Trickle charger advice

[sajohnson]

Thanks for all of the responses.

I drive a work Tacoma everyday, so I often can’t really plan when the BS is going to be used. Husband drives our F150 but he should share use with the BS more often as it’s more economical. If it’s not wet and muddy out, I’ll take the dogs out in the BS but if it is wet & muddy I’ll take our old Nissan Frontier. Needless to say, it could be daily or not once all week.

Plus, temperatures aren’t always -20°c and colder. Today we are hovering around -11°c, for example.

I like the idea of hard wiring the battery maintainer and plugging it in as required, and purchasing a 3 foot extension so I don’t have to pop the hood every time to use the block heater. I like to remote start the BS daily if I am not using it, but I figure that it won’t remote start when the hood is ajar, so that’s annoying until I get an extension. But I wouldn’t know where to begin about hard wiring. I have the instruction manual, how do I know if the BS is a negative or positive grounded vehicle?

The Bronco Sport (and essentially every modern vehicle) is *negative* ground. This photo shows the negative battery terminal connected to the fender:

Having the Battery Tender hardwired would be convenient. I've never done that because:

a) Inertia -- it's easier to keep doing what I've always done.
b) They are not designed to be mounted under the hood of a vehicle (if that's what you had in mind).
c) I have several Battery Tenders now, but in the past I would use them on more than one vehicle. I still do that with one of them -- it gets swapped between two of our older cars.

The engine compartment of a car is a very harsh environment. BT does not mention mounting a unit under the hood (one way or the other): https://www.batterytender.com/

What they do recommend is permanently connecting the 12V extension with ring terminals, and routing the connector to an accessible place. Maybe that's what you meant. That's what I've done with our Suzuki, because the battery is difficult to access.

There is obviously no concern about sparks when connecting just the extension with ring terminals, so you do not necessarily have to make the neg(-) connection away from the battery. I haven't looked to see if there is an obvious/easy connection point.

Regarding starting the BS every day, it's better to drive it, even if that is every week or two, because that way it will get fully warmed up. Extended idling is often listed as a "severe service" factor for determining oil change intervals.

BTW -- coincidentally, I've been looking at short 120V extension cords, and I found that Amazon is MUCH less expensive than Home Depot. Note -- many of the extension cords Amazon sells are not ETL or UL (or CSA) listed (but many are).

Good luck!

Sponsored

 

[missOutsyder]

Rather than leave the Battery Minder wired up, I got some of the SAE pigtail connectors and hooked the terminals of that to the battery terminals. Then you can just directly connect the charger to that.
https://www.amazon.com/Bates-Choice-Terminal-Accessory-Cable/dp/B0BTCH7P72/ref=sr_1_13?adgrpid=1337006709375222&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Obp8nniQc3nsIecd8aJz2PATsjokCnTcVMNG9gJwFvjBVW1Bwnvx8cMjNxdBVR0nbANeopiLEG38A3SRNW0HVs03AFoqbzkI87i2llX55O9kCVZraFfXOwtClTvEC2FvIrEPnDDJ5xTGblIe-2pwlGwab2W2v9WoSTCMuBsYnqqYNbirO1NgNrGACTQPv8ftL5xlScJkJSV_LaZHkQPSeVOTSM8b39v9zCmjiGzuhXg.mlS8suybwIM0uTigG0ltUtyPTVodqaTT1-y6mCQ7rEQ&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83563262192414&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=51806&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83563275207884:loc-190&hydadcr=3062_13617036&keywords=sae+pigtails&qid=1705441081&sr=8-13

Thank you! Really like this idea.

I love it when links are posted. For Amazon, I do my usual, click link, do I want to change countries to the USA? Yes. View product, copy the product title, go to my account, change country back to Amazon Canada English, paste product title into search box and buy in CAD$ ?

