Dead Battery
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Dead Battery
It seems like every year when I get my Vette out of storage the battery is dead. The battery is disconnected when I store it yet when I go to pick it up all I get is the "click, click, click". I have the top of the line battery from Advanced Automotive.
Anyone else have this problem? Any recommendations or experiences to share?
Anyone else have this problem? Any recommendations or experiences to share?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 786
Likes: 31
Cruise-In II Veteran
You want to get a "Battery Tender" not a "Trickle Charger".
There is a difference. A Battery Tender will charge the battery to its capacity and then turn off and on as the battery needs it. This prevents overcharging. A Trickle Charger continuously charges the battery and could possibly overcharge it. Over charging a battery will shorten the life considerably.
I picked up my battery tenders at Walmart several years ago for about $10 or $12 each. Harbor Supply is another source. Of course there are several other vendors with prices varying up to $40 a unit.
I have tenders on the boat, several cars and the lawn tractor.
There is a difference. A Battery Tender will charge the battery to its capacity and then turn off and on as the battery needs it. This prevents overcharging. A Trickle Charger continuously charges the battery and could possibly overcharge it. Over charging a battery will shorten the life considerably.
I picked up my battery tenders at Walmart several years ago for about $10 or $12 each. Harbor Supply is another source. Of course there are several other vendors with prices varying up to $40 a unit.
I have tenders on the boat, several cars and the lawn tractor.
Team Owner
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 22,830
Likes: 13
From: Columbus Ohio
CI 3-4, 8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'08-'10
"Battery Tender" is registered trade mark for a particular brand. IE: Battery Tender®
http://www.batterytender.com/
Some trickle chargers are controlled by a circuit some aren't. I use the "Battery Tender" brand but there are quite a few others out there.
http://www.batterytender.com/
Why the Battery Tender® vs. conventional chargers?
Avoid the potentially damaging effects caused by most trickle chargers! Battery Tender® BTP Microprocessor Technology and quick-connect convenience automatically maintains the batteries in all your vehicles so they are ready to go when you are! You just set it, and forget it!
Avoid the potentially damaging effects caused by most trickle chargers! Battery Tender® BTP Microprocessor Technology and quick-connect convenience automatically maintains the batteries in all your vehicles so they are ready to go when you are! You just set it, and forget it!
Last edited by Blue 92; Aug 3, 2008 at 11:02 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Allow me for the 300th time to step up on my soap box. Lead acid batteries self discharge up to 1% each day even disconnected. As they discharge, lead sulphate collects on their plates. If recharged, the lead sulphate converts to lead and sulfuric acid. At first the lead sulphate is soft and converts upon recharging, but left for long periods, the lead sulphate becomes hard and will no longer convert. Also, lead sulphate is a good insulator and a fully sulphated battery will draw no current when you connect a charger and then you have a door stop.
NEVER leave lead acid batteries sitting doing nothing, they don't like it and will be ruined. Buy a battery tender (trade name) and keep it on any car battery that you store. Battery tenders measure the battery voltage and when they detect a 10% drop in charge, they charge the battery and then stop charging. Batteries stored this way will have a normal life. Batteries left sitting will have a short life, don't do that!
Oh yeah, batteries that sit for long periods and then work ok have permanently lost amp-hour capacity due to the hard lead sulphate covering the battery plates. You usually wind up with effectively a motorcycle battery!
NEVER leave lead acid batteries sitting doing nothing, they don't like it and will be ruined. Buy a battery tender (trade name) and keep it on any car battery that you store. Battery tenders measure the battery voltage and when they detect a 10% drop in charge, they charge the battery and then stop charging. Batteries stored this way will have a normal life. Batteries left sitting will have a short life, don't do that!
Oh yeah, batteries that sit for long periods and then work ok have permanently lost amp-hour capacity due to the hard lead sulphate covering the battery plates. You usually wind up with effectively a motorcycle battery!
Last edited by jfb; Aug 4, 2008 at 12:01 AM.
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