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Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
I bought this "Battery Minder Plus" a few years back, and the unit itself has given me no trouble. It ain't quick, but it'll charge a dead battery, and it keeps a battery fully charged with no issues at all in the cold garage.
...it DID teach me a lesson though. AGM (Optima) batteries CAN be OVER charged to where it will no longer HOLD a charge. That's why their charges are so pricey. They detect when the battery is full and will shut off. My traditional "GOLD" whatever battery can handle constant charging, but the pricier AGM batteries CAN NOT!
Ask me how i know, lol. ....my Optima got to the point where it would read 12.75 or so right after running, or while on the battery minder, then within an hour, be down to 12 or so. ....it would start ok, but if I ever needed to move it around the driveway, or cranked it up for people to hear at a show, I'd run the risk of not getting that second start! Basically I had ONE start, then it needed charging. ...and it tested at the parts store as bad. After further reading, I've found that someone who KNOWS AGM batteries can sometimes drain, and recharge, and get them working...but I had already replaced mine. Oh well. Lesson learned.
I bought this "Battery Minder Plus" a few years back, and the unit itself has given me no trouble. It ain't quick, but it'll charge a dead battery, and it keeps a battery fully charged with no issues at all in the cold garage.
...it DID teach me a lesson though. AGM (Optima) batteries CAN be OVER charged to where it will no longer HOLD a charge. That's why their charges are so pricey. They detect when the battery is full and will shut off. My traditional "GOLD" whatever battery can handle constant charging, but the pricier AGM batteries CAN NOT!
Ask me how i know, lol. ....my Optima got to the point where it would read 12.75 or so right after running, or while on the battery minder, then within an hour, be down to 12 or so. ....it would start ok, but if I ever needed to move it around the driveway, or cranked it up for people to hear at a show, I'd run the risk of not getting that second start! Basically I had ONE start, then it needed charging. ...and it tested at the parts store as bad. After further reading, I've found that someone who KNOWS AGM batteries can sometimes drain, and recharge, and get them working...but I had already replaced mine. Oh well. Lesson learned.
Out of four Battery Tender's, only one still works. Last one was only a year or two old when it died. They offer a warranty, but by the time you pay postage you might as well just buy a new one... Except the new ones are crap too.
I'd trust the HF model before I bought another Battery Tender brand.
Battery tender is a good idea. I don't have one so I have been breaking out the battery charger once a month until driving season again.
It is smart to charge at low current (like a tender does). Different chemicals form on the plates when the battery charges and discharges. There is a huge change of volume of those chemicals and it can actually cause the material on the plate to break away. The slow charge of a tender helps to limit damage from volume expansion.
AGM batteries require different charging voltage than a flooded lead acid battery. If you use a normal charger (for flooded lead acid) then it will slightly overcharge the AGM battery and drive off the water until the battery fails. There isn't much water in an AGM so not very tolerant to over charging.
I have three old style (no temperature compensation) BatteryMINDer's currently in use. If the car isn't going to be moved in 3-7 days, I hook them up.
I have the Camaro battery hard wired with the two-wire trailer connector that came with the maintainer.
The battery in the photo is over 16 years old. Still cranks with authority.
With BatteryMINDer brand, all pros, no cons here. I used to hear of stories of Battery Tender brands burning out after a few years, but this is old news....
I have one of these on all 3 of my motorcycles, trans am and tractor battery. Been using the same ones for years and no issues. Without my EFI bike and TA always have battery issues in the spring.
Wife bought this one for my C6 a few years ago and I use it year round on the IROC. I like that I don't have to go under the hood to hook up or disconnect. Just pop it in my cig lighter and close the door. I have several of the Schumacher Walmart $20 tenders that I use on my other cars and they work just as well.
I've used the Schumacher maintainer that has the float mode for several years now. No complaints. Been hooked up to my Optima red top. Although I can drive the car year round it only gets driven every 2-3 weeks and it's trips are usually pretty short (10-15 miles round trip) which might prevent the alternator from fully charging the battery.
02-05-2017, 03:10 PM
