Winter Storage Battery Tender

[ModsAway]

Ok following advise given to me here I hooked up a battery tender to my battery while my baby sits for the winter.

My question, the negative cable.... I attached it to the same piece of metal that the negative terminal on my battery is grounded to.... that fine?

Reason I ask is in the instructions it stated all kinds of crap like don't attach to sheet metal, engine pieces, etc. etc.... so I kinda wondered well what does that leave to connect it to? It did spark when I attached it but that doesn't really surprise me considering the positive was already attached.

Let me know folks, thanks.... and to all those of you that have stored your cobras as well, my heart goes out to you. :cryying:

 

[PhillyCobra]

Mods,

I just hook mine up to the battery posts.

If the Battery Tender isn't turned on when you hook it up, it shouldn't spark. I think it's not supposed to be turned on until after you hook it up to the battery.

 

[Cobra10thaniv]

Its all about safety, But good idea I had a battery blow up on me 20 years ago whew wow its been 20 years man Im getting old.

Anyhow its surprising that I did hear a arc and it blew up in my face. Seems so strange when you see all this stuff people do on a battery and I was out side and breese no stagnent air dang thing flew pieces 30 ft.

Safety.

 

[PhillyCobra]

Agree you should hook up jumper cables to a chassis ground, but the Battery Tender shouldn't cause a spark if you don't have it plugged in.

 

[Black Chip]

Battery

I've used the Battery Tender for about 3yrs. now. I've always went right to the posts and plugged tender in LAST. You are supposed to check water levels once in a while though. DON'T OVERFILL THEM!!!!!! I found out the hard way!!!!!:cryying:

 

[svt2003cobra]

Where can you get a battery tender? I am looking for one for my jetski battery.

 

[03 Red Cobra]

Originally posted by svt2003cobra
Where can you get a battery tender? I am looking for one for my jetski battery.

All motorcycle dealers carry them but you can get a better deal on the web. Just do a search. A good price is around $35.00

 

[ModsAway]

Ok.... so no one actually agreed that where I attached the negative cable is fine. I attached it to the same piece of metal just beside the battery that the negative battery post is grounded to, twice I might add, why does it appear our batteries are grounded twice?

As far as the spark is concerned. I did NOT have it plugged in. After reading the instructions it was one of the things it strongly warned against and so I ensured it was not plugged in. Did it spark because I connected the POSITIVE cable first? Well its been about a week and my car and garage are still there so I assume I am ok but please, help me with some peace of mind folks.

Thanks.

 

[PhillyCobra]

There's no problem here. Don't worry. As long as the connection is near the battery (e.g. short length of grounding wire) it will work fine, assuming the bolt head you attached it to was not corroded.

Don't know why your's sparked. Never happened to me.


Can get these things (bigger version for cars as opposed to motorcycles) at Pep Boys now.

 

[Cobra'03]

This is a safety issue - a charging battery emits hydrogen, which is explosive in the presence of air - it will tends to accumulate under the hood, and any electrical arc could ignite it.

Hpw big a deal is it to attach the ground? I have the same unit, and it was no big deal.

This is the same advice for jump starting a dead battery - the ground to the dead one goes to a hard metal ground.

You feelin lucky?

 

[Matt M PA]

While I don't know for sure that it will work on our Cobras.....

I know that my Viper's Cig Lighter is always "hot". So, I made up a cigarette lighter adapter for the battery tender (making sure the polarity is correct) and just plug it into the lighter. It has worked great for years, and keeps me from having to connect anything under the hood. I made a longer lead so that the tender can sit on the floor next to the car, with the wire running over the window left at a crack.

 

[harry gilbert]

The bolts on the battery terminal clamps are 1/4-28 (fine thread). I just bought some 1/4-20 nuts at the hardware store, ran a 1/4-28 tap through them, and attached a set of leads from the terminal clamps ending in a polarized quick connect. I leave this on year 'round. During Winter storage, I plug the trickle charger / battery minder to the polarized connecter, THEN plug in to the wall socket. Keeps the battery post covers in place, and I can shut the hood without shorting clamps. Sears sells an automatic regulated battery minder that comes complete with the polarized connectors and both the wires ending in spade terminals (that what I use) and a set with spring clamps. Cost about $25 on sale. It's the Sears DieHard Battery Charger Maintainer part number 28-71220, handles both 6- and 12-volt batteries.

