battery chargers

[John Thomas]

I would like to hear from those who stores a C2 for the winter. I currently drive my 67 coupe every week to week and a half to keep the battery up. Normally this is more of a pleasure than a job, however, every once in a while for various reason driving is not possible in a timely manner and when I get around to it the battery is not strong enough to start the car. The garage is not heated. My choices seam to be a) a battery "heater" not capable of charging but able to keep the battery warm so as to hole a charge, b)a battery charger with low voltage and higher voltage charging capabilities, and c.) a battery charger/starter.

I would like to hear from others who have faced this problem. How have you solved the problem? What are the pros and cons of my options?

[Bill C.]

Re: battery chargers

John:

Remove the battery from the vehicle and place it in a dry and warm area on cardboard. Purchase a "Battery Tender" and connect it to the battery after checking the fluid level...................That's all there is to it. These little gems are electronic and will not cook the battery like a "Charger" will over a period of time. These units are advertised in Hemmings etc........Works for me, Good Luck, Bill #20328

[Terry D.]

Re: battery chargers

John
I live in cold winter climate also, been using what is called a "Battery Tender". It is a slow trickle charger that shuts off when battery is fully charged. I have been using these on cars, boats, and motorcycle batteries for years. You can find them at most parts stores or motorcycle shops. They come in different charging arrangments, for one battery or several at a time.

Terry

[Dave S.]

Re: battery chargers

John,
I too use the Battery Tender, but due to the inconvenience of battery removal I typically leave the battery in the car and use a knife style cut off switch for peace of mind. Search ebay and you can find new/sealed units available from various vendors for a bit less that the Hemmings advertised price.

[John H.]

Re: battery chargers

I've used the (genuine) "Battery Tender" for many years on my winter garage-stored cars, never had a problem. I connect it to each car about once a month, and it takes about a day to come to full "float" charge level. On my cars with "buried" batteries, I hard-wire the battery side harness (available separately) to the battery terminals so the polarized in-line connector is readily available to plug the Tender-side harness into.

Do NOT use a cheap "trickle" charger; they'll fry the battery if left connected.

[Mike McKown]

You have an unauthorized current draw or bad

batterey if it is going down on you in 3-4 weeks time. It hasn't been cold enough, long enough most places in the country to harm a good battery's charge, yet.

Alternator diode, voltage regulator, interior lights, cigar lighter and glove box lights are some places to look for drain. Some will be intermittent.

If you do nothing else, I would put a cut-off switch on it as stated elsewhere.

[John L.]

Re: battery chargers

I have a restoration battery in the car. About once a month (give or take a couple weeks depending on temperature) I go out to the garage, remove the cover, do a visual check, and hook up my Sears 10 amp battery charger. It usually draws about 5 amps max for a short time. I leave it on for about 4 hours. No problems. I try to drive the car when I can in the winter.

[Jack H.]

Much of this thread....

talks to various battery chargers and their benefit(s), but fails to specify what in the heck kind of battery we're talking about.... Makes a difference!

If the battery is a tar top, then individual cells are vented and the RATE of charge/charge maintenance dictates boiling. If you fail to also periodically remove the cell caps and verify the depth of the water/acid electrolye in each cell is maintained, then all the charge preventive maintenance in the world isn't going to help once you expose cell plates to air and oxygenate them....

The benefit of the smart chargers is they control the rate and duration of charge to maintain and minimize electrolyte boiling. There are different mfgrs and different control algorithms....

But, if you've got a totally sealed lead acid battery, designed for DEEP discharge use, many of the precautions discussed don't really mean much. Let 'er sit, run down, and bring 'er back up in the Spring....

[John Thomas]

Thanks all *NM*