You should have a positive and a negative battery jumper tab under the hood. That's where the Battery Minder clips to. Owner's manual. My STS garage queen sits for months at a time with a battery tender hooked up - and the things greatly extend battery life.

Starting the engine and letting it idle for 10 - 20 minutes is about the worst thing you can do to an engine. That 14 volts is system/alternator output voltage, not battery voltage. A fully charged "12 volt" lead-acid battery reads 12.6 volts disconnected from anything for 1/2 hour. A battery tender holds system voltage at about 13 - 13.2 with almost 0 amperage output to keep the battery fully charged, offset any parasitic drain, and prevent plate sulfation.

When cold weather arrives fill it with a TopTier gasoline and the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer, go for a 50 mile drive, put it away and hook up the Battery Minder. No need for periodic start/idle events.

 

I assumed letting it idle for 10m would allow it to top itself off since no accessories are running and we're long past the days of generators not supplying enough charge power at idle....I guess I'd better get into the habit of having the tender plugged in and keep the hood popped until I'm using it regularly again.

 

One problem with idling a cold engine (the guts need to warm up, not the coolant) is that cold cylinder walls condense fuel vapor on them and cause the microscopic lube oil film to wash off.

The best possible startup sequence is to get in, start the engine, buckle up, set the radio volume, and drive away normally, avoiding significant power demands for 7 - 10 miles if possible.

 

I've been doing it solely to keep the battery topped off, car went from being used 4 times a week to being used once a month. Any danger to the internals just plugging in one of those Battery Tenders (I think I have a newer one from a few years ago), the ones you literally plug in, alligator clip and then check the flashing light on the unit to see if its charging or just in maintain mode. Assuming the answer is no but with all the electronics in these cars now, better to ask up front. They seem pretty plug-and-play straightforward.

Silly question: If the battery gets to a low voltage state will the horn start going off intermittently or something incredibly annoying like that or does the dash 'security' flashing light simply stop blinking. My fear is 3am the horn starts going off and I have to get into the truck to disconnect a lead which will be next to impossible if the battery is flat.

 

I have used a Cetek charger. Connect it under the hood, not in the trunk. Buy on Amazon for around $60+-. I've used them for years on all my non driven vehicles (3 right now).

 

Cetk chargers are good, but my favorite is the optimate brand. They are very good.

A bottle of Startron in the tank works great as well.


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Took it for a ride yesterday, no issues or problems. Did notice the Volts (keep it on the display) dropped to 12.7 and fluctuated between that and 14.2 depending if the lights kicked on or not, battery is less than a year old but it's sitting, a lot....Will run it weekly starting now on the road. I picked up a bottle of Startron, will put some in and keep the tank at 1/2 so I'm always adding fresh gas. Thanks for all the discussion.

 

Totally agree on driving the car 15 - 20 minutes so the fluids can get up to operating temperatures. That's the important thing. Your battery will appreciate it as well.

 

My advice since owning a C6 Corvette garage queen, and is stored for winter months - NEVER start a car just to charge up the battery. That will cause carbon and moisture issues in you motor and exhaust.

Use a battery tender (like a CTEK) on the lowest possible setting, connecting to the terminals under the hood.

M....

 

My advice since owning a C6 Corvette garage queen, and is stored for winter months - NEVER start a car just to charge up the battery. That will cause carbon and moisture issues in you motor and exhaust.

Use a battery tender (like a CTEK) on the lowest possible setting, connecting to the terminals under the hood.

M....

My C6 was a GQ for 10 years. When I sold it nearly 4 years ago it still had the OEM battery in it. My 2016 C7 has 1,055 miles on it and has not been off the lift for nearly 3 years. I never start a vehicle (in storage) unless it's gooing to be driven for at least 20-30 minutes. I have done this for 40 years without issue. I have used Ctek's since they first sent me a 12V and 6V charger for a Beta trial years ago. I keep my C7, 911 and Avalanche on Cetek's

 

I don't drive my '18 CTS while I'm in FL for 8 months, I wash it, put it on a trickle charger and cover it up. On my previous CTS I didn't use a trickle charger and had to have the battery replaced.

COG

 

I can't remember exactly but thought there was a different tester for those with AGM batteries or perhaps better put that older style maintainers may not bring an AGM battery up to full charge. Would appreciate some clarity on that issue.

 

I have a 911 that utilizes an AGM battery. My Cetek has a "AGM" button on it that keeps it healthy as it uses a different charge cycle.

 

I’ll vouch for the Ctek as well, have used them for 10 years on the vehicles I don’t use often. I have two model 3300’s which I don’t think they make anymore and I have most recently purchased model 5.0 msx and model 4.3 mus. My VS is on one for the next 4 months.

 

In looking around at CTEK I came across this NOCO for $29. I just want to put a charge on the battery occasionally since car is sitting a lot. Also want AGM capability as my other vehicle has that type. What do you think of this for that purpose? Amazon.com: NOCO GENIUS1, 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charger, Battery Maintainer, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation: Automotive

 

Well, it looks like all the tech for not a lot of money. Decades ago before these, I used the $12.95 trickle charger from a Hemmings ad...they still sell them today I believe in that price range. Why not...do it. It will serve you well. I would buy one if I wasn't so attached to CTEK. I use 4 of them.