 

[missOutsyder]

The Bronco Sport (and essentially every modern vehicle) is *negative* ground. This photo shows the negative battery terminal connected to the fender:

Having the Battery Tender hardwired would be convenient. I've never done that because:

a) Inertia -- it's easier to keep doing what I've always done.
b) They are not designed to be mounted under the hood of a vehicle (if that's what you had in mind).
c) I have several Battery Tenders now, but in the past I would use them on more than one vehicle. I still do that with one of them -- it gets swapped between two of our older cars.

The engine compartment of a car is a very harsh environment. BT does not mention mounting a unit under the hood (one way or the other): https://www.batterytender.com/

What they do recommend is permanently connecting the 12V extension with ring terminals, and routing the connector to an accessible place. Maybe that's what you meant. That's what I've done with our Suzuki, because the battery is difficult to access.

There is obviously no concern about sparks when connecting just the extension with ring terminals, so you do not necessarily have to make the neg(-) connection away from the battery. I haven't looked to see if there is an obvious/easy connection point.

Regarding starting the BS every day, it's better to drive it, even if that is every week or two, because that way it will get fully warmed up. Extended idling is often listed as a "severe service" factor for determining oil change intervals.

BTW -- coincidentally, I've been looking at short 120V extension cords, and I found that Amazon is MUCH less expensive than Home Depot. Note -- many of the extension cords Amazon sells are not ETL or UL (or CSA) listed (but many are).

Good luck!

I really appreciate your detailed response, I love this forum.

I hear you in respect of, it’s always easier to do what you’ve always done. It’s the second winter running I haven’t dealt with the BS’ extreme cold issues. Stupid weather. I just want my beautiful BS, sitting there looking gorgeous, waiting for me to drive it, to work when I need it.

I had a Hyundai Tucson before the BS and I didn’t really baby that thing, it didn’t have a block heater or remote start. So I never plugged it in and drove it from cold (ooops) and it always worked ??

 

[Mark S.]

Regarding starting the BS every day, it's better to drive it, even if that is every week or two, because that way it will get fully warmed up. Extended idling is often listed as a "severe service" factor for determining oil change intervals.

This. If you don't drive the car (and I mean drive it, not let it sit and idle) long enough for the engine and transmission to achieve normal operating temperature then starting it does more harm than good. The most wear on internal engine parts occurs on cold starts. This is because lubricating oil begins to drain off all the internal parts as soon as you shut the engine off, leaving little for lubrication on the next cold start, at least until the oil pump has time to force oil throughout the engine.

Bottom line: don't start it unless you can drive it, preferably long enough to achieve operating temperature. 20 minutes on the highway, or 30 minutes of city traffic is sufficient.

 

[rocks]

No opening the hood here. I have the wire coming out from under the hood. When not in use, I cap it and just push it back under the hood. On a trip, when I'm not going to use the battery maintainer, I push it even more under the hood onto that lower clip to keep it even more out of possible rain.

 

[Devil6]

When living in Alaska and it got to -30 we would run the cars every 3-4 hours when parked outside for work. The V8 would warm up within 15 min but the SAAB, with a 2.0 turbo would need 30-40 minutes. Sometimes the needle didn’t seem to move.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

I’m a big fan of using a trickle charger if you are not using the vehicle often. I use them on all my vehicles as I have several so some sit for a long time. I prefer to use the hard wired extension harness vs. the alligator clamps. On the Sport, it doesn’t hang outside but I hook that one up the least. My Lightning lived on one always and would get over 8 years on a Motorcraft OEM stock battery.

 

[sajohnson]

I really appreciate your detailed response, I love this forum.

I hear you in respect of, it’s always easier to do what you’ve always done. It’s the second winter running I haven’t dealt with the BS’ extreme cold issues. Stupid weather. I just want my beautiful BS, sitting there looking gorgeous, waiting for me to drive it, to work when I need it.

I had a Hyundai Tucson before the BS and I didn’t really baby that thing, it didn’t have a block heater or remote start. So I never plugged it in and drove it from cold (ooops) and it always worked ??

One day I'll get a life, and then they'll be sorry...

I should have added that the Suzuki is a special case, because it is impractical to access the battery after every ride. It's nice having the (capped) polarized connector right there. BT supplies one with most of their units.

