Battery all charged up!!
12-15-2012, 12:57 AM
#1
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Battery all charged up!!
Today, I was out working in the garage and decided to put the charger on the battery and charge it up since it is now in storage for the winter. So, I put my Schumacher trickle charger that I bought last year at Walmarts for $20.00 on the battery. Eight hours later- about 11:00 last night I went out- green light was on meaning it was fully charged. Took it off and Bingo-Bango. All charged up for another three weeks. No worries, no wires laying across the floor to trip over, no cables to accidentally jerk off of the battery, no chance of fires or blowing up the battery. No floaters, no tenders left charging for months. It will be all ready to go next spring!!------
12-15-2012, 02:30 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
I just bought one of those chargers today. Still need to hook it up. Could you school me in on how you got it connected. I am leaving for a week will it be safe to leaved it connected for seven days. Thanks
12-15-2012, 03:57 AM
#3
Race Director
The easiest way to hook up a battery tender is to use the lighter socket. This also makes it nearly impossible to drive away without noticing you're still connected.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
12-15-2012, 07:42 AM
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The easiest way to hook up a battery tender is to use the lighter socket. This also makes it nearly impossible to drive away without noticing you're still connected.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
12-15-2012, 07:53 AM
#6
Team Owner
12-15-2012, 07:55 AM
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I keep a C-Tek 3300 on my battery all the time when I'm not using the car. The car is ready to go at all times, even if I get some chances to sneak it out during the winter when the roads are clear and dry.
12-15-2012, 08:06 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
The easiest way to hook up a battery tender is to use the lighter socket. This also makes it nearly impossible to drive away without noticing you're still connected.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
You can get fancy but the lighter socket is easy, inexpensive, and hard to forget. There are notches in the door for the wire.I once left one hooked up a new battery almost continuously for over 4 years and the battery was as good at the end as when new. That's the difference between a maintainer and a charger. A charger is meant to be hooked up to charge the battery but must be disconnected as soon as it finishes or it will damage the battery. A maintainer is designed to be hooked up and left forever. All batteries will self discharge over time and any discharge damages the battery. The maintainer limits the discharge and so makes the battery last MUCH longer than just charging the battery every few weeks.
12-15-2012, 08:25 AM
#10
Le Mans Master
12-15-2012, 09:26 AM
#11
Safety Car
The easiest way to hook up a battery tender is to use the lighter socket. This also makes it nearly impossible to drive away without noticing you're still connected.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
Most tenders come with the plug or offer it as an option.
No problem leaving them plugged in for indefinite periods of time. It's what they were designed for, after all.
I've been doing it this way for 6 years on my Vette and over 20 years on other vehicles that I own. I too like the fact that you won't mistakenly drive away without taking off the float charger when using the cigarette lighter adapter to plug into the console accessory port.
12-15-2012, 01:36 PM
#12
Great idea, Don!! I do the same thing. I am out in my garage all the time and I got tired of having to step over those darn wires or trip over them!! So, I just charge mine up and put it away. Then, I do the same thing 3-4 weeks later. That way nothing to be in the way and nothing left plugged in and running all the time that didn't need to be. ----
12-15-2012, 06:13 PM
#13
Drifting
Today, I was out working in the garage and decided to put the charger on the battery and charge it up since it is now in storage for the winter. So, I put my Schumacher trickle charger that I bought last year at Walmarts for $20.00 on the battery. Eight hours later- about 11:00 last night I went out- green light was on meaning it was fully charged. Took it off and Bingo-Bango. All charged up for another three weeks. No worries, no wires laying across the floor to trip over, no cables to accidentally jerk off of the battery, no chance of fires or blowing up the battery. No floaters, no tenders left charging for months. It will be all ready to go next spring!!------
12-15-2012, 07:40 PM
#14
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I leave it plugged in continuously through the cigarette lighter - fortunately the outlet is right next to the driver's window and there is nothing to trip over...
12-15-2012, 07:49 PM
#16
Team Owner
I put my maintainer on top of the garage door opener. There is an extra outlet up there and then the cord comes straight down from the ceiling so no tripping over it.
12-15-2012, 08:22 PM
#17
Race Director
I dangle the cord from the ceiling too. With the top down I just drive in under it then reach up and plug it in.
In the winter I leave the drivers window cracked open a little.
You also have the option of disconnecting the battery once it's fully charged, and there are products/switches that make that easy too. The battery will continue to discharge, but at a much slower rate.
In the winter I leave the drivers window cracked open a little.
You also have the option of disconnecting the battery once it's fully charged, and there are products/switches that make that easy too. The battery will continue to discharge, but at a much slower rate.