2 hours ago, nta16 said:

My wife's 2015 Fabia sometimes only does two 2 mile journeys a day including winter occasionally a few other 3 or 5 miles trips too but annual mileage is around 8k-miles a year. Some have told me the alternator and battery will easily deal with this and battery replenished by the car manufacturers and breakdown services tell us otherwise.

That is a 2015 I have a 2024 Karoq with a stop-start 1.4 engine and a whole load of electronics and software along with DRL.

The Fabia may well be able to handle it but I am less sure of the Karoq.

2 hours ago, nta16 said:

I can only think the reason there's not a gauge for the battery is that the manufactures think most drivers would find it too confusing or worrying.

Most laptop computers have a battery power and health meter. That gives more than just the charge. I would think this would be a screen buried in the vehicle information somewhere. Most will ignore it but nerds.... sorry, I mean the inquisitive and socially well adjusted members of this forum, will avidly study it.

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

It was the same with coolant temperature and oil pressure gauges in the 1970s and the reason the needle coolant gauges show a rock-steady 90c when in reality the temperature could be above or below this and fluctuating between.

Agreed. I suspect there is a wide hysteresis loop on the oil temp and it will have to stray a fair bit for some time before it starts t register on the gauge. Just trying to think if there is even an oil pressure light. There must be one if it falls too far when the engine is running. However with the stop start engines I assume it is not activated in the stops.

Unlike the 1960's when there were two wires from the gauge to the dial these days there is a computer at the sensor and a network cable to the ECU and another network cable to the display computer. So three computers all processing the signal between the sensor and the display you see... Allegedly its progress if you trust the programmers.

Edited 25 May, 20251 yr by chills

Yeah, my wife's Fabia is (switchable) stop/start with (switchable) DRL and driver "aids" and "assists" and VW complex computer systems and programs, but no, thank gawd, not as much electronic and convenience gubbins as a 2024 car so the battery needs less preventative attention than your 2024 to get your battery life passed the VW 4 years (5 for my wife's car).

Surely laptops you plug in the mains! 😁 With the laptops my wife has and had I've noticed a battery power indicator and warning by nothing about health but they were s/h old when she got them, I've no idea about the "smart" (they're not) phones, they don't like me and I don't like them.

The dual gauge I pictured is "mechanical" rather than electric on water temp and oil pressure, oil pressure is responsive quickly moving around to a certain extent with temperatures and revs, coolant temperature usually less movement plus pinch of salt accuracy (factory tested at the two sets of dots only). 70s temp gauge is electric two wire as you put, sender and gauge so two points to stray with. As I used to tell me wife you treat them as gauges not "accuracies", having put that the fuel gauge and sender on my last "classic" was more accurate that her at the time brand new modern car (that the Fabia replaced.

Before my driving time (late 70s) car batteries need charging and about 60 years later we're back to that. I seem to be the only one to remember (so perhaps on Fantasy Island) that in the 60s electric cars were "he future", and of course electric cars were about before the ancient petrol and diesel puffers we run about in now.

I've used CTEK's for years. I've had the 5, 7.5 and 10.

I now have the CS ONE adaptive and have used the Cigarette lighter socket adaptor on them all except the 10amp as it's not recommended.

I currently have the CTEK CS ONE maintaining our 2024 Skoda Suberb L&K (33 onboard modules) through it's 12V socket in the boot which is permanently live.

You're using it in a preventative manner so good gong, at about £170(? IIRC?) it's a bit over the top for me but each to their own and if it does the job and you're happy and don't mind the initial cost then it's good.

I thought there might be even more modules. Out of curiosity what battery (type, Ah) did VWŠkoda provide for this top of the range 2024 model?

26 minutes ago, nta16 said:

I seem to be the only one to remember (so perhaps on Fantasy Island) that in the 60s electric cars were "he future"

Well, they are but it took a long while for battery technology (and motors) to get to the point where they are where we are with EV's and not all looking and driving like milk floats. However they are likley to be eclipsed by hydrogen vehicles in the next decade. In future there will be a mix of EV's and Hydrogen.

22 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Out of curiosity what battery (type, Ah) did VWŠkoda provide for this top of the range 2024 model?

Varta 700A 70Ah EFB+

Yep the CS One is around £170 still. I did use it on my previous Karoq. I also used MSX 5 on the Karoq.

Edited 25 May, 20251 yr by logiclee