battery package
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,932
Likes: 12,344
From: NE South Carolina
Bought a CTEK 3300 charger for under $55. If you go to the CTEK web site they show it brand labeled for BMW, Lamborghini, Maserati and others. The one from Chevy looks just like it. You'll also need the accessory they sell to plug into the rear hatch auxiliary receptacle.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 1
now, others will say they can do that cheaper, by buying a trickle charger and connecting it up to the car. thats probably correct. to me, for $100, my time to look for a charger, go retrieve it (or order it on the internet), read instructions, set it up, have it not work since theyre all made in china, go back, get another one--my time to do that is worth more than $100 (actually, its worth $345), so i bought the option. there are many posts here that convinced me this is a real problem, so for $100, get it. no need to read all other posts. this one sums up all you need to know. oh, there may be a special plug you need to buy as well. dont know if thats extra money--likely so, probably another $75?
Last edited by thedofuss; Jan 25, 2014 at 05:58 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13,760
Likes: 75
From: Haymarket VA
I actually changed my mind on this after visiting Mike Furman at Criswell's where mine will be ordered in the next few weeks. According to Mike, there are 18 things on the C7 that continue to draw power when it's just sitting in the garage. For $100, it's really a no-brainer for me. Plugs into a power tap/cigarette lighter thingy in the right rear above the battery.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
Good Lord.....a $30 CTEK charger and $1.50 cigarette lighter plug from Radio Shack will do exactly the same thing the GM supplied one does and do it for a lot less.
Throw your money away if you want and spend $100 on a $30 charger with a GM logo on it if you want.... Not I........
Throw your money away if you want and spend $100 on a $30 charger with a GM logo on it if you want.... Not I........
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,035
Likes: 281
From: OH
Good Lord.....a $30 CTEK charger and $1.50 cigarette lighter plug from Radio Shack will do exactly the same thing the GM supplied one does and do it for a lot less.
Throw your money away if you want and spend $100 on a $30 charger with a GM logo on it if you want.... Not I........
Throw your money away if you want and spend $100 on a $30 charger with a GM logo on it if you want.... Not I........
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 1
I actually changed my mind on this after visiting Mike Furman at Criswell's where mine will be ordered in the next few weeks. According to Mike, there are 18 things on the C7 that continue to draw power when it's just sitting in the garage. For $100, it's really a no-brainer for me. Plugs into a power tap/cigarette lighter thingy in the right rear above the battery.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 532
Likes: 1
From: PENSACOLA
i presume that youre referring to the $100 option on the C7. what it does is it allows you to conveniently maintain a trickle charge over the winter, if youre not using your car, so that your battery doesnt die on you. my dealer strongly recommended it to me (which does not mean anything, per se), so i got it. i have no car yet, but i understand that it allows you to merely plug a cord into a receptacle in the trunk to maintain a charge.
now, others will say they can do that cheaper, by buying a trickle charger and connecting it up to the car. thats probably correct. to me, for $100, my time to look for a charger, go retrieve it (or order it on the internet), read instructions, set it up, have it not work since theyre all made in china, go back, get another one--my time to do that is worth more than $100 (actually, its worth $345), so i bought the option. there are many posts here that convinced me this is a real problem, so for $100, get it. no need to read all other posts. this one sums up all you need to know. oh, there may be a special plug you need to buy as well. dont know if thats extra money--likely so, probably another $75?
now, others will say they can do that cheaper, by buying a trickle charger and connecting it up to the car. thats probably correct. to me, for $100, my time to look for a charger, go retrieve it (or order it on the internet), read instructions, set it up, have it not work since theyre all made in china, go back, get another one--my time to do that is worth more than $100 (actually, its worth $345), so i bought the option. there are many posts here that convinced me this is a real problem, so for $100, get it. no need to read all other posts. this one sums up all you need to know. oh, there may be a special plug you need to buy as well. dont know if thats extra money--likely so, probably another $75?
American made BT plug $5
Instructions: plug into wall, plug into car... if the plugs don't fit, spin 180 degrees and repeat.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 136,140
Likes: 2,432
From: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
Paying $100 for something you could piece together for less than half that and would take less than 15 minutes to complete is definitely an appliance op sorta thing
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,110
Likes: 0
From: upstate new york
i used a battery tender for 3 winters, in upstate n.y. never had a dead battery. now that i know what the battery package is. its the battery tender for me. thanks for all the replys...
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 532
Likes: 1
From: PENSACOLA
In addition to my car habit, I am also an amateur radio (ham) operator. In that part of my interests we have what are called "appliance operators" who buy everything off the shelf and never do any hand-on of their own...technically speaking.
Paying $100 for something you could piece together for less than half that and would take less than 15 minutes to complete is definitely an appliance op sorta thing
Paying $100 for something you could piece together for less than half that and would take less than 15 minutes to complete is definitely an appliance op sorta thing
That explains a lot of my similar attitude.... my father was a HAM radio operator. K5KQG.
He could jerry rig anything to work with duck tape, solder and LED lights. He actually built a satellite tracker with a globe, coat hanger, LED lights and a battery operated clock... IT ACTUALLY WORKED! It was a sight to behold....
back to thread topic...yes, if you want the battery tender to have a logo on it then order with the car.... chances are it won't show up with the car but you'll get it eventually.... or you can go the other route and buy one without the logo from your local wal-mart or amazon.com and have it waiting for your car when it arrives.
Last edited by TX Navy Vet; Jan 25, 2014 at 07:12 PM.