OK - New battery put in about 6 months ago. Haven't been driving the car much since then and in December I didn't drive car all month. Then drove for about 20 mins. up to high speeds and then the car sat for a little over a week (garage kept). Weather here is in 30s. So go out yesterday and car won't start - not totally dead, dash lights flicker but won't turn over. Questions:

1. Why did a new battery drain so quickly? Didn't lock doors so anti theft was not on. What is draining the battery in this car. Each winter this has happened. My SC is a 2004.

2. Since I won't be driving the car that much Jan and Feb is there something wrong with just leaving it for 2 months and then having AAA come and start it? Does leaving the battery dead cause damage to battery or car?

3. Should I get a battery tender and if so, are these easy to set-up on the car? Will the hood close with a tender attached? Anything special I need to know to buy and install on my SC?

 

battery tender will solve your problems if you dont drive the car much. beats buying a battery down the road because of bad cells. Should be plenty of room to close the hood. Small clamps that attach at the terminals.

 

Any specific type of battery tender or do they all deliver the same charge?

 

Also, if I put a battery tender on the dead battery will it charge it or do I need to have it charged before I attach the tender?

 

I've thought about mounting this in my trunk.

http://batterytender.com/products/au...12v-at-5a.html


but..
http://batterytender.com/products/au...-at-1-25a.html
should be fine.

puts out more power than
http://batterytender.com/products/au...-at-0-75a.html

the amps make a difference.

 

Battery TenderJR from amazon at $22 works fine to maintain car batteries. I have several and have used then for years.

They also sell several extension cables so you can route the cord where you can reach the disconnect without leaving the hood open. Just remember to disconnect before driving away.

JR

 

Just ordered the Dultran Battery Tender Plus (as suggested by Dengman), however, it was much cheaper on Amazon. Since my battery is not totally dead - just won't turn over - there is a chance the tender might be able to charge the battery without a jump (I called Dultran and asked about this). Will see in a few days when the tender arrives. I understand there is no worry clamping directly onto both battery terminals vs. grounding one due to low voltage.

 

Correct on all accounts. It may take a few days for the Battery Tender to bring the battery back to full life. Be patient A nice slow charge with the BT is much better over a jump start and letting the alternator recharge the battery.

JR

 

If you are going to let your car sit for a month or so at a time, you definitely should put a battery tender on it. I'd recommend making sure that the battery is charged first though, depending on the tender, you could burn out the tender if the battery is too low.

Do not let your car just sit with a low battery. The car will continue draining the battery and after it drops below a certain level, you will be damaging the battery. Either the life expectancy will be lowered or it could flat out take your battery out of commission by shorting out one of the cells. You should either periodically charge it or place a battery tender on it. I'd recommend the tender.