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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Corvette / October 2006Trickle Charging?
I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. Like Dad above, I expect to use my C6 all winter except when the roads are sloppy and salty, which here on Long Island can last for over two weeks at a time. So, what are the thoughts on trickle chargers - pros or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? Thanks.  SignatureFrank M. I've found that as a rule of thumb start the car between 3 weeks to 1 month .The colder the temp. in your garage the more I try to go 3weeks, I have a detached garage,so if the outside temp.stays at 20 or below ,I follow what I typed above. 93 ZR1, 02 ragtop. > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the > battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? > Thanks. > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the > battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? > Thanks. I got a cheapy from Harbor Freight with a quick disconnect on it for the '72. Hook it up as I get out and forget about it, really did and drove over it leaving the garage once. SignatureDad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd > I got a cheapy from Harbor Freight with a quick disconnect on it for the '72. > Hook it up as I get out and forget about it, really did and drove over it > leaving the garage once. I got the Harbor Freight ones for my bikes, they work as well as any. Nice trickle chargers and others available from BOAT US and other boating stores....use one for my Trophy and for the jet ski..work really great..never a dead battery..and never over charged....and sometimes we don't use the boat for a couple of months or longer. >> I got a cheapy from Harbor Freight with a quick >> disconnect on it for the '72. Hook it up as I get out and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I got the Harbor Freight ones for my bikes, they work as > well as any. have to disagree, they really don't work as well as any. I have a Battery Tender and a cheapy from Harbor Freight, but the Harbor Freight one is not the same as a float charger. the cheapy from Harbor Freight never completely stops charging. compared to a float charger that completely stops charging when the battery is fully charged. my2¢ Signature"Key" ===== >>> I got a cheapy from Harbor Freight with a quick disconnect on it for the >>> '72. Hook it up as I get out and forget about it, really did and drove over [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > my2¢ Here's what Harbor Freight say about item number 42292-7hrh in one of the 3 catalogs I get every week. Skip the aggravation of a jump-start by keeping your vehicles battery fully charged. Use on 12V batteries while in storage or in cold weather. The floating circuit maintains a full charge without overcharging. Includes automatic safety shut off. $7.99 Then in another catalog it's number is 42292-2ASH and cost $9.99 Item number 167981-1713 in the NorthernTool.com catalog says - Battery MINDer, Maintains all full sized 12V batteries, including sealed, marine, deep cycle - up to 4 batteries at one time (same type parallel connected).Never over charges(eliminates water loss during storage). Automatically conditions (desulphates) weak batteries (when charging or maintaining) using US patented high-frequency circuitry that dissolves harmful sulphate, extending life and performance. $49.99 Take you pick. ;-) >>>> I got a cheapy from Harbor Freight with a quick >>>> disconnect on it for the '72. Hook it up as I get out [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Take you pick. ;-) see your point Dad. believe you're talking about a different Harbor Freight charger than I have. the trickle charge light on the Harbor Freight charger I have never goes out. don't believe its a float charger, just a charge/trickle charger. I looked on Harbor Freights page http://www.harborfreight.com/ and the one I have is no longer offered. g'day Signature"Key" ===== Instead of a trickle charger get yourself a float charger. They supply a small charge as long as the battery needs it, then switch themselves into a standby mode. They monitor the battery and will supply a charge only when needed. Battery Tender is the biggest brand name and works great. If you want to save a few bucks go to Harbor Freight and get a generic one there for under $10. I use one from there on my lawn tractor and it works fine as well, but for the Vette and my bike I use the brand name Battery Tender just to be safe. Brad > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the > battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? > Thanks. I had my C6 for two years now and no problems with the battery. Last December it sat in my garage due to heavy rains for three weeks. It started right up. One thing I found out the hard way... don't let your 'Vette sit for a week or so, then start up and try to go get it inspected. In Texas, they read your computer and you'll fail the emissions test if the car has been sitting. Something about the codes won't get reset until you drive the car a few days. Don't know how they test in other states... we also get the tailpipe emissions measurement, but you'll fail if the computer codes don't read properly. FYI. As far as chargers, something I use on my boat's batteries as well as the corvette is a desulfator. This sends little pulses of current into the battery. Won't charge a dead one, but will help it hold a charge during periods of non-use. It will also help your battery last a lot longer, and I've even seen it bring old batteries back to good condition. There are a lot of them out there... here's an example: http://www.pulsetech.com/ No commercial interest, just a happy user. "Battery Tender" is what I've been using the past 5-6 years. Think it ran about $20. It's not a trickle charger, think they call them "float chargers". > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the > battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? > Thanks. > "Battery Tender" is what I've been using the past 5-6 > years. Think it ran about $20. It's not a trickle charger, > think they call them "float chargers". "Battery Tender" runs a little more than $20 these days.. but still well worth it... my2¢ Signature"Key" ===== >> I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and >> C6, the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> models to avoid? >> Thanks. I have what they now call the "Jr." . Looks like the price HAS gone up a bit, $40 now. >>"Battery Tender" is what I've been using the past 5-6 >>years. Think it ran about $20. It's not a trickle charger, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > my2¢ >I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the >battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? >Thanks. Just curious, is it better to just unhook the battery? I'm not familiar with the vette's battery compartment so that's why I ask. >> I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the >> battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Just curious, is it better to just unhook the battery? I'm not > familiar with the vette's battery compartment so that's why I ask. Unhooking the battery on either the C4 or C5 is a piece of cake but not a good idea. In August I left suddenly for almost a month and my C4 (three year old battery) held its charge without a tender and kept clock, radio, ECM and security alive. Unhooked, the battery will slowly discharge and in a very cold climate, can freeze. The L98 ECM loses its block learn value and then needs a bansai run to get things back in order. On some of the early digital dash models, the memory load shifted to a small, non-rechargeable battery and that shortens its life. (PITA to replace.) After my C5's battery fiasco, most stuff seemed to restore OK but now I find that, at night, I have to lock the doors with the remote to kill the headlights -- otherwise they stay on until the battery saver kills the power. Something lost its programming. Battery tenders and the like are good stuff! SignaturePJ '89 auto coupe, '02 6-spd coupe > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and > C6, the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > models to avoid? > Thanks. Battery Tender... trickle chargers ? no Why the Battery Tender® vs. conventional chargers? http://batterytender.com/why_batterytender.php or http://tinyurl.com/yf9est g'luck Signature"Key" ===== >I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the >battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >or cons and any cautions. Any recommended models, or models to avoid? >Thanks. ==================== As others have said....BATTERY TENDER... ! I store 5 cars over the winter..(used to store 6 but I sold a Chevelle) .. Every Spring I would have at least 1 or 2 batteries that were dead or refused to hold a charge... Since I started using Battery tenders I honestly can not remember the last battery I had to buy...I know it is aproaching 10 years ...yes 10 years... I sold my 95 in February of 2006 and it still had the original batterey in it...! I will admit my garage looks like a freaken Christmas tree in the winter with all the little blinking lights ...BUT as far as I am concerned Float Chargers was more then worth the money... Bob G. 64 72 & 98 Convertibles 76 & 79 Coupes... Cub Cadet Lawn Tractror, Low level hydralic lift, 1 handicapped scooter, all. hooked up to battert Tenders every winter... >>I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the >>battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Cub Cadet Lawn Tractror, Low level hydralic lift, 1 handicapped >scooter, all. hooked up to battert Tenders every winter... Do battery tenders work as well in South Texas in summer as well as winter (summers 95 degrees; winters say 35 degrees typical) if the cars are stored for 2 months or so? Sorry to sound stupid but I never heard of battery tenders, just trickle chargers / battery chargers. I will meanwhile do a google search on them awaiting your reply. thanks. > On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 08:45:04 -0400, Bob G. Snip > Do battery tenders work as well in South Texas in summer as well as > winter (summers 95 degrees; winters say 35 degrees typical) if the > cars are stored for 2 months or so? Sorry to sound stupid but I never > heard of battery tenders, just trickle chargers / battery chargers. I > will meanwhile do a google search on them awaiting your reply. > thanks. Most batteries respond to warm better than they do to cold. Yes, a float charger or battery tender keeps the battery at full charge and shuts down when no charge is required. Some cheap chargers just keep charging and can boil out the fluid and can damage the battery. I have let mine set without a charger for a month or so but it has never gone down, so as far as I know it's not required on the C6, just advisable. My '98 did once but I think that was more than 2 months. I've never unhooked the battery, no reason, just don't sound right to me. SignatureDad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd >> On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 08:45:04 -0400, Bob G. >Snip [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >just advisable. My '98 did once but I think that was more than 2 months. I've >never unhooked the battery, no reason, just don't sound right to me. Thanks Dad for the explanation. Seems to be a lot of good info in this newsgroup even for us wannabees or just non-vette owners so I'll keep my eyes posted here to learn more. I'm not that young and have learned a lot about cars in my years (personally doing or hiring the work) but you can't argue with experience nor stop learning more. Enjoy the rest of the weekend +1 hour more. -RnR- Has anyone ever thried a charger from CTEK ? A show on SPEED (Dream Car Garage) spoke highly of them. Thanks for any comments. Art Battery Tender is a brand name for a "float charger". You can buy a "float charger" at other places for less $ than Battery Tender that does the same job; i.e.. Harley shops sell Battery Tender because their new AGM ( absorbed glass mat) batteries must not be overcharged and require a "float" system. You can go to a Suzuki shop and buy a "float" charger made by Yuasa (largest battery manufacturer) for about 1/2 the price and it does the same job. I use it for my bikes and my '75 Vette. Just switch it around from machine to machine and I haven't bought a battery in a long time. > I've heard that with all of the electronics in the C5 and C6, the > battery can get drained if not charged in two to three weeks. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > -- > Frank M.
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