1NICESC430

Last winter I hooked up my BatteryTender as I would jumper cables, ie, positive on the battery and negative on some grounded place in the engine compartment. Someone who uses a BatteryTender on his motorcycle told me that because it draws such low amperage compared to actually jumping a battery, you can safely attach both positive and negative to the battery.

Any comments on this?

BTW - the instructions that came with the device did say to connect the ground to the chassis or engine block, but it did not shout any warnings about connecting it to the battery.

Knicksfan

I have been connecting my positive to positive on battery and negative to negative on battery for years (I never realized I wasn't supposed to). I have been doing this each winter on the SC430 (OK only 1 winter so far) and everything has been fine.

So - should I keep doing it? or ground to chassis from now on?

tfischer

I'm no expert, but I think that the general advice to use an engine ground rather than the post is to avoid the possibility that a spark which might jump as the circuit is completed would ignite gases coming from the battery.

I think that electrically it makes no difference.