Trickle Charger - Overdoing it?
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Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 195
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From: Canada
Trickle Charger - Overdoing it?
I've developed a routine to always have the car on a trickle charger when not in use. It may sit for a week, or for just a couple days, but it's always on the trickle charger. My past cars I have only put on the charger when it was going to sit for 2 weeks or longer, but those were conventional batteries.
Any issues with this routine of always on the charger, does this prolong battery life or am I overdoing it and actually doing harm to the battery?
Any issues with this routine of always on the charger, does this prolong battery life or am I overdoing it and actually doing harm to the battery?
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,432
Likes: 5,343
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
As long as you use a trickle charger that's compatible with your battery then it'll be fine. You don't say which model you have, but the GT R for example has a lithium battery, so if you don't use a lithium battery charger then you will shorten the battery life instead of extending it. Lithium batteries are happiest if they spend very little time fully charged, so a proper charger will take that into consideration.
Personally, I think its overkill unless the car isn't being driven for an extended period. The newer model years using Mercedes me connect send alerts to one's phone if the battery gets low and you can see the current battery state in the app. In the FL models there is also a standby mode in the COMAND system that turns off the online services and Internet connection to reduce battery drain while parked. It also conveniently displays how long you can leave the car parked with standby enabled w/o needing to hook it up to a charger. I use this when I go on vacation. During the lockdowns when the car sat for 2-3 weeks at times I hooked it up a few times to fully charge the battery. I had noticed that with the little driving I did it didn't really charge it fully and when it was in for Service B in January I started to get critical battery alerts on my phone while they were working on it.
Personally, I think its overkill unless the car isn't being driven for an extended period. The newer model years using Mercedes me connect send alerts to one's phone if the battery gets low and you can see the current battery state in the app. In the FL models there is also a standby mode in the COMAND system that turns off the online services and Internet connection to reduce battery drain while parked. It also conveniently displays how long you can leave the car parked with standby enabled w/o needing to hook it up to a charger. I use this when I go on vacation. During the lockdowns when the car sat for 2-3 weeks at times I hooked it up a few times to fully charge the battery. I had noticed that with the little driving I did it didn't really charge it fully and when it was in for Service B in January I started to get critical battery alerts on my phone while they were working on it.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 616
Likes: 245
Designo White AMG GTS
I never used one but if it gives you peace of mind, why not?
McLaren, Ferrari, Alfa, etc are notorious for needing to be on a trickle charger. I dont think it's that important on these cars.
McLaren, Ferrari, Alfa, etc are notorious for needing to be on a trickle charger. I dont think it's that important on these cars.
Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 97
Likes: 49
2016 gts
Exactly why not. I always use ctek chargers and the Mercedes charger supplied with car purchase. The cars prolly don't need it but it's pretty dam cold in buffalo NY , un heated garage an actually snowed today.
Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 121
Likes: 33
From: Toronto
2017 GCV, 2019 JEEP TH-E
I'm in Canada, I pretty much hook up my Ctek trickle charger to my GT R whenever i won't be driving for more than 1-2 days in the winter, in the summer prob after 2 weeks.
Last edited by reignz; Sep 25, 2023 at 09:49 AM.
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Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 43
Likes: 28
2018 AMG GTC
I wouldn't think anything about it, the company I work for has hundreds of generators for emergency backup power and they all have trickle chargers installed on their batteries, We have exceptional battery life in those systems. You do you! 
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Super Member
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 564
Likes: 453
From: Germany
AMG GTR
Hi,
If you have a oem lithium batterie and the stock MB charger (made by Ctek)
allways start the charge with a push on the reset button. (10 seconds)
Kind Regards
Stenzel
If you have a oem lithium batterie and the stock MB charger (made by Ctek)
allways start the charge with a push on the reset button. (10 seconds)
Kind Regards
Stenzel
Last edited by Stenzel-Germany; May 12, 2021 at 11:51 AM.
