Aren't aftermarket automatic headlight switches/sensors available? Maybe you should look at that first?
-KeithP
-KeithP
What are those???? An automatic switch that will turn off your headlights when you turn off the ignition? That would do the trick. Assuming there's an override in case I really did want the headlights on with the ignition off (unlikely!). If that's available, not expensive, and easy enough to install, I would LOVE that!Aren't aftermarket automatic headlight switches/sensors available? Maybe you should look at that first?
-KeithP
I hate my automatic trickle charger/battery tender. It will not even try to charge a dead battery - I have to trick it by hooking up a second voltage source for an hour or two until the dead battery has enough juice to start the flow on its own.
Guess I need to shell out for a "dumb" charger, but why the hell are they more expensive than the ones with control circuity?
During the winter, when I have recently tended to not drive much compared to warmer months (sometimes going a number of weeks without using the car), I've been using a "trickle charger" to keep the battery charged, in order to prolong the life of the battery as well as insure quick starts. But instead of the Schumaker SE-1-12S (which I have), I've been using a $5 Harbor Freight "trickle charger". Well, that's what it cost me, they often have them on sale. I have done this because I figure (I think I measured), that the little Harbor Freight charger uses less energy. It seems to keep the battery pretty topped up if it's already close. Is this a bad idea? Should I use the Schumaker instead for some reason? Either is as convenient. The car is outside, sitting in the driveway. I open the hood, have an unhooked coat hanger to drag the female end of a 50' extension cord up into the engine compartment, hook up the charger, then drop the hood. I reverse the process before using the car. I've thought about working out a system where I mount a charger under the hood and have a place where I can plug in AC, but it doesn't seem trivial. It would make the process easier if I worked this out.
You don't want your alternator repeatedly charging a very dead battery.
who talked about repeatedly?
this sounds like a rare occurrence... happened a single time. He has a trickle to maintain. Just wants to keep from having to pull his battery and take it to someone on his bike in the rare instance he leaves his lights on..
congrats everyone for solving the problem he doesn't have
I think around 3 times (including last week) I've had to bring my dead (depleted) battery to O'Reilly to charge it (left lights on).
Well, I know it's tough to read the whole thread, but he keeps leaving his lights on, and it's been discussed throughout the thread. We have even mentioned ways to keep him from doing it.
First line of the OP:
The HF 500ma maintainer is too small, imo.
OK, I think you are all right, and I don't mind this thread veering off topic. That's OK by me, it hasn't gotten way off topic, I'm interested in what's been discussed.
I can remember 3 times I've accidentally left my lights on and depleted the car's battery's charge. It's only once since I got a replacement battery last January. The old battery was around 9 years old. It still worked but people suggested I should get a new battery more than a year before I did, so I figured I was overdue.
Now I know they say that it's bad for the battery to have its charge depleted, so in the case where the charge has been severely depleted I figure that the sooner I get the charge up over, say, 12.5v the better. I am not knowledgeable so please correct me, but I figure that having my alternator do the job or waiting ~3 days for my 1.5amp Schumaker to accomplishes that are kind of too slow from the standpoint of keeping the battery in good shape.
When I had a second car, jumping was my solution to this. I think I only did it once, maximum twice. But I got rid of that car.
Obviously, the best solution is to not leave my lights on.
Now, the HF 500mamp maintainer seems to keep it topped up, but you're saying that the Schumaker 1.5amp smart charger is the one to use when I just need charge maintenance (when I'm not using the car regularly). Can you please explain your thinking? Thank you!
I just think 500ma is too weak. I think the 3A Schumacher maintainer is probably the best compromise for maintaining, and having a little more power for recharging a dead battery overnight. Also the higher rated BT models.
You seem not to want to just buy a 10A automatic charger, which would solve all of your problems as far as maintaining the battery and recharging it in a reasonable time if you do kill it.
Jump boxes tend to be dead just when I need them, even when properly maintained.
Was such a charger suggested/recommended here? Which? Link? Would that be energy efficient and fit under a closed hood? My car stays outside, with an extension cord that I pull up with a coat hanger, during low use winter season.
I have considered a small solar maintainer, Harbor Freight often advertizes one in its mailers. It was just the complexity of setting it up that kept me from going that route. I guess maybe they can be plugged into the cigarette lighter. In that case I could maybe do it, have it sitting on the car's dash, but where it sits it doesn't get a whole lot of sun, so...I'm surprised you don't have a small solar maintainer.
http://www.batterychargers.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductName=940261047
No, the 10A wouldn't likely fit under your hood. It would charge your dead battery in a few hours, though.
The 3A Schumacher likely would fit, and it would also charge your dead battery in a reasonable amount of time.
http://www.batterychargers.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductName=94026854
This BT model would also likely fit under your hood and also charge your dead battery in a reasonable time.
http://batterytender.com/battery-tender-power-tender-plus-high-efficiency.html
The Schumacher is about 1/3 the cost of the BT.
Why would one of these be advisable for maintaining the battery rather than the 500mamp Harbor Freight charger?
I understand your thinking. However, I already have the 500ma HF and the 1.5A Schumacher. I have the 3.0A Schumacher in my Amazon cart, and will likely make it part of my next Amazon order when I get the total over $35 to get free shipping.Because they have enough output to recharge the battery overnight if you kill it again. Otherwise they offer no advantage over the 500ma and 1.5A chargers you have now.
The HF unit looks poorly made and has a very short warranty.
I would not consider a 1/2A maintainer as adequate. 1.5A would be my minimum for a car battery.
1/2A is okay for motorcycle type batteries.
I understand your thinking. However, I already have the 500ma HF and the 1.5A Schumacher. I have the 3.0A Schumacher in my Amazon cart, and will likely make it part of my next Amazon order when I get the total over $35 to get free shipping.
Meantime, assuming all I need is a maintaining charger come next December, your thinking appears to be that either the .5A or the 1.5A charger (or the 3.0A, assuming I have that then) can do that, and that it doesn't matter which one I use as long as they do the job. The .5A chargers haven't failed me. I actually have more than one, and they (IIRC), use up less energy.
One thing I've learned in this thread is that depleting the battery damages it, not sitting depleted. That's a crucial distinction. Also, someone suggested that the 1 hour super fast charge that O'Reilly does on a dead battery isn't kind to it.
FYI, my gender is male. The explanation is that I don't drive a whole lot, so I'm not as familiar with its particular squeaks, beeps, alerts, as someone who drives all the time. My average annual mileage is around 1500 miles. My Mazda 626LX coupe, 1997, has less than 28,000 miles on it.Today I found out Muse is a woman. Only explanation that it took more than one time to remember to turn off the lights.