I am posting this in case anyone is in a similar situation, this may be of some help.
Bought my 2006 Alfa 159, 2.2 JTS, September 2014, 120000 km, car origin was Italy. I don't use the car much in the winter, so it sits around. Tried to start it last week, no go. Took the battery out, 11.50 Volts on the meter, tried to charge it with my 15 year old small 1.5 Amp charger that I use for my motorcycle, no go.
Went to the local battery shop, got two things
CTEK MXS 5.0 charger for about 50 quid (1400 Czech crowns...)
Bosch S5 63 Amp hour as that was what Bosch recommended
I have to say that the CTEK is a champ, light years ahead in every way of the 15 year old plain jane charger I had, this reconditions, unsulfates, etc, very easy to use, good for cars and motrcycles, total confidence in it, one of the best investments I've made in awhile.
Battery - the one I took out, the old one, brand is Power (off brand likely, Italian manufacture likely) of the old one is rated at 80 Amp hours and is almost twice as big as the Bosch S5 63 AH model. The CTEK charged it up very nicely, but still as I don't know how old it is, best insurance to replace it, don't you think?
Thinking it over, over the weekend, I spoke to the battery dealership and am returning the S5 63AH for the Bosch S5 008 92 model, which has 77 Amp hours, and will likely give much better service for a car that sits around.
Bottom line: If you need a charger, I would suggest to get a CTEK smart charger like the MXS 5.0 for peace of mind, and get the larger Bosch S5 if it's time for a new one, don't go by Bosch recommendations on the S5 63 AH model . The S5 008 is 190 height by the way which is exactly the needed height for our beloved 159.
Bought my 2006 Alfa 159, 2.2 JTS, September 2014, 120000 km, car origin was Italy. I don't use the car much in the winter, so it sits around. Tried to start it last week, no go. Took the battery out, 11.50 Volts on the meter, tried to charge it with my 15 year old small 1.5 Amp charger that I use for my motorcycle, no go.
Went to the local battery shop, got two things
CTEK MXS 5.0 charger for about 50 quid (1400 Czech crowns...)
Bosch S5 63 Amp hour as that was what Bosch recommended
I have to say that the CTEK is a champ, light years ahead in every way of the 15 year old plain jane charger I had, this reconditions, unsulfates, etc, very easy to use, good for cars and motrcycles, total confidence in it, one of the best investments I've made in awhile.
Battery - the one I took out, the old one, brand is Power (off brand likely, Italian manufacture likely) of the old one is rated at 80 Amp hours and is almost twice as big as the Bosch S5 63 AH model. The CTEK charged it up very nicely, but still as I don't know how old it is, best insurance to replace it, don't you think?
Thinking it over, over the weekend, I spoke to the battery dealership and am returning the S5 63AH for the Bosch S5 008 92 model, which has 77 Amp hours, and will likely give much better service for a car that sits around.
Bottom line: If you need a charger, I would suggest to get a CTEK smart charger like the MXS 5.0 for peace of mind, and get the larger Bosch S5 if it's time for a new one, don't go by Bosch recommendations on the S5 63 AH model . The S5 008 is 190 height by the way which is exactly the needed height for our beloved 159.