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Battery Maintenance

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sjgcpa

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A friend of mine suggested I buy a "Battery Tender Jr." to keep my battery charged during the winter months. Does anyone have any experience with this? I assume I just attach it to the battery and plug it in. The charger has an automatic turn on/shutoff feature.
 
I use battery tenders on several cars. I got mine for $3.49 each at Harbor Freight. If you prefer, you can pay $20-50 each for battery tenders, but somehow the electricity runs through my cheapies just fine.
 
I use one on the wife's seadoo battery all winter. It works like a champ. It doesn't overcharge or boil off the battery during long term storage.
 
I have 2 Battery Tender Jr's. One for the Healey and one for my motorcycle. I really like the quick disconnect feature in that you bolt a small Y terminal to the battery terminals and the other end to the tender power supply. Don't have to use those terrible claws on the posts anymore!
I turn my batt switch off when I'm not using the car.
 
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I use battery tenders on several cars. I got mine for $3.49 each at Harbor Freight. If you prefer, you can pay $20-50 each for battery tenders, but somehow the electricity runs through my cheapies just fine.

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That may be Reid, but they will not desulphate a batery during storage like a "Battery Minder" does.---Keoke
 
My battery has been out of my car for over a year now, because my car is in the body shop. Should I have a trickle charger on it while it's sitting in the plastic battery holder? Or wait till I get my car then charge it up. What happens to a battery when it just sits like mine, with out a trickle charger on it. I may have read somewhere not to let it sit/store on cement? Thank you.
 
From what I remember from my days working at a gas station ( and we are going back 30 years ) once a battery is charged it needs to stay charged or the cells will go bad. So I would think you would want to charge the battery up and see if it will hold the charge.
 
Hi AUSMHLY, Yes the battery should not be left in an uncharged state for long periods of time it will sulphate destroying its ability to take and hold a charge.If the open circuit voltage on the battery now is 10.5 Volts or greater you may be able to salvage it using the "Battery Minder" I mentioned earlier.Yes, that is also true the battery should not be stored on concrete---Fwiw---Keoke
 
I agree with the others. I have learned that lesson the
expensive way by not doing it when I should have.
Until these battery " minders " came on the market, there was no easy way to simply connect something to your battery and then " forget " about it until the next spring. If an old fashioned battery charger was used all winter, it would always manage to " boil off " all of the electrolyte. If you did nothing, it would build up " bridges " in the cells that would short the plates together. Now with these new battery minders, neither one of these things happen. This is one of the best money saving items to come along in years, IMO.
 
I use the same float chargers that Reid uses. I have had very good results using them literally for years. However, even though the devices are supposed to put out low enough voltage that boiling is not a problem, check your cells periodically during the winter just to be safe and top them up if it appears necessary.
 
I just bought a 1966 BJ8 and I was wondering if anyone new if they were positive or negative ground when built.
Thanks
 
sjgcpa,positive but a good number have been converted so check to see where your battery grounds before doing anything!
I have had no trouble starting the car every two weeks and running until running temps are reached. It seems to charge well. I then move about 6 inches for tire health. (I sit in it and listed to the sounds of the exhaust and dream of spring). Seems to work well, except the spring part.
 
scot,"not having to use claws anymore" sounds like a better idea,with kids and pets around those unatended "claws" could be a disaster. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
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scot,"not having to use claws anymore" sounds like a better idea,with kids and pets around those unatended "claws" could be a disaster. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

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Course now ifin you got a cigar lighter installed in your car, you don't need no claws either.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
A friend of mine suggested I buy a "Battery Tender Jr." to keep my battery charged during the winter months. Does anyone have any experience with this? I assume I just attach it to the battery and plug it in. The charger has an automatic turn on/shutoff feature.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have 6 and they work great. Have saved all my batteries over the years.

Bruce
 
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