> I have one battery in my 1969 MGB. The cold weather
> and my not starting it regularly has resulted in a dead
> battery. I want to buy a charger - suggestions for
> brands - 6 or 12 volt? Manual or auto? amps?
If you have one battery then it will be a single 12 volt battery. If you
had 2 batteries then they would be a pair of 6 volt batteries wired to give
a combined voltage of 12 volts. In either case you need a 12 volt battery
charger.
Manual or auto? Well it depends how much you want to spend. The automatic
ones have little LED's that light up to tell you how your battery is, and
will shut off automatically when the battery is charged (or damaged). The
manual ones have a gauge that goes down to zero as it becomes more difficult
for the charger to put more charge into the battery.
Amps? Hmm. If a charger is capable of putting out more amps then it could
charge the battery quicker, however that doesn't mean you should go and buy
the highest rated charger you can find.
> After purchasing charger - do I connect positive to
> positive and negative to negative? OR
The red lead should be connected to the positive terminal (marked +) and the
balck lead to the negative (marked -), but you should check the instructions
that come with the charger.
> Do I disconnect battery terminals and charge p to p
> and n to n and then reconnect battery terminals as they
> currently rest?
I usually leave the battery terminals connected, and since the batteries are
mounted under the rear seat I find it easier to connect the charger via the
fuse box in the engine compartment. I connect the black lead to the car
body (since it is negative earth) and the red lead to the live feed on the
fusebox (can't remember which terminal). This allows the battery to charge,
and means I don't have to lift the cover behind the seats.
Another thing you should do is check the battery cells to be sure they are
full of electrolyte. If they need topping up use distilled water (*not* tap
water and *not* boiled water) to fill them to the correct level. You may
find this revives your battery, but if it has been neglected for a while you
might need a new one.
Be sure to read the instructions that came with your charger carefully and
heed any warnings (charging a battery can produce explosive gas, so be sure
to do it in a well ventilated area).
Andy
--
'69 B
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