 

[harry gilbert]

Here's a picture of the battery charger showing the leads and quick connect. Sorry, my Cobra is snoozing in storage several miles from the house, and I didn't take a picture of the hookup.

 

[ModsAway]

:lol: :lol:

You guys are making me more and more nervous as this thread continues.

Harry if you could take a picture of the connection whenever you get a chance it would greatly ease my worries. If I knew how to post a picture on this website perhaps I would take one of my current hook up as well as I cannot apropriately describe where I have connected my negative terminal to.

Thanks again all, hope I get a picture of someone elses method of negative connection as I do not want to connect it directly to the negative terminal as I have been told not to do that....

:shrug:

 

[PhillyCobra]

Mods,

Calm down! It's not gonna blow up. Anyway, you won't get a spark when it's hooked up.

 

[ModsAway]

Can't say I won't get a spark, because I DID get a spark when I connected the negative cable to the chasis (same place negative terminal of battery is grounded to) But if you mean it won't spark again while its hooked up, that I believe. BTW, when it comes time to disconnect, negative or positive first, does it matter?

:shrug: Guess I will just leave well enough alone, it seems fine, charge is full, now just to wait till spring :cryying:

 

[harry gilbert]

With the method I outlined above, you will NOT get a spark. Here's a breakdown:

1. Buy or make 2 1/4-28 nuts
2. Buy a battery minder / trickle charger (with float current so it automatically turns off when the battery is charged). If it's the Sears one I mentioned, it already comes with the adapter leads. If so, skip steps 3-4 below
3. Make up an adapter consisting of a polarized 2 pin female connecter, 6-8" of 14ga wire (red and black), and crimp or soldered on round terminals big enough to slip onto the bolts holding the battery terminals to the posts. (See the picture in my post above)
4. Install a male polarized connector on the output of the battery charger. Be sure to maintain proper polarity (red is positive)
5. Lift the battery post covers, attach the terminal ends of the wires to the battery post bolts, screw on the nuts, and tighten. I also put a bit of anti-corrosion spray onto the terminals. Put the battery post covers back in place.
6. The wires with female connector should now be laying on the battery itself and can be left on year 'round.
7. When you put the car in storage: plug the polarized connector from the battery charger into the connector on the battery. Because the connector is polarized, the positive (red) lead from the charger goes to the positive battery terminal and the negative lead from the charger (black) goes to the negative battery post.
8. The wires are run out the front of the car over the headlight inside the fender. I put the battery charger on a plastic box (from a meatloaf dinner) so it's both insulated and off the ground.
9. Finally plug the battery charger into the wall socket and verify that it is on.

The only danger is plugging in the battery charger and then hooking it to the battery terminals. The small spark so produced MAY ignite any hydrogen gas present at the battery. By attaching the dead leads to the battery first, there's no circuit completed and no chance of a spark (unless you're really ham-handed and short the wrench against ground while tightening the nut on the positive terminal).

If I get a chance, I'll stop by my Cobra and take a picture. I've been working with auto batteries for 45 years and never blew one up.

 

[ModsAway]

Appreciate your step by step instructions, I think I understand it all but would still love to see that picture just so that I can understand where the wiring is going to sit.... especially all year, not quite sure how those wires can be left there but maybe If I go out and try it, it may makemore sense.

Thanks.

 

[Black Chip]

Bat. Tender

Originally posted by ModsAway
:lol: :lol:

You guys are making me more and more nervous as this thread continues.

Harry if you could take a picture of the connection whenever you get a chance it would greatly ease my worries. If I knew how to post a picture on this website perhaps I would take one of my current hook up as well as I cannot apropriately describe where I have connected my negative terminal to.

Thanks again all, hope I get a picture of someone elses method of negative connection as I do not want to connect it directly to the negative terminal as I have been told not to do that....

:shrug:

Stop making a big issue out of nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Step 1- Open hood
Step 2- Attach Red to pos. term. Black to neg. term.
Step 3- position tender under car
Step 4- plug tender in
Step 5- close hood
Step 6- check that charging light is on
When disconnecting UNPLUG TENDER FIRST!!!!! NO POWER = NO SPARK Been doing it this way for 3yrs. You can also remove battery and do it in shed or garage.(takes about 2 min to get bat. out)

 

[03MUSTANGSVT]

I'm glad this question ws asked because I'm getting ready to pick up a battery tender myself.