car battery charger

[bobbyr]

I need guidance. My mother no longer drives due to age. She has two cars, one an old volvo that sits under a carport covering that I disconnected the battery on.

The other car is an old toyota camry, that we use when family is in town...so it sits for months at a time without being run. I need guidance on the proper charging device that I should use to recharge from a wall outlet. The cables I use to charge from my car don't get it charged. The battery is not that old, but I prefer not to disconnect it, instead be able to easily recharge it for use. I used a neighbors simple triple charger and it didn't do the job after a week of charging...I'd rather pay for something that will power it up without issue or just leave it connected to a charger to accommodate the security light and whatever else uses up the battery during non driving.

 

[Aerides]

Obvious question but since it's not addressed in your OP:

Why not sell them? At least the volvo, and if it's going months between family visits then those aren't frequent enough to bother with the camry either - uber/rentals for those occasions. If nothing else you'll save on that insurance too.

If selling is a no-go...maybe have that neighbor go over and start it, drive it around a loop and back for 5 mins once a week? No car left months on end is going to work well on demand every time.

 

[Murf2]

A Deltran Battery Tender. Will do what you want. You can just leave it hooked up all the time.
If it doesn’t do the job, you have something else going on. A bad battery or something.

I added that last part because it would seem the neighbors trickle charger should have kept the battery charged. Anyway the Deltran will keep a good battery charged & ready to go indefinitely.

Good Luck
Murf

 

[Car-Guy]

I "have" used them but I won't recommend any particular brand/model to anyone... While it's never happen to me, in the past, two fellow car collectors I know well, have experienced "fires" because of these chargers... These guys knew what they were doing and they bought quality "stuff" but both had fires... OTOH, I used them for years and never had any "serious" problems. Maybe it's uncommon or just a coincidence but after the second fire, I decided to disconnect mine. As they say, YMMV.


Maybe I'm just getting more cautious as I get older... These days I don't have any collectable cars and my daily drivers are driven frequently so they get all the charging they need, as designed.. However I have two tractors that sometimes aren't started for months.. (Winter) While they usually start up without a problem, I do have a couple of quick jump starters if needed...

 

[GreenEggs]

I've used the cheap Harbor Freight $5.99 "float" charger for keeping my rarely ridden old street bike (motorcycle) battery charged. I leave it connected for months at a time. Otherwise the expensive little battery will only hold enough juice for about a month to start the bike.

Obviously, at only $5.99 it's low-tech & has plenty of nay-sayers saying to avoid them. I have about 4 or 5 of them that I keep around for mowers and power-sports toys (ATVs, Jet Skis, motorcycles). They aren't strong enough to charge a totally dead battery, but I've found that if you connect 2 of them they will charge a dead battery overnight. "Probably" not considered safe, but it didn't cause any problems.

 

[gauss]

I finally purchased a PriorityStart! A couple of years back and would highly recommend it.

It is not a battery charger, but rather an AUTOMATIC disconnect that is installed in series with the battery that engages when the battery voltage starts to get low due to nonuse.

When you are ready to use the vehicle again, just tap the brake (lights) to reconnect the battery.

There is no need to plug anything into the wall, or need to remember to do anything before the vehicle sits for a while.

In the long run it will likely pay for itself by saving you the cost of ruined batteries that would not need to be replaced prematurely

a link is below.

gauss

https://www.amazon.com/PriorityStar...keywords=priority+start&qid=1623417751&sr=8-4

 

[ERD50]

A trickle charger might not bring a really low battery up to full charge, it is more for maintaining the charge on a near-full battery.

So as mentioned earlier, you may have other problems, or you were asking the small charger to do what it can't do.

I've read that trying to charge a near-dead battery by driving around puts a large strain on the alternator and may overheat it, and it takes far longer than a short drive. If you think about it, even a large charger takes maybe an hour? Five minutes can top off what was depleted from starting and maybe sitting a week, but probably not bring a near dead battery to where it could sit for another week.

-ERD50

 

[bobbyr]

Obvious question but since it's not addressed in your OP:

Why not sell them? At least the volvo, and if it's going months between family visits then those aren't frequent enough to bother with the camry either - uber/rentals for those occasions. If nothing else you'll save on that insurance too.

If selling is a no-go...maybe have that neighbor go over and start it, drive it around a loop and back for 5 mins once a week? No car left months on end is going to work well on demand every time.

She is 92 and still wants to live in her big house, so they are good for security/appearance...fair question though. Also true on insurance (no collision coverage, but still insurance and tags cost $s)...but for now we are approaching it from a security standpoint.

I should drive it to the store when i go for her once a week or so, I just forget to...we are very busy with another parent in our own house, and I just get overwhelmed. Neighbor has been helpful, but wouldn't put that on them since i live close by.

 

[38Chevy454]

Battery maintainer is what you need. They are not for charging a low or dead battery. Batteries lose charge when sitting. Even more so on newer cars with small electrical drain. The maintainer keeps battery voltage and charge at full. Once you start with a fully charged battery.
Your battery that didn't charge up on the trickle charge may be just too low, or could have gone bad. New battery would ensure that with a maintainer the car is always ready when needed.

 

[mountainsoft]

I'll second the Battery Tender recommendation. It's a convenient way to keep a good, but seldom used, battery fully charged. Assuming you don't mind a power cord running to the car all the time.

You might also want to get a jump start battery. Charge it up and keep it in the trunk. While it won't charge your main battery, it will let you start the car easily if the main battery is drained (without needing another car to jump start or waiting hours for a charger to recharge the battery). Of course, you will need to recharge the jump start battery once or twice a year so it's always ready to go.

