Negative ground connection for Battery Tender
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Tempe AZ
Negative ground connection for Battery Tender
I want to make a permanent connection for my Battery Tender using the ringtailed cable that came with the charger. I plan to connect the positive ringtail to the +terminal on the fuse block. Is there a good place to make the negative connection that is close to the fuse block? I know several forum members have this setup and I was wondering where they made the ground connection.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,606
Likes: 355
From: Rochester New York
There is a ground stud on the frame just next to the front inner corner of the battery tray. Take out the plastic shroud around the battery and you will easily see it and have all the room in the world. A good place to mount the tender is on the inside of that shroud next to he fuse panel.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
There is a ground stud on the frame just next to the front inner corner of the battery tray. Take out the plastic shroud around the battery and you will easily see it and have all the room in the world. A good place to mount the tender is on the inside of that shroud next to he fuse panel.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,767
Likes: 3,695
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
Would love to see pictures of this solution...
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
Copy of a write up from one of my previous post a couple years back.
----------------------
The B+ is a perfect hook up for the positive connection. For the negative, look straight down from the negative battery terminal connection to the frame rail, you will see a ground connection bolt that is connected to the frame rail (probably has one/two wires connected to it. The battery/fuse box compartment side wall may be shielding it with a mounting tab pressed onto the post. You can lift that plastic side wall up and you will see the stud with a nut securing a ground to the frame rail. Find a nut that fits that threaded stud properly and mount your negative connector there.
Here is a pic looking straight down from the negative batt post, lift the plastic battery side panel up off that post and you will see the ground post on the frame rail. The thicker black wire with the eyelet connector is my battery tender negative lead wire. Make your attachment there and slide the battery panel back over the post when done.
----------------------
The B+ is a perfect hook up for the positive connection. For the negative, look straight down from the negative battery terminal connection to the frame rail, you will see a ground connection bolt that is connected to the frame rail (probably has one/two wires connected to it. The battery/fuse box compartment side wall may be shielding it with a mounting tab pressed onto the post. You can lift that plastic side wall up and you will see the stud with a nut securing a ground to the frame rail. Find a nut that fits that threaded stud properly and mount your negative connector there.
Here is a pic looking straight down from the negative batt post, lift the plastic battery side panel up off that post and you will see the ground post on the frame rail. The thicker black wire with the eyelet connector is my battery tender negative lead wire. Make your attachment there and slide the battery panel back over the post when done.
Last edited by MAC5; Nov 4, 2013 at 08:45 AM.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,093
Likes: 267
From: Oklahoma City
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'19,'22
There is a ground stud on the frame just next to the front inner corner of the battery tray. Take out the plastic shroud around the battery and you will easily see it and have all the room in the world. A good place to mount the tender is on the inside of that shroud next to he fuse panel.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,640
Likes: 83
From: . New York
There is a ground stud on the frame just next to the front inner corner of the battery tray. Take out the plastic shroud around the battery and you will easily see it and have all the room in the world. A good place to mount the tender is on the inside of that shroud next to he fuse panel.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
How about directly to the battery?
It doesn't have to be gold of course, but you get the idea. These work on both the positive as well as the negative post and are readily available from several different manufacturers/sources:
Mobile audio/stereo guys use them a lot. Not expensive and easy to access once installed.
Mobile audio/stereo guys use them a lot. Not expensive and easy to access once installed.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,606
Likes: 355
From: Rochester New York
To be honest with you there is really no reason to mount the tender in the vehicle. You can route the pigtails through the fender and into the cove in the door (most of the tenders come with a waterproof plug connector for this application). You can mount the tender in the garage (possibly plug it in to the overhead door outlet) and when you pull in just reach into the door cover from outside and grab the connector and clip it to the leads hanging from the tender.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,640
Likes: 83
From: . New York
absolutely, there is always more than one way to skin a cat . . .
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,311
Likes: 8
From: Plano Texas
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Copy of a write up from one of my previous post a couple years back.
----------------------
The B+ is a perfect hook up for the positive connection. For the negative, look straight down from the negative battery terminal connection to the frame rail, you will see a ground connection bolt that is connected to the frame rail (probably has one/two wires connected to it. The battery/fuse box compartment side wall may be shielding it with a mounting tab pressed onto the post. You can lift that plastic side wall up and you will see the stud with a nut securing a ground to the frame rail. Find a nut that fits that threaded stud properly and mount your negative connector there.
Here is a pic looking straight down from the negative batt post, lift the plastic battery side panel up off that post and you will see the ground post on the frame rail. The thicker black wire with the eyelet connector is my battery tender negative lead wire. Make your attachment there and slide the battery panel back over the post when done.
----------------------
The B+ is a perfect hook up for the positive connection. For the negative, look straight down from the negative battery terminal connection to the frame rail, you will see a ground connection bolt that is connected to the frame rail (probably has one/two wires connected to it. The battery/fuse box compartment side wall may be shielding it with a mounting tab pressed onto the post. You can lift that plastic side wall up and you will see the stud with a nut securing a ground to the frame rail. Find a nut that fits that threaded stud properly and mount your negative connector there.
Here is a pic looking straight down from the negative batt post, lift the plastic battery side panel up off that post and you will see the ground post on the frame rail. The thicker black wire with the eyelet connector is my battery tender negative lead wire. Make your attachment there and slide the battery panel back over the post when done.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 952
Likes: 100
From: Lehigh Valley PA
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Covered negative post
Your picture was excellent! The tab is definitely covering the post. I can see the two wires running below the tab. I don't think I can take off the
Wall support, there is a round tab behind the fuse box holding it down and it looks like it also is caught by the fuse box if I try to lift it up. I'll try pulling up the tab without removing the wall.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
That plastic partition will come up off the frame rail stud easily.
There is also a second frame ground located in the battery bay. Look directly to the firewall behind the battery on the positive side.
There is also a second frame ground located in the battery bay. Look directly to the firewall behind the battery on the positive side.