Battery Charger / Maintainer

gto

Track Ready
Moderator
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Car
05 FX35 RWD
My ride doesnt get driven all that much. I went out there to find the battery dead. Any suggestions or experience on Boosters or Trickle chargers.

thx
 
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My battery died earlier this year b/c I forgot to turn the ignition off and the radio and accessories were running overnight. It was the dead of winter and I couldn't boost it myself. Do you have AAA? If you get it boosted, drive it around for 20 min or leave it running for about 40 min and your battery levels should be OK.

Deltran is a good brand of trickle charger I hear.
 
My battery died earlier this year b/c I forgot to turn the ignition off and the radio and accessories were running overnight. It was the dead of winter and I couldn't boost it myself. Do you have AAA? If you get it boosted, drive it around for 20 min or leave it running for about 40 min and your battery levels should be OK.

Deltran is a good brand of trickle charger I hear.

I need something on a regular basis. This will likely happen quite often

---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 PM ----------

I wanna get something tonight.
Any input on the Schumacher brand. Seems avail local everwhere

---------- Post added at 05:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------

Maybe I'll go pick something up, & then return it after I get that Tender charger :err:
 
Battery tender is the best brand for your situation, if the battery falls below a desired voltage then it will kick in and charge till the battery is "full"
 
The new Hybrid FX

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I ended up with this cuz they had it local. If it works, it'll be exactly what I need. Charger stays in car permanently, hidden in the batt box, & gets the plug when it's sleeping. The Amps are pretty low, so I'm hoping that I can crank tomorrow. I have lights right now, but just the rapid clicking & it refuses to turn over . . fingers crossed.

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---------- Post added at 01:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 AM ----------

I've got the pos to post, & the neg to ground on the batt ground cable that's pegged to the body. For you electical engineers out there: does that sound right?

---------- Post added at 11:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 AM ----------

Update.
Worked like a charm. full juice in the morning, & it was in standby mode. I believe I got the install correctly. :biggrin:
Nice little box to have in the car. I imagine this would be a great little item for places that are cold in the winter.

Now I have reliable juice at all times even if she sits, & this will likely maintain the battery for extended life.
 

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nice it worked out well, Battery Tender is quality stuff and yet affordable. Lots of accessories and plugs. I have a fixed line for my motorcycle whenever it's left in the garage.

edit, btw: that pic u got there seems like the FX is chewing up some yellow twizzler.
 
You may still want to start every now and then though. I know I saw a guy with an Aston Martin on one of these, and it seemed to struggle to start at first. Maybe they just take longer than usual to start though. I assume yours started like always?
 
haha . . that's my favorite extension cord. It's huuuuge.
Batt tender looks good, but for the price I paid, this does the trick just the same. The similar config from Tender is $100- more than this, & waterproof (something I dont need cuz this is sitting in the batt box anyway. IMO, not worth it, cuz this thing also has the processor to maintain & shut on & off as needed. Really a set & forget device. I love it!
 
My Dad has some collector cars and he has the Battery Tender that is a base station. It can hook up like four different cars at once its pretty neat!
 
You may still want to start every now and then though. I know I saw a guy with an Aston Martin on one of these, and it seemed to struggle to start at first. Maybe they just take longer than usual to start though. I assume yours started like always?

Yes, full charge after 6 hours, & started as normal. The only requirement for this guy is that you need to start w/ at least a 2 amp charge in the batt. Otherwise it wont bring it up. I had a 'lil juice, enough for dash lights & rapid starter clicks, so it was more than enough.
This thing is only a few pounds, & a great little box to have . . for anyone.

---------- Post added at 11:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 AM ----------

get this one its what i used when i stored my car
FX is not stored, just not driven enough. Evry other day for the most. This charger is small, so it rides with me permanently. It's more of a battery maintainer, which is what I needed. It will charge you from almost dead, but you need a night to do it as it's only 1.5 amp. It's perfect
 
how often does the battery tender unit need to be recharged, i assume its got a battery inside it?

i used to have a solar charger plugged into my cig lighter for my 2g eclipse since i drove it rarely and parked it in the sun.
 
I got a tender from Sears a few years ago for somewhere around $50 and it works great. I've used it alternating between the SE-R and the wife's G in the garage in the winter months.
 
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