ADVICE APPEAL: Charging a battery

[jtheophilus]

This is an appeal for advice about the best way to charge a battery in a 2010 Vauxhall Insignia Nav Elite 2.0l Diesel EcoFlex with a compatible battery charger I have already purchased.

The main advice I am appealing for is whether to charge the battery whilst the battery is connected in-situ in the engine compartment of the car or whether to take the battery out of the car before charging it.

Charging the battery in-situ
If I charge the battery whilst the battery is connected in-situ in the engine compartment of the car, I have read I might cause damage to the alternator. Is this a genuine and realistic risk and should I therefore not charge the battery whilst the battery is connected in-situ in the engine compartment of the car?

Regardless of the answer to the above question, if I charge the battery whilst the battery is connected in-situ in the engine compartment of the car, I am required to connect the negative charger lead not to the negative terminal of the battery, but to the car's ground connection on either the engine or the chassis of the car away from fuel lines and the battery vents.

Please can somebody suggest exactly the best ground connection on the engine or the chassis of the car I could connect the negative charger lead to?

Removing the battery
If I remove the battery from the car, not only does this introduce slightly additional and potentially avoidable inconvenience, I have also read it might lock the security, navigation and or entertainment systems of the car and I would need to use codes, which I am sure I have somewhere, to unlock, although this would take time and effort for me to investigate to see if I could try to do myself to avoid having to pay for someone to do this for me?

I am concerned I might completely immobilise the car.

Please can someone confirm either way whether or not if I remove the battery from the car it will result in me needing to use the keys that I am sure I have somewhere to unlock the security, navigation and or entertainment systems?

 

Many thanks in advance of any helpful answers to my questions and any contribution provided that helps me decide how best to charge the battery my car.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

I recommend a Battery Conditioner which does just that.....it conditions a battery by discharging, overcharging and then maintaining the charge.
This is far better that just packing a charge into a battery especially if it is already sulphated and constantly need charging.
Also more beneficial for cars that are not used frequently and you can just hook up through a permanently connected lead that will sit in the engine bay and can only connect one way to the conditioner so very simple and safe and can be left on for extended periods of time.

Go to Halfords to see which ones they have on offer and recommend