Battery tender - hardwired?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 848
Likes: 2
From: Hockessin Delaware
Battery tender - hardwired?
OK I'm finishing up my HID install and was going to install my battery tender's hardwire harness while the battery is out of the car. I checked other threads and the direction's but need to know where to run the positive ring terminal. Can it be tied into the fuse block connection I'm using for the HID harnesses? That would seem to be the cleanest install. The actual battery post connection doesn't seem to be set up for adding wires to?
By the way I will be posting some pics of the hid's soon I ran the harnesses totally concealed and it is coming out great! Thanks for all your help.
By the way I will be posting some pics of the hid's soon I ran the harnesses totally concealed and it is coming out great! Thanks for all your help.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 9,420
Likes: 8
From: Southern New Jersey, The wet part at the bottom
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I don't have the top post battery you 2004s do, but have had my hard wired tender (connected directly to the battery) in place for 3 trouble free years. I almost think these things should come with Vettes. I think because the tenders amp rating is so low any wiring you could hook it up to would be fine. A regular 20 amp charger maybe not to small diameter wires.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,369
Likes: 73
From: The line waiting to see Santa Claus stretched all the way back to Terre Haute, and I was at the end, Indiana
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18
As long as the other end of the wire on the post goes directly to the battery. Battery tenders don't like going through any kind of electronics. I have seen this many times with bikes. Moving the terminal to the battery side clears up any charging issues. You can put the ground just about anywhere there is a good contact.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
As long as the other end of the wire on the post goes directly to the battery. Battery tenders don't like going through any kind of electronics. I have seen this many times with bikes. Moving the terminal to the battery side clears up any charging issues. You can put the ground just about anywhere there is a good contact.
Agree. Maybe some clarification on using the underhood fuse box connector is in order. The positive connection in that fuse box is a solid cable, directly hardwired to the battery positive post. Its a good option for making the positive connection if your not inclined to connect it directly onto the battery post. Owners choice.
Last edited by MAC5; Jan 31, 2007 at 09:15 AM.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 848
Likes: 2
From: Hockessin Delaware
Ok Thanks, I'm going to use the fuse box lug (it is directly tied to the battery) and the negative lug below the battery. I just don't like having to fool with the clips, this way I will be better able to keep it hooked up when needed.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
I used the ring terminals directly to the 10mm (?) studs on the battery post clamps. There is just enough of the stud protruding that you can use a second nut to secure the ring terminal and sandwich the terminal between the two nuts. I found using just the oem nut and trapping the ring terminal between the battery clamp and the nut damaged the thin ring terminal.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 116
Likes: 6
From: Rochester NY
This picture illustrates what I was thinking of doing with the two connections highlighted. I think this is what MAC5 was referring to in one of the posts above. Seems like a good way to do it with the side post batteries.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
It looks like you have different battery clamps than I do on my '04 Z16 (mine is top mounted). Where you indicate in your photo might work, but if the ring terminal holes are larger than the studs where you want to connect, use washers to sandwich the ring terminals or change the ring terminals to the correct stud size.
You could also remove the oem bolts from your battery clamps and buy new studs that press into place and have threaded studs on the outside instead of the hex head...then connect your ring terminals to those points.
You could also remove the oem bolts from your battery clamps and buy new studs that press into place and have threaded studs on the outside instead of the hex head...then connect your ring terminals to those points.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
Those two locations in your picture are the connection points I used.
They work fine for the side post configuration, the later model C5's with the top post battery have another option that makes it easier to connect directly to the battery posts.
