battery tender question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 0
From: Lost Angeles CA
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
battery tender question
I just bought a battery tender and I was wondering do I have to pull the battery out of the car to use it? or can I leave it in and hooked up to the battery cables and just connect the tender to the top posts? ( i have an optima)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,512
Likes: 49
From: Franklin IN
Originally Posted by devo
I just bought a battery tender and I was wondering do I have to pull the battery out of the car to use it? or can I leave it in and hooked up to the battery cables and just connect the tender to the top posts? ( i have an optima)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 5
From: Gainesville Georgia
You can leave the battery alone and just hook It up, just lay a thin towel or cloth on the fender so the cord Isn't touching your paint. Also don't click the hood shut when It's hooked up. Shut the hood so the light goes off, just don't push down on the sides to make It click. 
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,459
Likes: 48
From: Schaumburg IL
CI 7-8-9-11 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Originally Posted by 528rwhp02Zo6
You can leave the battery alone and just hook It up, just lay a thin towel or cloth on the fender so the cord Isn't touching your paint. Also don't click the hood shut when It's hooked up. Shut the hood so the light goes off, just don't push down on the sides to make It click.
yeap, should have included this in my previous post, I do this also....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 880
Likes: 0
From: Detroit Area Michigan
battery tenders
good answers, but don't forget to add that battery tenders come with the automatic shutoff or just act like a trickle charger. don't get confused, the auto shut-off's are the only way to go. i have them on my son's 35th anniversary camaro, my 2003 h-d ultra centennial, and my 2004 corvette convertible. they are all in the garage, hooked up. my only problem, i need a multi-charging battery tender, so i can hook them all up to one charger, does anyone know if they make one? ....bob.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 0
From: Lost Angeles CA
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Originally Posted by 528rwhp02Zo6
You can leave the battery alone and just hook It up, just lay a thin towel or cloth on the fender so the cord Isn't touching your paint. Also don't click the hood shut when It's hooked up. Shut the hood so the light goes off, just don't push down on the sides to make It click.
COOOL!
thanx everyone
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,940
Likes: 42
From: shavertown Pa.
battery charger
Go to harbor freight, get there small red charger maintainer, 20 bucks, made by chicago electric, I have three of them, there not sealed units but they do the job at half the price...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 0
From: Lost Angeles CA
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Originally Posted by bob guzzy
Go to harbor freight, get there small red charger maintainer, 20 bucks, made by chicago electric, I have three of them, there not sealed units but they do the job at half the price...
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 11,028
Likes: 5
From: Chicago (Naperville) IL
Originally Posted by 87bob
I have a Optima Red Top and I bought the Battery Buttler from Lectric Limited it works great. I hooked it to the side posts and that is it. The red power light is always on while the unit is plugged in and the green charge light cycles on/off at the unit does. At a kwick glance I tell that the unit is working.
and if I want to take her for a cruise, just unhook, start, and go?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Elgin Il
Originally Posted by Gohard777
good answers, but don't forget to add that battery tenders come with the automatic shutoff or just act like a trickle charger. don't get confused, the auto shut-off's are the only way to go. i have them on my son's 35th anniversary camaro, my 2003 h-d ultra centennial, and my 2004 corvette convertible. they are all in the garage, hooked up. my only problem, i need a multi-charging battery tender, so i can hook them all up to one charger, does anyone know if they make one? ....bob.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Nassau NY
battery tenders
The latest and most technologically advanced is the one from CTEK. Go to ctek.com and check the available videos. Quite impressive. If you can't find them in your area let me know and I will hook you up. Merry Christmas to all.
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
Originally Posted by FKING1
Leave the bat in. I have done this for years with no problems.
Fred
Fred
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I got one from Advance Auto, it doesn’t say “Battery Tender” though, just make sure what you get has a float feature. I left the battery installed and routed the charger cables up from underneath the car and routed the cables between the firewall and Battery area weatherstripping. Nice and neat!