Float Charger
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 818
Likes: 1
From: Portland OR
Float Charger
Just a quick heads up for you winter storers. Harbor freight has their automatic battery float charger (lot #42292) on sale for $4.99 until 12/19. Have used mine for several years and it works great.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
I got one... actually, I've got 2 (both HE # 42292), but one was a dud outta the box.
Just to be clear:
1) can this float charger surge and kill the computer? (one of my silly fears)... Red to red and black to black, right?
2) does everyone leave the battery connected to the car? Can I run the car with the float charger still hooked up?
I was gonna hook one up to the Vette tonight, but I have these awful visions of frying my electronics.
Just to be clear:
1) can this float charger surge and kill the computer? (one of my silly fears)... Red to red and black to black, right?
2) does everyone leave the battery connected to the car? Can I run the car with the float charger still hooked up?
I was gonna hook one up to the Vette tonight, but I have these awful visions of frying my electronics.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
The Harbor freight unit has been on my '88 for 2 years.... no issues.
works great and you cannot possibly beat the price!
I alos use one on my '01 and gave two to my brother to use on his quads. All 4 run perfectly.
works great and you cannot possibly beat the price!
I alos use one on my '01 and gave two to my brother to use on his quads. All 4 run perfectly.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,362
Likes: 2,281
From: Central Maryland
I don't use a float charger, but will probably start doing so one of these days. For now, I just hook up my regular charger for a few hours every coupla weeks or so if the car sits for an extended period of time.
I do believe the float chargers are a good idea for vehicles that sit unused for weeks or months at a time.
Leave your car's battery connected while charging the battery (whether it's a float charger, or a regular charger). If you disconnect it, you'll lose your radio presets, etc, and you'll also lose the alarm system while the battery is unhooked. There's no good reason to disconnect it, and there are several good reasons to leave it connected.
It may not be necessary to disconnect the float charger when you start the car, but I would do so. It'll do no good to leave it connected, and I don't know how tolerant the float charger is of having a higher voltage (alternator output) across its outputs. It probably won't hurt it, but it will do no good to leave it in-circuit, so I'd pull it.
Red to Positive, Black to Negative, is pretty much a universal color code in the automotive world. Unless the unit comes with instructions that suggest otherwise, this should be correct. If you're really paranoid, fire up the charger and put a voltmeter across its outputs before you connect it to the car. If the voltage at red is positive relative to black, this is the confirmation you're looking for.
Be well,
SJW
I do believe the float chargers are a good idea for vehicles that sit unused for weeks or months at a time.
Leave your car's battery connected while charging the battery (whether it's a float charger, or a regular charger). If you disconnect it, you'll lose your radio presets, etc, and you'll also lose the alarm system while the battery is unhooked. There's no good reason to disconnect it, and there are several good reasons to leave it connected.
It may not be necessary to disconnect the float charger when you start the car, but I would do so. It'll do no good to leave it connected, and I don't know how tolerant the float charger is of having a higher voltage (alternator output) across its outputs. It probably won't hurt it, but it will do no good to leave it in-circuit, so I'd pull it.
Red to Positive, Black to Negative, is pretty much a universal color code in the automotive world. Unless the unit comes with instructions that suggest otherwise, this should be correct. If you're really paranoid, fire up the charger and put a voltmeter across its outputs before you connect it to the car. If the voltage at red is positive relative to black, this is the confirmation you're looking for.
Be well,
SJW
Originally Posted by eschoendorff
I got one... actually, I've got 2 (both HE # 42292), but one was a dud outta the box.
Just to be clear:
1) can this float charger surge and kill the computer? (one of my silly fears)... Red to red and black to black, right?
2) does everyone leave the battery connected to the car? Can I run the car with the float charger still hooked up?
I was gonna hook one up to the Vette tonight, but I have these awful visions of frying my electronics.
Just to be clear:
1) can this float charger surge and kill the computer? (one of my silly fears)... Red to red and black to black, right?
2) does everyone leave the battery connected to the car? Can I run the car with the float charger still hooked up?
I was gonna hook one up to the Vette tonight, but I have these awful visions of frying my electronics.