There are tons of them out there, here's one example:
https://www.amazon.com/Starter-12800mAh-Portable-Engines-Battery/dp/B07NPL6MJP

 

[GreenEggs]

I forgot to mention solar chargers. It's just a small solar panel that you place on the dash & plug into the cigarette lighter socket.

I have no idea how well they work, but it seems like they might do what you need without needing a power cord to the house.

 

[Sunset]

I use a charger, that plugs into the wall, it is rated as 6 amp , it's not a trickle charger and will bring a near dead battery back to life.

Maybe the neighbor device was not powerful enough to charge the battery.

As brought up, perhaps this is trying to solve the wrong issue. Rather than a car sitting not moving a security system (and signs) would provide more security.

 

[OldShooter]

I have had a number of "maintainers" over the years. They work, but are "blind" -- no gauges or battery condition indicators. A year ago I discovered that the maintainer for our electric-start backup generator was "maintaining" a totally dead battery. So (MSEE here) I started looking around for something a little more sophisticated than the $25 gadgets. I ended up with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHGPVKI It's been on the genset for about a year and all appearances are that it's doing its job. I especially like glancing at the status lights from time to time. More: https://shoptoolreviews.com/automot...battery-charger-maintainer-digital-400/34963/

 

[ikonomore]

Buy a CTEK charger/maintainer. All of the expensive car brands rebadge them and sell them as their own including Porsche, McLaren, etc.

I've had one for 13 years now. Keeps the batteries fresh.
Here's one on Amazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/CTEK-40-20...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[bobbyr]

Thanks for all the feedback - I went with the

Battery Tender 1200 Amp Power Station: Portable Battery Charger

Figured we could carry it in trunk as well, if needed. I appreciate all the responses...really helped hearing all the different angles to consider...

 

[Murf2]

Thanks for all the feedback - I went with the

Battery Tender 1200 Amp Power Station: Portable Battery Charger

Figured we could carry it in trunk as well, if needed. I appreciate all the responses...really helped hearing all the different angles to consider...

I was talking about a battery maintainer not a charger. If you used a maintainer the battery would always be up. Letting it go flat & then jumping it is harder on batteries plus the equipment cost half or less than that charger. That charger does have more utility, tho.

Good luck
My

 

[travelover]

I was talking about a battery maintainer not a charger. If you used a maintainer the battery would always be up. Letting it go flat & then jumping it is harder on batteries plus the equipment cost half or less than that charger. That charger does have more utility, tho.

Good luck
My

I agree with this. My solution would be the same as what I use on my back up generator. It has a quick disconnect cord on the battery terminals and a Battery Tender charger / maintainer plugs into that cord so it is easy to connect and disconnect. I keep it on a timer so it runs one hour a day, though I could leave it on continuously. LINK

 

[Sunset]

Thanks for all the feedback - I went with the

Battery Tender 1200 Amp Power Station: Portable Battery Charger

Figured we could carry it in trunk as well, if needed. I appreciate all the responses...really helped hearing all the different angles to consider...

isn't this just a spare battery to jump the car battery, and not a car battery charger

It seems to me, they are using the fact the battery can charge cell phone (whoopie) as justification to call it a charger.

 

[teetee]

I have a tender / maintainer for a 12v car battery. I use Google calendar to remind me to hook it up the tender once every three months.

I disconnect it after a day of trickle charging. That is how I have a backup battery for our cars and keep it full without too much risk.

 

[Walt34]

I've been using a couple of these for years with no issues:

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-S...her+battery+tender,automotive,320&sr=1-3&th=1

 

[Sunset]

.....
I should drive it to the store when i go for her once a week or so, I just forget to...... ...

That's what I do as we have too many cars, so I make sure I drive each one about once a week.
Besides the battery , the brakes need to be used or they will rust in place, I've had it happen.
Also, the gas does need to be used up every X months so that fresh gas can go in the tank.
The tires need to roll, or they can develop flat spots which is annoying.

 

[bobbyr]

isn't this just a spare battery to jump the car battery, and not a car battery charger

It seems to me, they are using the fact the battery can charge cell phone (whoopie) as justification to call it a charger.

I cancelled that order, although it is a charger...still reading up on all the offerings. The comments on Amazon are always interesting. I'm still analyzing.

 

[bobbyr]

That's what I do as we have too many cars, so I make sure I drive each one about once a week.
Besides the battery , the brakes need to be used or they will rust in place, I've had it happen.
Also, the gas does need to be used up every X months so that fresh gas can go in the tank.
The tires need to roll, or they can develop flat spots which is annoying.

This is probably the best solution of all.

 

[Koolau]

Good for the engine to start at least monthly. Good buddy who is a car guy swears by one of the oil treatments to prevent the engine from getting "dry" during significant down time. Might check with a parts store for an appropriate one. Buddy's favorite starts with an L. He puts it in my mainland car each year at oil change time. YMMV

 

[T-Minus]

Buy a CTEK charger/maintainer. All of the expensive car brands rebadge them and sell them as their own including Porsche, McLaren, etc.

I've had one for 13 years now. Keeps the batteries fresh.
Here's one on Amazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/CTEK-40-206-5-0-12-Battery-Charger/dp/B00CD44RQO/

In my Porsche days, this is exactly what I did - bought the same model that the Mfg was rebadging. Kept the battery in great shape all winter long because it does more than just charge. These days, I’m down to one (1) car, but kept the charger - just used it on the wife’s truck and it still works like a charm. Very satisfied with CTEK…