Battery maintainer
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 100
Likes: 19
From: Brighton, Michigan
Battery maintainer
For those of you that don't have the factory built in battery maintainer, I could use some suggestions on what aftermarket maintainers that you are using. Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 35,769
Likes: 148
From: Northern NYs Adirondack Mountains,http://www.visitsacandaga.com.
Now I'm using the one I got with my 15 Vert. Since 06 I used a Scumacher on my othere Vettes and my snow removing tractor.
Dollar for dollar the Schumacher is a good tool. I have been using a CHARGER from that company for over 25 years!
Dollar for dollar the Schumacher is a good tool. I have been using a CHARGER from that company for over 25 years!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
The C7 does not have a built in battery maintainer. GM offers a rebadged aftermarket unit that just plugs into the cigarette lighter port.
Any of the aftermarket units work just as well as the GM badged unit, including the $9 float charger from Harbor Freight.
EDIT: I just got a new flyer from Harbor Freight and their float charger is $5.99 with a coupon(plus you get a free LED flashlight with any purchase, a $6.99 value).
Any of the aftermarket units work just as well as the GM badged unit, including the $9 float charger from Harbor Freight.
EDIT: I just got a new flyer from Harbor Freight and their float charger is $5.99 with a coupon(plus you get a free LED flashlight with any purchase, a $6.99 value).
Last edited by JoesC5; Nov 10, 2015 at 03:11 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,274
Likes: 8,545
From: Rochester, NY
Plugs into the outlet in the rear hatch area and is way better than the 9 dollar float charger from Harbor Freight.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 10,742
Likes: 211
From: Marana, Arizona
The $18 Black and Decker works great and comes with interchangeable clips, cigarette lighter adapter and eyelets.
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Race Director
Joined: Feb 2014
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From: Center of the Universe, Alabama
A lot depends on your parking situation, enclosed home garage or carport, parking deck, or in the driveway. My situation is an open air carport. I didn't want to put the battery maintainer shut up in the trunk of my vert, and didn't want it in the open humidity of the carport. I use a Deltran Battery Tender that's located in a utility room and have a 25 foot lead extension to the vert trunk.
Edited to add that battery maintainer brands are a personal choice. I've used several different ones and never had a problem with any.
Edited to add that battery maintainer brands are a personal choice. I've used several different ones and never had a problem with any.
Last edited by grandpawmoses; Nov 9, 2015 at 11:27 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 748
Likes: 222
I have the vette maintainer and it is no different than the ~$20 shumacher and black & decker maintainers that I have used successfully for years. Except the ~$20 ones come with the clips as well as the cigarette lighter adapter.
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I've used a Deltran Battery Tender Plus on my car for years and have been very pleased with its performance.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: When all is said and done... there is a hell of a lot more said than done. Riverside,Texas
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 426
From: Minnesota
Same here, used on my 2006, 2008, 2010, and now my 2014 with zero issues and always provided a quick start in the Spring.
Nice to see the green LED glow in my garage in the middle of a Minnesota winter as the Vette hibernates.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,543
Likes: 854
The reviews are very impressive.
The CTEK US3300 that GM sells only has one mode (car mode) while the CTEK MUS4.3 has a motorcycle mode, car mode, AGM mode, cold weather mode, and recondition mode.
I use the CTEK brand on 4 of my 5 vehicles.
Last edited by nmvettec7; Nov 10, 2015 at 10:05 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
I use the harbor freight float charger on my vette and tundra. Question for U guys more knowlegable than me. I put this same float charger on my zero turn mower and it killed the battery, I tried two different float chargers twice and it did the same thing. Anyone know why this happened? Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,543
Likes: 854
I use the harbor freight float charger on my vette and tundra. Question for U guys more knowlegable than me. I put this same float charger on my zero turn mower and it killed the battery, I tried two different float chargers twice and it did the same thing. Anyone know why this happened? Thanks
The low priced chargers can't measure the voltage they are putting into the battery causing them to over charge and destroy the battery.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
Most likely the low priced chargers "boiled" the battery. You need a quality charger. Although you saved money on the low priced chargers they cost you more in replacing batteries.
The low priced chargers can't measure the voltage they are putting into the battery causing them to over charge and destroy the battery.
The low priced chargers can't measure the voltage they are putting into the battery causing them to over charge and destroy the battery.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,543
Likes: 854
battery maintainer boiling battery