Priotity Start or Float Charger??
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 510
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From: Laurel MD
St. Jude Donor '08
Priotity Start or Float Charger??
Let me start off to say I've had the Vette for 2 years now without a single battery problem. When I looked at the car, it had a dead battery, the dealer put a new battery in while I was deciding to buy.
A friend of mine has a Lincoln Navigator that if it sits more than a month will have a dead battery. According to Lincoln Navigator forum, common problem..energy hungry...like our Vettes. Helped him put in a
" Priority Start " the other night. This thing goes in series with the positive battery terminal and Disconnects the battery when the voltage hits 11.7 volts. OK
Went over to the vette to check its battery voltage....11.68 Volts!! I am apparently right on the edge of having battery trouble?? Remember battery is less than 2 years old, kept inside, driven 3-4 times a week.
I would have never looked at my battery voltage unless my friend had his problem..
I guess I am asking...what have you done about this??? Recomend??
Thanks..Tom....Oh Happy Thanksgiving!!
A friend of mine has a Lincoln Navigator that if it sits more than a month will have a dead battery. According to Lincoln Navigator forum, common problem..energy hungry...like our Vettes. Helped him put in a
" Priority Start " the other night. This thing goes in series with the positive battery terminal and Disconnects the battery when the voltage hits 11.7 volts. OK
Went over to the vette to check its battery voltage....11.68 Volts!! I am apparently right on the edge of having battery trouble?? Remember battery is less than 2 years old, kept inside, driven 3-4 times a week.
I would have never looked at my battery voltage unless my friend had his problem..
I guess I am asking...what have you done about this??? Recomend??
Thanks..Tom....Oh Happy Thanksgiving!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Tampa Bay, Go BUCS!!!Go Rays!!!Go Lightning!!!
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
If you're driving the car 3-4 times a week it's time for a new battrery. With any luck the one you have has a warranty of some kind.
The cars are power hungry and will kill a battery if not drivne every 2 or 3 weeks. Common. I don't know anything about the Navigator but if your battery is 11.68 I'm surprised it will start the car at all.
The cars are power hungry and will kill a battery if not drivne every 2 or 3 weeks. Common. I don't know anything about the Navigator but if your battery is 11.68 I'm surprised it will start the car at all.
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If the car is not being driven (not just started) at least a couple of times per week, the simple answer is to use a "smart charger". Hooking it up to a trickle charge (about 2.0 - 2.5vDC) and letting it run, will cause sulfation of the cells and will boil the electrolyte.
A smart charger determines the state of the battery and applies a minimal maintenance charge only when needed. Once the battery reaches a full charge state, it goes back to monitoring mode and waits until the charge drops and recharges again.
Our Corvettes have up to seven computers that all draw very low amperage, but when taken together over time, the battery will discharge and not be sufficient to start the car.....generally when below about 11.5 volts. A smart charger will keep the battery at full charge without risk of sulfation or boiled electrolyte.
I recommend something like the CTEK charger or the Battery Tender.
A smart charger determines the state of the battery and applies a minimal maintenance charge only when needed. Once the battery reaches a full charge state, it goes back to monitoring mode and waits until the charge drops and recharges again.
Our Corvettes have up to seven computers that all draw very low amperage, but when taken together over time, the battery will discharge and not be sufficient to start the car.....generally when below about 11.5 volts. A smart charger will keep the battery at full charge without risk of sulfation or boiled electrolyte.
I recommend something like the CTEK charger or the Battery Tender.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
I took things to the extreme. I installed an IOTA DLS 75 power inverter that taps into the sound system's main power wire just before the rather large fuseblock. I plugs in to a IEC connector just above the rear license plate.
If the battery dies, I plug this in to ANY extention cord and by the time i get into the car to crank it, i have enough power to start. This also serves as a cool way to power my sound system in the enclosed shop or at a car show. (over 1000w of DC power without draining the battery or engine running)
If the battery dies, I plug this in to ANY extention cord and by the time i get into the car to crank it, i have enough power to start. This also serves as a cool way to power my sound system in the enclosed shop or at a car show. (over 1000w of DC power without draining the battery or engine running)
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If you are driving it 3-4 times a week and not just a very, very short distance, your battery should not be going down like that. I would get the battery tested just to see if it is in fact going bad.
Otherwise, get yourself some kind of battery tender to hook up to the car - I personally use the Battery Tender Plus on mine.
Otherwise, get yourself some kind of battery tender to hook up to the car - I personally use the Battery Tender Plus on mine.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
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Huh?? Anyway, a fully charged battery, with no charger connected, is 12.8v., give or take .1v. If the OP drives 3-4 times weekly, and they're real short trips, his battery may be good, but isnt driven long enough to fully recharge. But I've never met a Vette owner who only drove a mile or two every time he drove it. As posted, best to have it tested. I have had a priority start sitting on my garage shelf for several years. Works great. Just dont like losing my memory settings any time it worked, so I got a battery tender jr.....
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
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Consider an odyssey extreme. Best in industry. You'll rarely need a float charger. I've gone months without changing, no issues. A superior battery with brass terminals constructed with virgin lead. Generic wet batteries are designed to fail every 3-5 years, that's their business model.
