I hook up my Yellow Top all the time if its going to sit for a week without use. I never disconnect the battery
Battery maintainer while installed in car ??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Member since May 99 (Before 99 CF Crash & Burn) Georgia
Battery maintainer while installed in car ??
IF I connect a battery charger/maintainer (Schumacher Battery Companion Model WM-1562A) to an Optima in a '99, is it OK to hook it up without disconnecting the battery?
The car is sitting for 2-3 weeks now and is beginning to exhibit low battery cranking symptoms.
I'll probably pull the battery first to let the charger work on it for a while. But I was thinking about being lazy after it has a full charge & is replaced.
The car is sitting for 2-3 weeks now and is beginning to exhibit low battery cranking symptoms.
I'll probably pull the battery first to let the charger work on it for a while. But I was thinking about being lazy after it has a full charge & is replaced.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
I have had the opposite experience. Two Battery Tenders have burnt out leaving an acrid smell when I opened the garage door. I am now much more cautious about leaving it connected.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 7
From: LaPine Oregon
All the Battery Tenders............
I have eleven vehicles in winter storage , including 8 batteries in the motorcoach( Nov thru April when the snow melts) .All are on Battery Tenders all winter long ( some AGM and some acid/lead batteries) with no ill effect . I've done this for years.
Did have one Battery Tender finally give up the ghost last year and that allowed the Optima to drop voltage below recovery level. So I now measure the output voltage periodically on all of the batteries in storage.
Did have one Battery Tender finally give up the ghost last year and that allowed the Optima to drop voltage below recovery level. So I now measure the output voltage periodically on all of the batteries in storage.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Member since May 99 (Before 99 CF Crash & Burn) Georgia
Thanks guys. 
I hooked it up in the car.
BTW, although not directly related to my question, I found some interesting battery information at the Schumacher site.
I hooked it up in the car.BTW, although not directly related to my question, I found some interesting battery information at the Schumacher site.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,512
Likes: 49
From: Franklin IN
IF I connect a battery charger/maintainer (Schumacher Battery Companion Model WM-1562A) to an Optima in a '99, is it OK to hook it up without disconnecting the battery?
The car is sitting for 2-3 weeks now and is beginning to exhibit low battery cranking symptoms.
I'll probably pull the battery first to let the charger work on it for a while. But I was thinking about being lazy after it has a full charge & is replaced.
The car is sitting for 2-3 weeks now and is beginning to exhibit low battery cranking symptoms.
I'll probably pull the battery first to let the charger work on it for a while. But I was thinking about being lazy after it has a full charge & is replaced.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
If its going to be down for the season,,,just fully charge the battery and disconnect it. DONE,,simple as that. It wont hurt a thing! When your ready to bring it out, reconnect the battery and your ready to go.
BC
BC
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 838
Likes: 0
From: Member since May 99 (Before 99 CF Crash & Burn) Georgia
No, it just sits until another nice weekend day in the sunny southland. 
I was wondering whether the C5 electronics would be "disturbed" by a charger on the battery. Or, in other words, I did not want to ask after I did something stupid. The consensus "just hook up the charger" is the answer I wanted to hear. Thanks again.
I was wondering whether the C5 electronics would be "disturbed" by a charger on the battery. Or, in other words, I did not want to ask after I did something stupid. The consensus "just hook up the charger" is the answer I wanted to hear. Thanks again.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
The battery acts as a FILTER for any battery charger. Leaving a MAINTAINER on a battery will not hurt the car unless,,,, the battery goes bad or the maintainer goes bad.
