When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I store my LS over the winter and usually I go out on a nice day and start it up and go for a short drive to keep the battery charged, but I've been bad about that this year and found my battery dead... So I went out and bought a 3A trickle charger/maintainer today and it came with some permanent install connectors so I don't have to use the alligator clamps. My question is is this ok/safe on the car, and is it ok to shut the hood while charging so I don't wear out the hood struts keeping it open all winter... Please forgive me for the dusty underhood! Apparently I forgot to clean that before winter😜
Since my BMW is a garage queen, I have used a 1.5A and 3A battery tenders. I also have saved some "good" batteries, i.e. can pass a load test, which I proactively swapped. Kept them on the tenders.
What I can say, is that a good battery, removed from a car, and kept on a battery tender, will not be able to start a car, eventually. I have proven this with 3 batteries. Turning to google, people say this is in fact the case. That devices such as a battery tender turn green based on voltage. Just because it is the correct voltage does not mean it has the power to start the vehicle. Such is life.
edit in addtion my wife's 2011 GM--it has a voltmeter and "intelligence" must like the BMW IBS. Normally, it is at 14.25V. If driven over 1 hour on the highway, and closer to 2 hours, the voltage drops to about 13V. So short drives don't really help. Hints that my wife's is going to fail are that suddenly voltage is 16+ and repeatedly the trip odometer is back to 0.0, as are the avg mph, etc.
Since my BMW is a garage queen, I have used a 1.5A and 3A battery tenders. I also have saved some "good" batteries, i.e. can pass a load test, which I proactively swapped. Kept them on the tenders.
What I can say, is that a good battery, removed from a car, and kept on a battery tender, will not be able to start a car, eventually. I have proven this with 3 batteries. Turning to google, people say this is in fact the case. That devices such as a battery tender turn green based on voltage. Just because it is the correct voltage does not mean it has the power to start the vehicle. Such is life.
edit in addtion my wife's 2011 GM--it has a voltmeter and "intelligence" must like the BMW IBS. Normally, it is at 14.25V. If driven over 1 hour on the highway, and closer to 2 hours, the voltage drops to about 13V. So short drives don't really help. Hints that my wife's is going to fail are that suddenly voltage is 16+ and repeatedly the trip odometer is back to 0.0, as are the avg mph, etc.
I'm sure my battery is at or near the end of it's life, since I have an 06 and this battery is basically at the end of the 6 year life span, assuming the battery was replaced at least once already around 2012. When they replaced it they neglected to indicate the date on the battery. I will probably end up replacing it this spring anyways, but figured I would try this out...
Yes you can safely close your hood or at a minimum push it down so the latch mechanism engages (step before fully closed). I use a PulseTech Xtreme or PulseTech X2 battery charger/maintainer which outputs 2.5 amps and then floats to maintain the charge. It also desulficates the battery at 250 ma so the plates are clean and the battery works like new. With both computer and non computer controlled cars I’ll run either unit a couple of days per month(although they can be left on indefinitely). The Lexus draws the most power being stored. Initially I thought I would need to replace my 3 YO Lexus battery but after adding distilled water and letting it desulficate the “plates” are clean(no white/grey residue) and it tests like new. Using this charger has meant that the last time I bought a battery was 8 years ago(four collector cars). The charger was designed for the US military for fleet use and has become a favorite of collectors. A Lexus battery is cheap but even the wealthy owners of Bentley’s get tired of a dead battery costing $450 plus a trip to the dealer to “unlock” their computer. With towing that’s around $1700.
I have 3 CTEK battery maintainers that I use on all my cars when in storage. Porsche and Jaguar sell these identical maintainers and put their name on them. Purchased all of them on Amazon. Not very expensive. I have 2 CTEK 3300 and 1 CTEK MUS 4.3 I have the eyelets permanently affixed to the terminals and just connect an extension (called a comfort chord) to the maintainer. Hood stays closed and its permanent. I've used it on my LS430, and Jaguar anytime I leave the car standing in the garage for any length of time. Couldn't live without them.
