Harley6

I'm a few days away from putting my 03 coupe away for a few months and I've got a new Battery Tender ready to hook up ($39 at Costco).

I'm brand new to the corvette, so forgive some pretty basic questions here:

Any of you have tips for hooking up the Tender, routing wires, etc? Do you use the gator clips or ring connectors? Where do you attach the negative wire?

Thanks.

Crosis

I have a yellow top battery with top terminals and side terminals. I used the ring connectors on the top terminal for a permanent installation. I run the wire straight up along the fender so it sits just under the wiper.

ZigZag

I've been using the alligator clips going on 3 winters on my C5 and 10 on my GTO and never had a problem just hooking up right on the battery terminals.

Vetteman Jack

I've used a Battery Tender Plus on my '03 for the entire 6+ years I've owned it. I just keep the hood popped open and run the wires over the passenger front fender and use the clips to hook right onto the side posts of the battery. I use this method whether it is for a short term use or for winter storage. I also use an old soft towel to lay over the fender and run the wires on top of the towel - just a little extra protection for the paint.

calvins

When I had to store mine for the NE winters, I ran an ext. cord underneath and up through the engine compartment and set the tender low so I could completely close the hood. I used the clips just because I didn't want anything in the engine compartment when not using it. I attached the + to the terminal and the - to the alternator bracket. That's probably not necessary but it's right there so I figured why not.

JR-01

Because it gets really cold here in the winter, I pull my battery out, put it in the basement and use the tender alligator clips . You should check on it once in a while.

99 VET

Ditto w/Vetteman Jacks post. In the winter for my DD I use the plug into a power port... CTEK Comfort Connect Cig Plug. www.ctek.com.

Sonny71

I use the same method as calvins, except I use both terminals instead of the bracket.

knewblewkorvette

me too, up through the engine compartment so no exposed wires and hood can be closed so car cover fits correctly

Harley6

Any advantage/disadvantage to connecting the negative cable to the negative terminal vs. something else like the alternator bracket?

Crosis

No.

Rico7142

Same here..going on my 2nd winter...

Jeff T.

Going on 3rd winter with the cig lighter adapter.

calvins

Probably not. It's just habit from jumping cars in the old days. You had to be careful to not have a spark happen when you hooked up the negative so you grounded that to the frame as opposed to the battery.

Kevinl

How about taking the battery out altogether and keeping a tender on it on a bench. Is it harmful to the car to do this?

Cliff8928

No tender on my C5 for the ~4 or so months it sits during the winter, the AGM battery starts flawless when I bring it back out. However the STS-V gets a Battery Tender (800 mA) connected via the alligator clips on the battery terminals.

tcrote5516

I pull mine, put it in the basement for the winter on a tender. The garage gets cold during the winter and no matter what battery you have cold is not it's friend.

JR-01

Do you disconnect it? A dead battery can freeze and possibly crack the case.

ironranger

I pull that battery and store it on a bench in the basement. Periodically during the winter and prior to re-installing it I will use the CTEK and bring it to a full charge. During the summer I connect to the cigarette lighter adaptor whenever I don't anticipate using the car for a week or more.

knewblewkorvette

4 months I let my 02 sit for 4 weeks and she'll not start