How To Use A Battery Tender In A Car

It is essential to keep your car batteries charged all the time, especially during the winter season. When the weather is low, cranking problems are typical. There were even times when your battery turns dead. We can avoid these problems if we have a battery tender to provide trickle charges to our batteries.

Battery tenders offer only a small amount of power enough to keep the cells alive even when we store it for an extended period.

How do you use a battery tender in a car? Using a battery tender is simple. Follow these simple steps, and you are ready to use your battery tender:

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the safety precautions
Step 2: Set the necessary arrangements properly
Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the battery connections
Step 4: Power on the charger
Step 5: Check the indication lights status

More Details on the Ways to Use a Battery Tender for Our Cars

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the safety precautions. Before you start using your battery tender, make sure that you have familiarized yourself with the safety precautions. You have to wear eye and cloth protection. Be sure that you work in a well-ventilated area.
Step 2: Set the necessary arrangements properly. Prepare the tools and equipment that you will be needing in charging your battery. You have to position your charger far from the battery. You should place it as far the cables will allow you. Check that your charger is off and the AC plug is not connected to the wall channel. Place the AC/DC cable of the charger far from the car’s moving parts.
Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the battery connections. Place the battery terminals, mark it as negative and positive. Determine which battery terminal is grounded to its framework. Try to fix the clip of the chargers correctly.
If your car is positively grounded, attach your negative clip with the unfavorable position of the cell. The red clip or the positive clip should be positioned to the chassis of the car or in any engine block. If the vehicle is negatively grounded, put the positive clip to the positive terminal, and connect the negative clip to the car’s chassis or engine block.
Step 4: Power on the charger. When everything is set, you are now ready to connect the charger. Turn on your charger while you plugged it to the outlet. Check the status of the indicator lights.
Step 5: Check the indication lights status. Here is how you can check the indicator light of your charger:

Flashing Red light: It means that the charger has the AC power and the microprocessor is doing fine.
Steady Red light: It means that the charger is currently charging the battery.
Flashing Green light: When the green light flashes and you have the red light on. It means that the charging status is almost 80% and will be ready for use soon.
Steady Greenlight: It only means that the charging is complete.

Can I Start the Car While it is Connected to a Battery Tender?

Yes, you can start your vehicle while it is connected to a battery tender. You only have to practice this with caution and make sure that all cables are clear from all the moving parts of the car’s hood. Remember also that a battery tender will not be able to jumpstart a battery car if it is too drained. It has to have some juice in it to charge it with a battery tender.

What is the Work of a Battery Tender?

A battery tender is a device that can be plugged in a standard AC outlet. It can transfer the power in the form of an amp to a 12V battery. It will keep the battery charged and operational even if you store it over a long period.

Battery tenders are essential if you own cars or vehicles that have been stored for several months. A battery tender will help keep your batteries fresh like the first day that you left it.

The chargers of battery tenders are designed to charge the batteries fully. It is also used to maintain cells in proper voltage storage without overcharging and without damaging the batteries caused by the trickle chargers.

The Five Characteristics of a Battery Tender

All Battery Tender chargers possess these five characteristics.

1. It is fully automatic. All battery tender chargers have this mechanical switches that place its output voltage into a safe and floating mode. It prevents over or undercharging. It also eliminates constant checking on the battery status.
2. It has full output power and low AC line conditions. Chargers of battery tenders delivers a full output power while lowering the AC line voltages to as little as 90 VAC.
3. It has a zero to the minimal draw of current from the batteries. The tender battery chargers usually draw zero current when the AAC power is already disconnected. Higher power models will draw less than one milliamp of power from the battery.
4. It is compact and lightweight in construction. Chargers of battery tenders can offer the highest power for charging density in the industry today.
5. It has a visual indication of Charge state. All battery tender chargers have colored indicator lights to show the progress and status of charging.

How Do a Battery Tender and Battery Charger Differ?

Not many know that a battery tender and a battery maintainer is the same. The battery maintainer/tender is different from what we call the battery charger. One thing to remember about this two is that a battery charger is the one that sends a constant charge to the battery.

Remember, the keyword for a charger is regular. It means that regardless of whether it is fully charged or not, it will continue loading. A battery charger has the danger of overcharging a battery. A battery tender, on the other hand, can sense how much charge is needed by the cell.

It only sends slow trickle charge for a more extended period, and it stops once it senses that the battery is full. Battery tenders will not overcharge the battery. Battery tenders/maintainers will prolong the life of the battery.

Knowing how to use a battery tender in a car will help prolong your battery life. It is important that batteries are well-kept and maintained. Using a battery tender will aid you in the proper maintenance of your car battery.

Sources:
1. The Ultimate Guide On How To Use A Battery Tender – CAR FROM JAPAN
2. How to Charge a 12V Battery: Important Battery Tender Maintenance – Car Battery Chargers Central

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