When it comes to the vehicles, I can see a slight advantage to doing that, but the BT must still be plugged in to a 120V outlet or extension cord and the DC output must be connected. It only takes a couple seconds longer to pop the hood and connect the alligator clips. In fact, not all battery maintainers are waterproof, so regardless of how they are connected (alligator clips or polarized connector), they should be protected under the hood. For the cars that are outside I usually close the hood to the first catch, so it doesn't pinch the extension cord.

Also, it is an opportunity to check the oil, brake fluid level, belts and hoses, etc.

That works unless you have (say)a large ash tree fall and slam into the hood of your RAV4...

It left a dent and slammed the hood all the way shut, but even then the extension cord was not hurt. Of course another vehicle might have been different. If cutting/crushing the cord is a concern, another option is to run the cord up from below, or perhaps through the grill (I haven't checked).

I was just discussing cold starting with my father in Iowa City. I told him that a battery maintainer is a good item for every car owner to have, regardless of where they live. They don't cost much and easily pay for themselves with extended battery life. Of course they are more important for cars that are not driven long distances regularly.

I'm not familiar with block and battery heaters. We have little/no use for them here in Maryland, where it rarely gets below 0*F. It's colder in Iowa of course, but even so, the heaters generally aren't necessary. This recent cold snap is not unheard of, but it is unusual. However, in the northern tier of states (MN, ND, MN, etc.) and up into Canada, they seem like a good idea, if not a necessity. There is no downside except the cost. If they are not used very often, no harm done.

 

[Devil6]

I’m a big fan of using a trickle charger if you are not using the vehicle often. I use them on all my vehicles as I have several so some sit for a long time. I prefer to use the hard wired extension harness vs. the alligator clamps. On the Sport, it doesn’t hang outside but I hook that one up the least. My Lightning lived on one always and would get over 8 years on a Motorcraft OEM stock battery.

Yes and battery tender are the worst trickle charges out there.

 

[sajohnson]

"Tested: The Best Car Battery Chargers and Maintainers":
https://www.caranddriver.com/car-accessories/g44712080/best-car-battery-chargers-maintainers-tested/

"The Best Battery Maintainers":
https://www.autoguide.com/top-10-best-battery-maintainers

"Best Battery Maintainer for 2022":
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/best-battery-maintainer/

"Best Car Battery Chargers Of 2024":
https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/garage/car-accessories/best-car-battery-chargers/

 

[rocks]

I've used Deltran Battery Tender Plus models for over 25 years without a problem. Replaced one after 20 years just to get a new one. 20 years was enough.

rs without a problem.

 

[sajohnson]

I've used Deltran Battery Tender Plus models for over 25 years without a problem. Replaced one after 20 years just to get a new one. 20 years was enough.

rs without a problem.

That's the model we use to maintain our RV's chassis battery. We won it at a RV show in Hershey about 15 years ago. It's been in almost constant use since then.

 

[Major Kong]

positive grounded vehicle
hey
I actually had one
coincidentally it just happened to be a Ford
1940's 8N tractor

 

[kshaw]

You need to pay attention to the amps on these chargers. I have one that does 1.2 amps which is perfect for a Miata, garden tractor, or a motorcycle battery but will take a while to fully charge most other batteries (usually overnight). My favorite charger/maintainer is my high-end Battery Minder which lets you select the charging amps (up to 8 amps). This one cost about $250. This matters if you are time-pressed to get the car ready to go, have multiple batteries in parallel that you would like to charge, or you wish to charge a battery with a lot of parasitic draw like our BS and don't want to disconnect the battery from the car. You also want one that does desulphation for longest battery life. Mine also has a temperature sensor and will vary charging rate accordingly.

 

[Devil6]

No opening the hood here. I have the wire coming out from under the hood. When not in use, I cap it and just push it back under the hood. On a trip, when I'm not going to use the battery maintainer, I push it even more under the hood onto that lower clip to keep it even more out of possible rain.

You might like the NOCO x connect. They have a hardwired connector with an LED battery readout.