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Triumph TR6 - Battery Float Charger Tender

Hello,
Does anyone have any experience with one of these chargers? I'm tired of taking the battery out of the car every winter so it doesn't freeze and then draging it bach out to the garage to restart the car every once in a while. These chargers are supposed to hold a correct charge without overcooking the battery. You leave it hooked up all the time and they're supposed to keep the battery at the correct charge. I wonder if they work or will they let the battery freeze or otherwise do some type of damage? It gets cold here in PA but not as cold as our friends up north so maybe they can enlighten me a little. Thanks.

Jim K.
J.P. tr6man

Hi Jim from a fellow Pennsylvanian. Although there is some risk that even a fully charged battery will freeze, that probably won't happen unless you live way up north. I bought a cheap trickle charger from Harbor Freight that I put on a timer to run a couple of hours every day. That worked fine for me, but my car was stored in an unheated garage.

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

Jim
I bought one last month while in the US from Auto Zone...30 bucks? Maker is Schumacher ( no not Michael:) and is full auto. Hook it up and forget it. My experience will be next spring. On the front of the box is a red TR3(A?).
In a rescent thread, this was discussed but could not find or recall the thread title...anyone?
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Maybe take the main battery in for the winter and use one of those gel-cell starter packs with a handle to turn her over a few times when it's not too damn cold to go out. Keep it in your everyday car for emergencies, too.

Given that's a faulty scenario, leave the battery in the car, charge it with any old charger a couple times a month. If the battery's in OK condition, that should be enough. Or use the gel-cell thingie and the battery in the car to start her once a week all year long, should be enough to keep the battery topped up.
Tom

Click and Clack's column in the paper said the gel-cell thingy won't have enough to start you if the battery's completely dead. I say drive it on the nicer days.

A heat pad under the battery would keep it as warm as if it weren't winter. Just an idea.

One year, I had just bought a new battery for the garaged TR3. I was thinking ahead a bit, because I got one that fit the van. Sure enough, that winter the van battery failed, didn't have to run (literally) to the store and hobble back with a heavy load. I hadn't charged the new one in the TR3, but it was still good enough to start the van in 0 degree weather.
Tom

This is the only one I've used works perfect. Mind you I tend to forget to plug in till too late? Others should be OK.

http://batterytender.com/faqs.php/?osCsid=f5ded29d6551e5fec1629716237fcd2e#3

Now for perfection!
A friend bought the 2005 Prius hybrid electric. That is a scary car. If its cold and battery drops a bit the car just starts up its little generator engine and gives her a charge all by itself. Car is a pedestrians nightmare. It is so silent you will never hear it! Of course you will hear the thump of tires bouncing over your body when you step off the curb.
Bill Brayford

The Prius starts up its little engine even if it's in a closed garage? Unattended?

I know the funny feeling, a friend has a VW bug converted to battery power. Just the slight whining of the transmission and a fan for the motor. No idle, wierd.
Tom

My thanks go out to Bill Brayford, Ont.Canada. Your post told me everything I needed to know. Thanks again.

Jim K.
tyrone, PA.
J.P. tr6man

Thanks Jim
Glad it helped.

No Tom I don't think the epa would go for that from a manufacturer.

Mind you think about how many people electronicaly start the car in the garage cold winter mornings. While there still drinking coffe. I know they should open the door first. But most hit the garage door opener just as they walk out?

Heres the site.

http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/features.html

Bill

Bill Brayford

This thread was discussed between 03/12/2004 and 07/12/2004

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