Battery Charging Questions
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
From: Ocean County NJ
Battery Charging Questions
Factual premise upon which question is based:
Car is going on a battery tender (gotta love Griot's Garage) for the winter months due to limited use. Looked at the owner's manual; says for jumping starting to use the bolt head on the engine block for the negative (from diagram looks like the header bolt) and the positive lug in the under hood fuse location.
Potentially dumb questions:
Are the bolts heads I described above the right ones as set forth in the owner's manual?
Are these the proper lugs to use for long term battery tending? If not, which ones...........................
If a train leaves Chicago, heading east, at 80 mph and, on the same tracks, a train leaves NYC, heading west, at 60 mph, what does a butcher weigh?
Any info regarding proper battery maintenance for the winter is appreciated
Car is going on a battery tender (gotta love Griot's Garage) for the winter months due to limited use. Looked at the owner's manual; says for jumping starting to use the bolt head on the engine block for the negative (from diagram looks like the header bolt) and the positive lug in the under hood fuse location.
Potentially dumb questions:
Are the bolts heads I described above the right ones as set forth in the owner's manual?
Are these the proper lugs to use for long term battery tending? If not, which ones...........................
If a train leaves Chicago, heading east, at 80 mph and, on the same tracks, a train leaves NYC, heading west, at 60 mph, what does a butcher weigh?
Any info regarding proper battery maintenance for the winter is appreciated
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
From: Ocean County NJ
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 35,769
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From: Northern NYs Adirondack Mountains,http://www.visitsacandaga.com.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 702
Likes: 82
From: Ronkonkoma NY
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
As stated you can hook up directly to your battery, or if you prefer you can buy an adapter at battery mart for 6 bucks and plug the battery tender in to your lighter.. I've done it both ways and find pluging it into the lighter is a little more convient for me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 878
Likes: 145
From: Little Egypt, USA
In the old days people used to hook jumper cables directly to the battery but sparks caused by this would cause them to explode if Hydrogen gas was present (H gas is produced when a battery is charged).
To prevent this Mfg's started to recomend hooking jumper cables some where away from the battery. Either place works, one is less dangerous.
A charger when connected can make a spark too so always follow the safety rules: Connect the neg terminal/alligator clip last and disconnect it first to lessen the likely hood of sparks(jumper cables too) and plug in the charger after connecting it to the battery.
I perfer to hook chargers directly to the battery but always take care not to make sparks. Use the ring terminal lead that comes with the tender. Perm connect it to the battery by putting the ring terminals on the studs that tighten the factory cables. There are enough threads showing past the factory nuts for the rings and an extra nut to hold them on.
To prevent this Mfg's started to recomend hooking jumper cables some where away from the battery. Either place works, one is less dangerous.
A charger when connected can make a spark too so always follow the safety rules: Connect the neg terminal/alligator clip last and disconnect it first to lessen the likely hood of sparks(jumper cables too) and plug in the charger after connecting it to the battery.
I perfer to hook chargers directly to the battery but always take care not to make sparks. Use the ring terminal lead that comes with the tender. Perm connect it to the battery by putting the ring terminals on the studs that tighten the factory cables. There are enough threads showing past the factory nuts for the rings and an extra nut to hold them on.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,148
Likes: 5
From: Roxbury NJ
For trickle charging you can connect the neg anywhere, but I would go directly to the battery.
Jump starting is recommended at the block because it keeps the cables farther apart for safety, and because it removes the neg battery cable from the loop, lowering resistance (more flow to the starter). When the battery is dead, you need all you can get.
Jump starting is recommended at the block because it keeps the cables farther apart for safety, and because it removes the neg battery cable from the loop, lowering resistance (more flow to the starter). When the battery is dead, you need all you can get.
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From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
Factual premise upon which question is based:
Car is going on a battery tender (gotta love Griot's Garage) for the winter months due to limited use. Looked at the owner's manual; says for jumping starting to use the bolt head on the engine block for the negative (from diagram looks like the header bolt) and the positive lug in the under hood fuse location.
Potentially dumb questions:
Are the bolts heads I described above the right ones as set forth in the owner's manual?
Are these the proper lugs to use for long term battery tending? If not, which ones...........................
If a train leaves Chicago, heading east, at 80 mph and, on the same tracks, a train leaves NYC, heading west, at 60 mph, what does a butcher weigh?
Any info regarding proper battery maintenance for the winter is appreciated
Car is going on a battery tender (gotta love Griot's Garage) for the winter months due to limited use. Looked at the owner's manual; says for jumping starting to use the bolt head on the engine block for the negative (from diagram looks like the header bolt) and the positive lug in the under hood fuse location.
Potentially dumb questions:
Are the bolts heads I described above the right ones as set forth in the owner's manual?
Are these the proper lugs to use for long term battery tending? If not, which ones...........................
If a train leaves Chicago, heading east, at 80 mph and, on the same tracks, a train leaves NYC, heading west, at 60 mph, what does a butcher weigh?
Any info regarding proper battery maintenance for the winter is appreciated
Racer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: NC
The eastbound train is going to get delayed at Cleveland the westbound train will get delayed at Selkirk. Both trains will get approach signals then stop facing each other at a CP point that has a restaurant nearby...
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 45,471
Likes: 892
From: Texas
CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '10, '17
Yeah, as everyone else says, just hook it up to the battery if you want, that's what I do. They recommend making the last connection at the block in case there is a spark - don't want the spark close to the battery in case of hydrogen gas (batteries generate hydrogen).
To be safe, you could wait and plug in the battery tender after you connect to the battery.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
From: Ocean County NJ
thanks for the information guys. I could not imagine that there was a problem with going straight to the battery (other than problems with gas - mine are usually methane related). Just waiting for sunlight so I can wash car, put on tender and cover and give her a nap for a couple of days/weeks until the roads are dry. Weather report looks like crap for the next 7 days...............
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 45,471
Likes: 892
From: Texas
CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '10, '17
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,075
Likes: 6
From: Wilmington NC
I connect directly to the battery but as advised, connect the negative lead last. I also use the cigarette adaptor but on my wifes 328 conv. I don't do this on the vette because the charger didn't come with this adaptor. Now that one of the posts has given a clue where to buy one, I may go that route.
Emerging Vendor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,846
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From: Sequim WA
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 45,471
Likes: 892
From: Texas
CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '10, '17
I just received my 12 ft extension cord (w/ plug on each end) for my battery tender. I will hook the ring terminals to the battery cable at the battery and then route the extension through the engine compartment and just leave the end of the plug where it's accessible at the lower grill in front. Then I can connect it without popping the hood.
