 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Adding external battery points to easily charge the battery |
 
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| belgianchap Member Since: 01 Mar 2025 Location: East-Flanders Posts: 17   
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I have some issues that my 07 puma tends to have a low battery voltage during winter or after a holiday due to it sitting idle for a bit.
Ideally I should hook it up to a trickle charger but the car remains outside and I don't like leaving the door ajar for the cable. Ideally I should have an external point on the car somewhere to hook up a trickle charger. I saw that some people use the towing plug but I have a 7 pin so that's no possible. I also something like this: https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/article...hatgpt.com Which seems nice but they're placing it still inside.. and I'm not sure if I can place those leads outside. has anyone done something similar yet? any ideas? |
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15th May 2025 11:45am |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 728 
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Take a couple cables out to a location that suits you and terminate with 50 amp Andersons should be adequate for charging. Then make up a cable from your battery charger with an Anderson connector..
You can get covers for the connectors so should be good..👍 |
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15th May 2025 12:11pm |
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| belgianchap Member Since: 01 Mar 2025 Location: East-Flanders Posts: 17
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Hmm I guess I can do that, never tried it but I assume I can get through some grommit to the battery box from the inside of the engine compartement |
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15th May 2025 12:37pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20821
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Lockable upper front wing mounts, the drivers side is a blank. _\Hennessey|Venom| F5/___
___\⭐️Lone|Star|State/___ ____\We|Will|Win/___ ____/🇬🇧🇺🇸\____ _//*⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰*\\_ |
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15th May 2025 12:57pm |
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| andy63 Member Since: 30 Jun 2023 Location: north east Posts: 728
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I found some photos, to show the way I did things... I can interconnect barrery to battery, or simply unplug and connect a mains charger to charge either the aux or the start battery..the difference I suppose is I added a mains hook up socket on the outside so can have my mains charger in the vehicle on an internal socket..
 Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge not external but could be with a protective cover and mounted on the inner bodywork.. Click image to enlarge |
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15th May 2025 1:23pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17768 
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I find that it is extremely easy to run a mains lead into the cab through the door seal on almost any door on the Defender, due to Land-Rover's legendry build tolerances. I have a CTEK lead attached to the battery running into the cab via an existing grommeted hole in the seatbox and simply leave a CTEK charger in the cab and connected if the Defender is not going to be used for a few days.
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15th May 2025 1:30pm |
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| belgianchap Member Since: 01 Mar 2025 Location: East-Flanders Posts: 17
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blackwolf, is your charger batterypowered by any chance? Mine comes with a wall plug so I have to leave the door ajar.
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15th May 2025 1:32pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17768
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No, I have an external mains socket outside the back door of my house, into which an extension lead about 50 metres long is plugged. This runs down the garden, up the back path, onto my driveway, and then into the Defender through the top rear corner of the front passenger door. I make sure that there is a loop of cable outside the door so that any rainwater drips off the loop rather than running down the lead into the cab. Inside the cab a CTEK charger is plugged into the extension lead, and the output of the charger is plugged into the flying lead from the battery. I don't leave the charger on the floor however since it is a Defender so the floor gets wet in heavy rain, so the charger is usually perched on the shelf of the dash panel in front of the passenger seat.
It works a treat, and I have never had any issues with water ingress along the extension lead. |
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15th May 2025 1:49pm |
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| Ianh Member Since: 17 Sep 2018 Location: Essex Posts: 2336
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Similar to Blackwolf, I run a 240volt extension lead into the vehicle, however I do it via an open window that I then wind closed.
I’ve cut a length of 22mm copper pipe insulation the width of the top of the window, a nice snug fit between door window channels Then opened the slit in the insulation so the window glass can sit in it. I then cut a small notch in the top of the insulation just wide enough for the extension cable lead to sit in tightly when the window is wound up closed. Once the window is wound up you have an air and water tight seal so you can shut, lock and alarm the vehicle. Then connect my Ctek charger as normal with it sitting on the vehicle floor , protected from water and theft Total cost , about £1 for a length of 22mm pipe insulation. Having an Anderson connector etc on the outside of the battery box is useful if you also want to jump start the vehicle without removing seat base and cover, however if it’s just for charging then plugging in the ctek as per Blackwolf’s or my method is far cheaper and easier. |
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15th May 2025 2:12pm |
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| belgianchap Member Since: 01 Mar 2025 Location: East-Flanders Posts: 17
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Thanks blackwolf and ianh.. I was afraid I would snap the cable if I put it between the door or window but it might worth a try. I have a million todo's on the Landy anyway.. will push this one a bit back for now
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15th May 2025 3:02pm |
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| ruben Member Since: 04 Feb 2021 Location: ASTURIAS Posts: 333 
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Can you copy the charging station layout in the engine compartment of the new Defender? It seems like a great idea!! Defender 110 SE I6 D250 23MY
ExDiscovery 3 TDV6 SE |
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15th May 2025 3:54pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2218 
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I’ve got an Anderson plug located outside the seat box in the location of the studs on your original picture. The cables go via an isolator on the front of the seatbox to the battery. It’s ok, but you do need the door open for jump starting.
Click image to enlarge I keep my Defender ‘charged’ using an Optimate and the plug is at the rear of the seat box underneath - arguably in a daft position right in the path of water, muck etc. BUT I’ve never had any issues. I might relocate it one day… Click image to enlarge |
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15th May 2025 3:56pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3551  
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I do same as blackwolf and never had any problem with the cable, although I leave the charger plug (240V) dangling below the door and connected to an extension cord (I do not need waterproof as it lives in a garage). I do that cause the charger only has a thin 2 core double insulated cable, while my extension cords are thicker 3 cores 1.5mm^2.
As for connecting the charger to the battery, my charger just came with crocodile clips, so chopped that and now I have a 2 pin connector which then goes direct to battery (10A fuse at battery) and have the cable going through an existing hole in the seatbox. I leave the connector between the drivers seat and cubby box when not in use. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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15th May 2025 4:17pm |
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| Scotm Member Since: 28 Feb 2014 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 682  
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During lockdown I fitted a ctek panel socket in the front of the seat box and like others just leave the cable out the bottom of the door
Last edited by Scotm on 15th May 2025 10:59pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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15th May 2025 5:28pm |
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