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I recently purchased a 2018 C7 with the factory battery tender. I've noticed the unit itself tends to heat up and become very warm. I was wondering if this is normal or do I need to be concerned, I have it coupled to a 20' extension cord rated at 16 AWG.
What are your driving habits? If you do a lot of short trips and the battery doesn't fully charge, the tender is charging your battery. That's not it's intended purpose, it's meant to maintain.
I recently purchased a 2018 C7 with the factory battery tender. I've noticed the unit itself tends to heat up and become very warm. I was wondering if this is normal or do I need to be concerned, I have it coupled to a 20' extension cord rated at 16 AWG.
Mine got very hot when I first started using it but after it cycled the battery up to full charge a couple time it's been fine ever since.
See thread I started on the same sublect:
When you first hook it up, it will go into a charge cycle whether the battery is depleted or not. When charging it gets very warm. If the battery is near full charge it will go into maintain mode and cool down in a couple of hours. If the battery is somewhat depleted it may stay warm for 12-24hrs, but once fully-charged will cool down.
When you first hook it up, it will go into a charge cycle whether the battery is depleted or not. When charging it gets very warm. If the battery is near full charge it will go into maintain mode and cool down in a couple of hours. If the battery is somewhat depleted it may stay warm for 12-24hrs, but once fully-charged will cool down.
I've been using trickle chargers for years on several vehicles. Normal.
The optional "Battery Protection Package" is nothing more than a CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. I have both CTEKs and Battery Tenders™, they are all warm when charging, and cool while in maintain mode.
It's available for about 1/2 the cost GM charges for it.
The optional "Battery Protection Package" is nothing more than a CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. I have both CTEKs and Battery Tenders™, they are all warm when charging, and cool while in maintain mode.
It's available for about 1/2 the cost GM charges for it.
Actually more than that as the optional GM "Corvette Logo" CTEK unit also has the correct 'cigarette lighter' type plug installed that connects directly to the C7's factory charging receptacle as shown below. It's available from forum sponsors for only about $30 more than the one above. I prefer it over having to add adapters or rigging the supplied connectors to work.
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Originally Posted by Foosh
The optional "Battery Protection Package" is nothing more than a CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. I have both CTEKs and Battery Tenders™, they are all warm when charging, and cool while in maintain mode.
It's available for about 1/2 the cost GM charges for it.
Sadly, about the only way to buy a Corvette without one is to order the car from Mike Furman. Everyone else it seems accidentally adds it to the order.
Sadly, about the only way to buy a Corvette without one is to order the car from Mike Furman. Everyone else it seems accidentally adds it to the order.
Really? Didn't happen to me. Ordered from Macmulkin. I'm not thinking you can claim "everyone else does it."
I recently purchased a 2018 C7 with the factory battery tender. I've noticed the unit itself tends to heat up and become very warm. I was wondering if this is normal or do I need to be concerned, I have it coupled to a 20' extension cord rated at 16 AWG.
In a warm or hot garage mine gets so hot I can barely hold it. Pretty stinking hot. ...but not 'melt or catch fire' hot.
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Originally Posted by mschuyler
Really? Didn't happen to me. Ordered from Macmulkin. I'm not thinking you can claim "everyone else does it."
I didn't say all the other dealers did it which is what you've implied. My experience has simply been that it seems to happen more often than not. Ymmv
The optional "Battery Protection Package" is nothing more than a CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. I have both CTEKs and Battery Tenders™, they are all warm when charging, and cool while in maintain mode.
It's available for about 1/2 the cost GM charges for it.
Actually more than that as the optional GM "Corvette Logo" CTEK unit also has the correct 'cigarette lighter' type plug installed that connects directly to the C7's factory charging receptacle as shown below. It's available from forum sponsors for only about $30 more than the one above. I prefer it over having to add adapters or rigging the supplied connectors to work.
You missed my point. You stated above that the optional GM battery protection package is nothing more than CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. That's not the case as the optional GM battery protector has the correct 'cigarette lighter' type plug installed that connects directly to the C7's factory charging receptacle. You have to modify the regular CTEK 3300 or purchase the additional cigarette lighter adapter for it to plug directly into the C7s factory charging receptacle.
Last edited by Kevin A Jones; Oct 2, 2017 at 09:37 PM.
You missed my point. You stated above that the optional GM battery protection package is nothing more than CTEK™ 3300 w/ the Corvette logo on it. That's not the case as the optional GM battery protector has the correct 'cigarette lighter' type plug installed that connects directly to the C7's factory charging receptacle. You have to modify the regular CTEK 3300 or purchase the additional cigarette lighter adapter for it to plug directly into the C7s factory charging receptacle.
I didn't miss your point but you clearly missed mine. You can purchase a CTEK 3300 and the optional CTEK 12v port plug-in connector on Amazon and elsewhere, and save a fair amount of money if you can live without the crossed-flags logo. It's exactly what GM sells as an option for less.
I didn't miss your point but you clearly missed mine. You can purchase a CTEK 3300 and the optional CTEK 12v port plug-in connector on Amazon and elsewhere, and save a fair amount of money if you can live without the crossed-flags logo. It's exactly what GM sells as an option for less.
Fair enough, however I would rather have the corvette logo (looks much better on the wall next to my C7 ) and not have to deal with an adapter which adds yet another component to possibly go bad as opposed to saving $15 ($89 from Trunk monkey). To each her/his own.
Last edited by Kevin A Jones; Oct 3, 2017 at 08:03 AM.
It's not an adapter. It plugs in using the CTEK connector system. It's no more likely to go bad than the cord on any maintainer, which is not at all likely.
The advantage is that it can be used w/ the 12v plug-in, alligator clips, or hardwire connectors, making it more useful for other vehicles as well that don't have a permanently hot 12v port.
Trickle charger heating up
I've been using trickle chargers for years on several vehicles. Normal.
) and not have to deal with an adapter which adds yet another component to possibly go bad as opposed to saving $15 ($89 from Trunk monkey). To each her/his own. 