Battery charger
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Hershey PA
Battery charger
I know enough about mechanics to be dangerous. My battery on my '99 FRC goes dead in less than 2 weeks. Normal? I have a die-hard battery charger w/engine starter. I've charged it a couple times with the battery out of the car. I want to try it while leaving it in, but I want to be sure of what I'm doing. #1, it is a negative ground, right? #2. Where do I put the black ground cable? Is there something on the top, because I'm not sure the charger cable is long enough to go to something on the block or frame. I, obviously don't want to fry anything.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: Corona CA - "An Armed Society is a Polite Scociety"
Same problem here. My C5 would sit for a couple of weeks and when I started it, it would crank slow.
The car has so many active electronics even when it just sits I decided to get a battery tender (750ma) and wha-la! no more issues.
It's worth the $29.95.
The car has so many active electronics even when it just sits I decided to get a battery tender (750ma) and wha-la! no more issues.
It's worth the $29.95.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Hershey PA
Battery is about 4 years old. Car doesn't get driven a lot....maybe once a week for an hour or so. I know that's part of the problem. Of course the battery is a side mount and there's not a lot of meat to clip the battery charger on to. No trickle charger....I'm reluctant to keep stuff plugged in while away from the garage. Tell me a very good trickle/tender to buy and where (I prefer a quality, reliable and no-brainer type). I can't keep doing this...too old to be messin' around with this stuff. Thank you very much for your help.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: Corona CA - "An Armed Society is a Polite Scociety"
I've had one one my bike for a few years now with no problem. It still has the original battery that in came with in 02 and I can leave the LED's on that I installed in and around the engine (it's a cool thing) for a few hours (2 1/2 - 4 so far) and it never slows the cranking when we decide to head out.
I have a 98 C5 with the side post's. The battery temder comes with a ring tetminal harness that you leave on the battery. Just unplug and go.
Here's they're site. Don't pay attention to the prices. You can find them cheaper at Pep Boys, Walmart, etc.
http://batterytender.com/
I have a 98 C5 with the side post's. The battery temder comes with a ring tetminal harness that you leave on the battery. Just unplug and go.
Here's they're site. Don't pay attention to the prices. You can find them cheaper at Pep Boys, Walmart, etc.
http://batterytender.com/
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Hershey PA
Thanks again....you've been a big help. I think I'll order one today. I'm almost convinced they are idiot proof, and safe to leave plugged in all the time. We have all that computer stuff right under the battery and, of course, wouldn't want the battery to malfunction and leak acid down there. I worry too much, I know.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Hershey PA
Yo! Battery Tender Plus arrived yesterday. There were no instructions or diagrams to use the clips or the pigtail rings. Is it really just a "no-brainer" to permanently install the pigtail? They talk so much about this and that, but no mention of the pigtail.
Also, should I hook up this Tender plus to a completely dead battery? I was planning to use the pigtail to make life easy. What say you?
Also, should I hook up this Tender plus to a completely dead battery? I was planning to use the pigtail to make life easy. What say you?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
I know enough about mechanics to be dangerous. My battery on my '99 FRC goes dead in less than 2 weeks. Normal? I have a die-hard battery charger w/engine starter. I've charged it a couple times with the battery out of the car. I want to try it while leaving it in, but I want to be sure of what I'm doing. #1, it is a negative ground, right? #2. Where do I put the black ground cable? Is there something on the top, because I'm not sure the charger cable is long enough to go to something on the block or frame. I, obviously don't want to fry anything.
To avoid a spark at (or near) the battery it is also highly important that the Negative connection be made in the following order:
Connect Negative LAST
Disconnect Negative FIRST
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
Yo! Battery Tender Plus arrived yesterday. There were no instructions or diagrams to use the clips or the pigtail rings. Is it really just a "no-brainer" to permanently install the pigtail? They talk so much about this and that, but no mention of the pigtail.
Also, should I hook up this Tender plus to a completely dead battery? I was planning to use the pigtail to make life easy. What say you?
Also, should I hook up this Tender plus to a completely dead battery? I was planning to use the pigtail to make life easy. What say you?
Having said the above, I have connected my battery tender to my pickup truck when the battery was about half charged and it eventually brought it up to full charge. This was in the dead of winter, single digit temps outside - the truck is in storage ALL winter along with my Corvettes.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Hershey PA
I appreciate all your help. I took the battery out of the car again and charged it with the die-hard in the basement. After looking at the pigtail on the tender, I don't see how I can get a good seat with the pigtail. The round ring, red or black, has the thick rubber behind the ring. The battery side mount cable has the big round rubber at the battery connection. How do you get that to seat when tightened without trimming some of the rubber? Thanks again, I'll probably have to use the clips.
