Hook up a Battery Tender !

Good work Shamile!

That set up looks very familiar!

I need to do this ASAP. The optima battery in my car is getting lazy, if I don't drive the car for two days the battery is dead. Is this normal for a two year old Optima red top?

I need to do this ASAP. The optima battery in my car is getting lazy, if I don't drive the car for two days the battery is dead. Is this normal for a two year old Optima red top?

yup, but I am trying the yellow top this time around. Have the tender on it all the time. Hopefully it will last more than two but who knows.

yup, but I am trying the yellow top this time around. Have the tender on it all the time. Hopefully it will last more than two but who knows.

 

 

For the first two years I could leave the car for months at a time without switching the battery off, it would fire right off with no problem. Not anymore!

I have said red top are no good before but every one wanted to say how great they are. For the last 15 years both shops I have worked at have been optima dealers we would not use the red tops. Once they go dead never recharge and hold the charge well. The yellow tops

work much better. Interstate batterys work as good as Optima yellow top batterys. The interstate dose not make a battery that fits late 05 and 06 cars well, so thats why we used yellow top optima in those cars. Would recomend a tender on all cars that arent driven every week.

 

So, I installed the battery tender connectors on the battery today. I bought the same battery tender Shamile showed in his tutorial. Two questions:

 

(1) How long does it normally take for the charge light to go solid green after plugging back in after a short drive?

 

(2) When I went to plug in the connector hanging out of the vent area, I noticed it was very hot. I used my IR temperature gun and it read 150degF. Should I be worried about that high of a temperature?

It's a couple of hours but it depends on how well your alternator charges the battery and how good your battery currently is. Was the connector long enough that it was rubbing anything? I can't think of ever noticing mine was hot and I have the same one.

Maybe a dumb question.....but do these cars have a cig lighter you can use?

It's a couple of hours but it depends on how well your alternator charges the battery and how good your battery currently is. Was the connector long enough that it was rubbing anything? I can't think of ever noticing mine was hot and I have the same one.

 

Sorry, let me clarify. The entire wheel well, metal plate with the the slats, etc gets hot.

 

I have an Interstate MT-34 and took it to have it tested. They said it was like new and it tested as 667CCA for its 700CCA rating. After I plug in again, it takes a few hours to go from the blinking green to the solid green. I have never had a charger like this before, so still learning what normal charge time is.

 

Maybe a dumb question.....but do these cars have a cig lighter you can use?

 

Yes they do.

 

That's worrisome give the tender is just a few amps. NOTHING should be even warm except the Tender itself. I would stop immediately until I found out what it was. A wire pinched or something. But the time and LED indication seem normal.

Sorry, let me clarify. The entire wheel well, metal plate with the the slats, etc gets hot.

 

I have an Interstate MT-34 and took it to have it tested. They said it was like new and it tested as 667CCA for its 700CCA rating. After I plug in again, it takes a few hours to go from the blinking green to the solid green. I have never had a charger like this before, so still learning what normal charge time is.

 

 

 

Yes they do.

 

 

So you can use trickle chargers that plug in to the cig lighter?

That's worrisome give the tender is just a few amps. NOTHING should be even warm except the Tender itself. I would stop immediately until I found out what it was. A wire pinched or something. But the time and LED indication seem normal.

 

I think there is some misunderstanding ... When the car is parked overnight, the wires and wheel well areas are cool to the touch. After I go and drive the car for 30 minutes and come back, the wheel well areas are warm/hot ... which I assume is from the heat of the engine. My only question is if the heat in the wheel well area would cause a problem with the connector plug.

Oh now I get it. No problem at all.

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

 

The Battery Tender has 4 automatic settings.

 

 

Unconnected...red flashing

 

Just connected.....red steady (charging mode)

 

Almost charged.....green flashing

 

Charged.....green steady

 

If you turn around the charger...these definitions will be printed right on the back.

 

........yep....I can hear the "Homer Simpson Doh! " from here lol

 

 

The heat you are feeling from the cover area is the heat radiating from the oil cooler. If you notice, the battery cover / rear wheel splash shield is louvered. This is evacuate the hot air from oil cooler. That area will be hot after a 30 minute drive.

 

 

When you plug in the tender, the red to green flash will be about an hour and green flash to green steady should be about 45 minutes after that.

 

 

Shamile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

Maybe a dumb question.....but do these cars have a cig lighter you can use?

 

 

No, don't use it. I have burned the fuse from just hooking up a small air compressor to it. I would only use it for your girlie's smartphone charger lol

 

 

 

Shamile

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

 

 

 

No, don't use it. I have burned the fuse from just hooking up a small air compressor to it. I would only use it for your girlie's smartphone charger lol

 

 

 

Shamile

 

Yes I would agree with Shamile, although the socket could be used, I wouldnt put allot of faith in running something like a compressor on there.

 

What I keep in the car is a direct batter socket, you simple clip this to the easy access terminals in the engine bay and plug your compressor into that. Very handy tool to keep in the car.

 

When you plug in the tender, the red to green flash will be about an hour and green flash to green steady should be about 45 minutes after that.

 

 

Shamile ... it takes several hours to go from red to green flash ... then another couple hours to go from green flash to solid green. The Interstate MT-34 battery was checked by a local battery place and they said it had 667CA of the 700CA and said the battery was like new. They did not perform a load test. Based on how long it takes to get to a solid green on charging, do you think the battery just needs to be replaced?

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

Shamile ... it takes several hours to go from red to green flash ... then another couple hours to go from green flash to solid green. The Interstate MT-34 battery was checked by a local battery place and they said it had 667CA of the 700CA and said the battery was like new. They did not perform a load test. Based on how long it takes to get to a solid green on charging, do you think the battery just needs to be replaced?

 

I found when I had the interstate in my Diablo, it took longer to charge and top off compared to the redtop in my Testarossa.

 

How old is your battery? If it's on the 3-5 year mark, it may be closer to the end of it's life cycle. How is the cranking? Is it slower of fast? I noticed I needed to change the battery by the "pitch" of the starter.

 

 

Shamile

How old is your battery? If it's on the 3-5 year mark, it may be closer to the end of it's life cycle. How is the cranking? Is it slower of fast? I noticed I needed to change the battery by the "pitch" of the starter.

 

Battery is 3 years old. It takes 1 second of cranking before the engine turns over.

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

 

 

 

No, don't use it. I have burned the fuse from just hooking up a small air compressor to it. I would only use it for your girlie's smartphone charger lol

 

 

 

Shamile

Shamlie,

your harem of hotties seems to have no end! You are the MAN!!

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

Battery is 3 years old. It takes 1 second of cranking before the engine turns over.

 

I think you're good. You will definitely notice a lower pitch when starting if the battery is nearing the end.

 

 

I did notice the interstate takes longer to get to the full green than the Optima. I'm not saying this is a performance marker but perhaps just the nature of the battery.

 

 

Shamile

 

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

Shamlie,

your harem of hotties seems to have no end! You are the MAN!!

 

 

I have no idea what you're talking about

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shamile

Dear Lamborghinisti,

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what you're talking about

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shamile

OMG!