I have used that same setup with a Battery Tender charger when my '03 LS was stored for the winter. You can leave the hood closed. Either attach an extension to get to the front or run the cord behind the battery exiting in the upper corner by the wipers. Never an issue or problem.
I have used that same setup with a Battery Tender charger when my '03 LS was stored for the winter. You can leave the hood closed. Either attach an extension to get to the front or run the cord behind the battery exiting in the upper corner by the wipers. Never an issue or problem.
Thanks for all the input, I ended up connecting the permanent cord since the breakaway has a dust cover for when it's not connected to the charger, and i ran it like I showed in the pictures, and just soft shut the hood, with the cord running down under the grill.
Thanks for all the input, I ended up connecting the permanent cord since the breakaway has a dust cover for when it's not connected to the charger, and i ran it like I showed in the pictures, and just soft shut the hood, with the cord running down under the grill.
Plenty of room to run the cord through the L emblem in the grill, then you could close the hood completely.
For the Land Cruiser, which is not driven daily, I leave the hood open, but not in the up position. I use a block of wood to prop the hood open just a few inches. Hopefully this way the hood strut will last longer since it is not propping the full weight of the hood. I think I read somewhere that while charging it need to be in a ventilated area. And with the hood being up, hopefully if my wife decide to drive the LC instead of the LS, she realize the battery is being charged! I can see her just pulled out of the garage and drag the charger down the road if the hood is closed.
Has anyone let their vehicle sit and then be unable to start it? Prior to getting a battery tender, my BMW has sat for 3-4 mos. Started on the first try.
Personally, I was very disappointed that a "good" battery left on the tender, after a period of many months, did not have enough power to start my Maxima. Jump starting the Maxima, or buying a cheap Walmart $60 unit that could provide CCA and she started right up. Then, I checked the web and people said yep, and think about it, 1.5 A or 3A.
Anyway, the best is what say an Audi or Mercedes dealership or Porsche has, when they "showcase" a car in the showroom and let people in and out and the other thing with the electrical on. They have a unit that does everything the battery tender would, and also has the ability to provide clean power at 70A. It isn't rocket surgery--one could spend over $500 for one of those units and get a 20A circuit installed in the garage, or, one could get the same thing that is used for RVs running appliances on 13,2V to 14.4V. I always heard WFCO made good units. All you do is add the cables. A person who is willing to drop down to 55A can use an ordinary 15A household circuit. The key is the power is clean even at 70A or 55A. It will stay at 13.6V not spike to 16V+. We're talking about maybe $150, not $35, but not the end of the world and functional imho.
I got a 3A shumacher trickle charger/maintainer for $40 at Walmart... We'll see how it does. My battery would die after a few weeks of not driving so I know it's at the end of it's life cycle anyways. I'll replace it this spring when it's time to clean the cobwebs out😂
I use a Battery Tender on mine since I don't drive my LS430 at all. Per Battery Tender, you are not supposed to use the negative terminal IIRC. There is a clampable spot right behind the engine cover that the factory manual states is to be used when jump starting the vehicle. Check the owners manual or I can take a picture of my setup if you want.
I use a Battery Tender on mine since I don't drive my LS430 at all. Per Battery Tender, you are not supposed to use the negative terminal IIRC. There is a clampable spot right behind the engine cover that the factory manual states is to be used when jump starting the vehicle. Check the owners manual or I can take a picture of my setup if you want.
Oh it's BEHIND the engine cover. I was wondering where people were finding this ground I couldn't find, and of course I was too lazy to look in the manual... My trickle charger came with a permanent attachment for the battery cables so I attached it that way, since others have theirs set up that way. It charged my battery within a few hours then switched to maintain mode. I would like to see your set up though. I'm also curious as to what batteries everyone uses in their cars. I was looking into an optima, but I guess they aren't good in the LS?! any insight helps!
i use a battery tender brand trickle charger on my truck that just sits on the side of my house until i need it. i used the same type of "permanent" connector to hook to the cables. then ran the wire out the grill. that way i could close my hood (don't trust people walking by). i just unplug it when i need to drive the truck, and i leave the end of the connector hanging out the front of the grill.
01-08-19, 08:35 AM
Trickle charging the LS
