Bright headlights usually signify that something else is the problem. Keep the charger as far away from the battery as the lengths of the cables allow. Remove jewelry and never put your face near the battery. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to speak with one of our car experts at Auto Simple: Follow us on social media for more useful information on buying, selling, and maintaining cars: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. What Automotive Tools Do I Need in My Toolbox? There are many signs of a weak battery—dim lights, electrical component issues, battery warning light—but if your engine won’t turn on at all, your battery is probably dead. If you want to avoid being the star of a scary story, some basic preparation is necessary. Sometimes referred to as a maintenance charger or float charger, a battery tender is a device that puts out small amounts of electricity to repower a low battery or a battery that recently died. A "cheapo battery tender clone" likely is just a trickle charger and, if left connected for LONG periods of time can actually damage a small battery by causing loss of water. The Best Time to Use a Battery Maintainer. You cannot use it on a fully-discharged ("flat") battery, however. I'm assuming that you're using something that looks like the below It's a fairly simple process. Make sure the jump starter is “off” before attempting to connect the jumper clamps to the vehicle’s battery. Battery Tender is the most popular brand, but I personally recommend Pulse Tech. With a portable jump starter kit, however, you can get your car running again without relying on a stranger’s help. They also don’t re-charge your battery, but rather provide the necessary amperage to crank the engine and start the vehicle. Hook up the red battery terminal to the positive of the car battery and the black terminal to the negative. A stressed battery will. Identify the positive (look for the “P,” “POS,” or “+” symbol) and negative terminals (look for the “N,” “NEG,” or “-“ symbol) on your car battery. See more articles by Whitney. The Battery Tender Plus, like the Battery Tender Junior, is about as good as it gets when it comes to a single-bank smart battery charger and maintainer. It’s also a good idea to have your vehicle battery checked by a local battery centers to see if a new battery is necessary and how long your battery can probably last. Maintenance Checklist: An easy way to stay on top of car care. Remove the car battery from the vehicle. Recharge the unit for at least 3 hours. If your radio, lights, windows, and other electrical components work perfectly, then the problem is usually with the starter, not the battery. Don’t forget to take all the essential precautions before … It can charge a battery to a higher voltage than the source battery. Editor's Pick: BATTERY TENDER® Plus. The 'Battery Tender' mentioned in the last post is common these days, and costs a bit more. Another, possibly simpler, solution would be to use a DC to DC battery charger. Try jump starting the car and if the car dies again soon after, it’s probably the alternator. Once both clamps are connected, plug in the charger to an outlet. Are Used SUVs as Feature-Filled as New SUVs? The best way to test a tender (or charger for that matter), is to use a known good battery, and stress it using a load checker then read the output of the battery, then connect the charger and read the output of the battery. After the clamps have been removed, allow the vehicle to idle for several minutes before taking off. After the engine starts, turn the jump starter off. Set up the Battery Tender on a stable, flat surface, close enough to the battery so that the power cords can easily reach the battery to be charged. If you seldom use your car or plan on keeping it parked for more than a month, the vehicle’s battery will lose power. The basic principle is to give enough power to the dashboard items so that those don’t go off. When not adventuring through the exciting world of car news, she can be found hiking with her husband and their two dogs, motorcycling, visiting nephews and nieces, discovering new memes, thrifting, decorating, crafting, woodburning, researching random things, and escaping into a great movie. Clearly, the main advantage of battery maintainers is that they won’t overcharge the vehicle’s battery. If the car still won’t turn on, you may need to replace the battery. How To Use A Battery Tender What Is A Battery Tender? Do not crank the engine for more than 5 seconds. Get Acquainted with the Precautions First. Page 2 USER INSTRUCTIONS For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from battery charger to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) ungrounded post of battery. Anything 4 amps and under will work for you. Turn the amp switch from 2 to 6 if the battery tender model you’re using has this option. Connect the black clamp to a grounded metal, the car’s frame or engine block. Depending on the motorcycle, the connections might differ, so refer to your owner manual. Then disconnect the black and red clamps from the battery. Took service technician less than 5 minutes to attach the battery tender connections to battery posts when I picked up the car new. It’s important to know the difference between battery chargers and portable jump starters. Is Chattanooga TN Hosting a Holiday Trail of Lights Again this Year? Turn the car off and remove the keys from the ignition. This is normally a 12-volt supply. If the battery is overheating, stop charging until it has had time to cool off. Use a wrench to tighten the connections. When the battery is charged, simply unplug the tender from the electrical outlet. Remember to periodically charge your portable jump starter. Be extra careful and make sure the jumper cables are connected to the right areas! Some units will require 12-24 hours for a complete charge. To close out National Preparedness Month, let’s discuss how to use a portable jump starter. Positive ground systems have a positive post for the battery connected to the motorcycle chassis. Getting the right battery size. Set the multimeter to “DC.” Locate the dial on the face of the tool indicating the different testing … Here are some additional features to look out for: Today’s jump starters function as compact charging stations for batteries, phones, laptops, and anything else that requires a charge. If you check any of the top battery … Keep the charger off until you have everything plugged in. Check the manufacturer instructions for specifics, including what the light indicator colors mean (usually red/orange for charging and green for completed charge). Leave me a tip! Choose an area on the. With a charged jump starter in your trunk, you’ll never have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery. Make sure the clamps are solidly connected so they don’t get shaken loose. This often happens when headlights or the ignition switch is left on while the car is not running. Always recharge your portable jump starter/battery booster pack after each use and at least once every 6 months. Using an adjustable wrench, disconnect the black (negative) battery terminal from the battery and place it to the side, out of the way. Then, remove the negative (black) clamp followed by the positive (red) clamp. 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