Y-Body

IF I connect a battery charger/maintainer (Schumacher Battery Companion Model WM-1562A) to an Optima in a '99, is it OK to hook it up without disconnecting the battery?
The car is sitting for 2-3 weeks now and is beginning to exhibit low battery cranking symptoms.
I'll probably pull the battery first to let the charger work on it for a while. But I was thinking about being lazy after it has a full charge & is replaced.

Patches

I have used a Battery Tender Plus on my C5 for almost 7 years with the battery still connected. Never a problem. It's an Optima Red Top I bought about a year after buying the car.

vettenuts

I have had the opposite experience. Two Battery Tenders have burnt out leaving an acrid smell when I opened the garage door. I am now much more cautious about leaving it connected.

cdnguyred88

Been using my Battery tender for about 3 years with no problems. Pull Car in let it cool off and plug it in.

dieseldave56

I have eleven vehicles in winter storage , including 8 batteries in the motorcoach( Nov thru April when the snow melts) .All are on Battery Tenders all winter long ( some AGM and some acid/lead batteries) with no ill effect . I've done this for years.

Did have one Battery Tender finally give up the ghost last year and that allowed the Optima to drop voltage below recovery level. So I now measure the output voltage periodically on all of the batteries in storage.

DeeGee

I hook up my Yellow Top all the time if its going to sit for a week without use. I never disconnect the battery

Y-Body

Thanks guys. I hooked it up in the car.
BTW, although not directly related to my question, I found some interesting battery information at the Schumacher site.

87bob

I have the very in-expensive battery butler and I leave it hooked up all the time when my 99 is parked in the pole barn. That way I don't forget to hook it up, this is my 3rd season on an Optima Redtop. That little green light just winks at me once or twice a minute. It was the best 15.00 I've spent. I have one for my John Deere and my 79 Corvette.

mrm1149

Yeppir....agree with the above. '03 Redtop still doing great.

Bill Curlee

If its going to be down for the season,,,just fully charge the battery and disconnect it. DONE,,simple as that. It wont hurt a thing! When your ready to bring it out, reconnect the battery and your ready to go.

BC

Y-Body

No, it just sits until another nice weekend day in the sunny southland.
I was wondering whether the C5 electronics would be "disturbed" by a charger on the battery. Or, in other words, I did not want to ask after I did something stupid. The consensus "just hook up the charger" is the answer I wanted to hear. Thanks again.

Bill Curlee

The battery acts as a FILTER for any battery charger. Leaving a MAINTAINER on a battery will not hurt the car unless,,,, the battery goes bad or the maintainer goes bad.