subjects I find fascinating but just can't get my head around, but some of you guys seem to be experts so I throw the problem open to your suggestions. At the moment my best idea is to knock up a small weatherproof shelter out of scrap timber and whatever else is to hand, and leave it in there, hooked up to a spare battery and an extension lead, for a week or two in the spot I usually have bonfires, and see what happens..! That way if it goes up in flames there's no damage to anything important, but am I right in thinking that if it survives that test, it must be basically sound?
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pryantcc



Joined: 07 Sep 2009
Posts: 88

PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How much does a new one cost? I much rather buy a replacement than take the risk on something that you've already seen smoking. If it got hot enough to make smoke, it got hot enough to be damaged.

Even with the new one, I'd try to locate it somewhere that is relatively fire proof!
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