Battery Charging

[twilder]

Would there be any problems to connecting a trickle charger to the battery while it's still in the vehicle and hooked up? Postive ground 6 volt system with altenator. Don't won't to burn anything up!

[Jim Johnston]

Should not be a problem. I use a Battery Tender all the time with the same positive gnd 6V/alternator system that you have. I do have a master cutoff switch that is always 'off' (bttery disconnected from the electrical system) when the car is the garage.

[Forker]

You might need to check your battery water levels more often for risk of burning out the battery. I keep a trickle charge on one of my boats and know that battery uses more water then the boat battery I do not have a trickle on. If you let it run too low on water, it will burn out your battery, if not at a minimum it will shorten it's life.

[green30coupe]

Originally Posted by Jim Johnston

Should not be a problem. I use a Battery Tender all the time with the same positive gnd 6V/alternator system that you have. I do have a master cutoff switch that is always 'off' (bttery disconnected from the electrical system) when the car is the garage.

I have the exact same setup. A Battery Tender is a float charger--not a trickle charger. I have batteries that have been on float chargers for several years without having to add water to the battery.

Ed

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If you have a regular battery with screw tops, make sure the cap vents are OPEN!!! During a 2 day, 2 Amp trickle charge, I BLEW off 1/2 the top of my battery!! The cap vents were NOT open from the factory!!! "SPRUNG" for a new Optima. Bill W.

[Kurt in NJ]

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The last time I used a charger I just hooked the negative to the nut on the starter switch, the positive to a head nut ---this way any sparks are away from the battery ----or if I can't get to that side I just clip onto a terminal box nut and a headnut.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I do the same as Kurt.
Also I like to be nearby while charging. An hour every other month should keep your battery up on charge, even though I don't do it and my battery is still working fine. Years ago I had a battery on a 1 amp charger explode during the night, and a couple years later I've had a battery charger catch on fire while charging overnight. It was on top of my Dodge Dakota and the fire didn't go past a few inches of the wires coming out of the charger. I got lucky. That's why I like to be close by, or remove the battery and charge it outside, where it won't damage something or burn the building down.

[Napa Skip]

With the good weather here in California I am fortunate enough to be able to drive my Model A frequently enough not to need a trickle charger.

My tractor is another story; there's only so much "tractoring" you can do on 1+ acre. Consequently I keep a trickle charger i purchased in the '60s on the tractor battery. To minimize the overcharging (which leads to loss of electrolyte - technically the water and not the sulphuric acid) I plug the charger into a simple and inexpensive timer such as an Intermatic Heavy Duty (Model TN311).

About 15 minutes a day seems to do the trick for the 12-volt tractor battery.

The Intermatic chargers are pretty durable. I've used the same one going on 10 years now and it's still going round and round.

And, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, loosen the caps on the battery (if your battery is of this type of construction) and - even with short-duration trickle chargers - check the electrolyte level periodically and wipe down the top of the battery around the cell fill holes.