Battery Tender

That didn't take too long... The above mentioned article in the MODEL "A" TIMES is in the September-October 1988 issue entitled "Prolonging the Useful Life of a Car Battery"

I ordered some tetrasodium ethyleneddiaminetetraacetate (EDTA) the other day to try in one of my old batteries to see how (or if) it works. With a name like that how couldn't it. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :cool:
 
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On our vehicles that don't get run regularly I put a trickle charger on for about 24 hours once a month.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
If I have to leave my 2006 F-150 sitting for a couple of weeks the battery will not be strong enough to start. .
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Had the same with a 2007 Mustang GT. Only you could let it sit for about 4 weeks. I would unhook the Positive Lead to the battery if I let it sit too long. Parasitic drain they call it.......................
 
Jeff/Illinois said:
Had the same with a 2007 Mustang GT. Only you could let it sit for about 4 weeks. I would unhook the Positive Lead to the battery if I let it sit too long. Parasitic drain they call it.......................
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Yeah, power to the clock, computer, radio, Edge reprogrammer, alarm, etc. all have a drain the battery.
 
I've used battery tenders for years and no problems with them. I hook up one to the car once a month in the winter and it helps to keep the battery fully charged, then when up to full charge I remove it and do the exercise over in another month or 2. If you allow the charge to run down and it's cold in the garage the battery can freeze.
 
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I have never liked any device hooked up, unattended, in a garage with a vehicle full of gasoline (and leaks occasionally!)

I have two collector cars, the 6V. Model A and a Miata with a tiny battery. On both, I start them once or twice a month in the winter and if not, when I am in the garage working, I hook up a regular charger for a few hours. My first 6V lead acid battery lasted 8 years and the Miata batteries last at least that long.

JackD
 
Just as a FWIW, Tom is here sitting in my office, and the battery desulfator is what I have put him on. I am a believer of them after MATCA tech Director Jim Cannon put me on to them.
 
Deltran battery tender jr's for me. I have everything from the Model A's to my riding lawn mower on them. I've been using them for years with no issues. I love em'! On the Model A's I hardwired the ends to the battery & cut a slot in the floor board for the wires & connector. That way all I have to do is reach in front of the seat & plug it in when I'm ready.:)
 
Pete said:
Oooo, that doesn't sound too comfortable.
A teaspoon of epsom salts will temporarily desulfate a lead acid battery. Olde used car lot trick.
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Based on all the hospital time Tom has been thru over the past couple of months, coupled with his upcoming tests, what I put him "onto" is pale by comparison! :D

BTW, Tom had a great day here as we went riding in his antique car. ( his Model-As are 'modern cars' by comparison! ;) )
 
I'm never home in my garage long enough to "supervise" the tender in action and after reading so many stories about battery fires, I'm afraid to leave it unattended.....but all my wiring is new with good ground connections, should I really worry that much ???!?!?!?
 
al's28/33 said:
I'm never home in my garage long enough to "supervise" the tender in action and after reading so many stories about battery fires, I'm afraid to leave it unattended.....but all my wiring is new with good ground connections, should I really worry that much ???!?!?!?
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It isn't the vehicle wiring that I'd worry about, but the battery and charger can both cause problems. I had a battery explode during the night when it was on a 1 or 2 amp charger, and I had a charger catch fire a couple years later when it was charging a battery overnight.

If you must leave a charger unattended, at least put the battery and charger outside away from anything that can be damaged, and if the battery starts getting warm then it's time to junk it and buy a new one.
 
I live half the year in Florida and half "up north" so I have tenders for all cars. NOCO Genius 3500 works the best for me.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
If I have to leave my 2006 F-150 sitting for a couple of weeks the battery will not be strong enough to start. I plug a battery tender into the 12v 'outlet' (cigarette lighter) to keep it charged.

.
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Did you pull the radio fuse before leaving it unused? Out at the farm we put battery disconnects on modern vehicles so that the radio stand-by and other drains do not suck the life out of the batteries.
 
ian Simpson said:
Did you pull the radio fuse before leaving it unused? Out at the farm we put battery disconnects on modern vehicles so that the radio stand-by and other drains do not suck the life out of the batteries.
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Haha... you don't want me to lose all my presets to Oldie Rock n' Roll stations do you?

By the way Ian, nice surname. ;);) Wonder if were related...
 
I never used one in the past for any of my stored cars and always had issues starting them later. I would end up replacing the battery sooner than necessary. Ugh! I now use battery tenders on all my cars (both 6v & 12v) and they start right up after sitting. Remember to always unplug it before you start the car!
 
I have used Battery Tenders for many years in both my Model A and my Studebaker Lark, especially during the Winter months. The last two Winters have been brutal with a lot of ice on the roads, along with road salt. So the cars stay in the garage until the salt is gone on the roads. I'm a big fan of the Tenders.
Rog
 
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