What batter tender to use?


A

AZChris

GT Owner
Dec 21, 2006
22
Hi guys,

Hope all is well. After 9 years I am finally tired of recharging my battery every time I wanna roll out for a drive! What is the go to battery tender I should purchase? Is there a standard?

Thank you for information
 
3 choices:

-Ford GT OEM $90

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-FORD-G...ash=item5b1a986f3e:g:3uwAAOSw14xWFk1P&vxp=mtr

-CTEK with cig lighter adapter $75

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Charg...TF8&qid=1445190974&sr=1-14&keywords=ctek+3300


http://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-263-C...UTF8&qid=1445190892&sr=1-1&keywords=ctek+3300

There is a Corvette version with cig adapter pre-wired for $100.


-Battery Tender Jr wall-mount $25 (the full size Tender's seem to fail, not this 0.75A one)

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...sim_263_8?ie=UTF8&refRID=0X1JW8215XS3HNMD15E9

The main issue or fault with tenders is "user failure to hook up"...ie, dont feel like popping hood; removing tub, fiddling with clamps, etc.

Cig lighter plugged-in, with wire draped over door rubber seal bottom OR gap in rubber-seal below Ford logo/door sill, and door shut, takes <15 seconds.
 
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The "Battery Tender Junior" is also available from Kendall's (nota4re) store -

www.CooltechLLC.com.

An equivalent to the C-tech is the Noco Genius G3500 -

http://www.geniuschargers.com/G3500

If you hard wire to the battery with Kendall's cables, you can adapt the G3500 to his connector with a GC009 SAE Adapter.

http://www.geniuschargers.com/GC009
 
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The OEM is a piece of junk.
I'm using the Battery Tender Jr.
Plugging into the "cigarette lighter."
Really easy,..no opening hood.
Just crack the window an inch on either side.
 
I use CTEK chargers for my C6 Corvette with plug-in lead permanently installed under the hood and same model with cig lighter plug for the GT. Both chargers work with traditional batteries as well as Optima-type. They work well.
 
I've used a bunch of brands from Battery Tender to Diehard to Schumacher and they all seem to perform the same. I hard wired my FGT and other cars so all I do is plug and go. No opening hood or door. Just run a wire from battery to front grill, super easy.
 
Thank you for the feedback, I had never heard of plugging straight into the cig lighter. Very cool, I am going that route.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the help.
 
BIGFOOT said:
The OEM is a piece of junk.
Click to expand...

Well, I have yet to hear of OEM failing whereas there 100s pages on google of others doing so

Batteries do die; the OEM not so far.
 
C-Tek is all I use, and they never fail, but some of them cannot charge a completely dead battery...so just beware.
 
I have used the FORD OEM charger that came with the FGT since January 2006. Every year , all winter, spring and fall. Just plug it into the Cigarette lighter.
It even has a long enough cord that no extension cord is needed all the way to the front of my garage. It is on my FGT in the garage as I write this. I just went to my garage and checked... and it is happily doing its job...
Never a dead battery , never a gage issue. Works like a Ford Engineer designed it.....
I fail to see the debate and chuckle each time I do.... just use what Ford gave us... :):)

andy (ajb)
 
CTek, I had 2 out of 4 BT Juniors fail on me.
 
I've been using the CTEK's for 13 years. I replaced my NSX battery after 10 years, not because it had failed, but because I figured why tempt fate. The CTEK had kept it charged/conditioned for 10 years, that was enough!! Bought another CTEK when I got the GT. Great chargers!!!
 
I use Battery tender into the "cigarette" outlet. I just shut the cable in the door, but only the 1st click. Worked for a decade so far. I have a Ctek for a car we have that has a lithium ion battery in it.
 
I like Autometer.
 
I love the convenience of the cigarette outlet. I use the OEM solution, which probably is subpar compared to other commercially available units.

I put mine on a timer and have it "on" for 2 hours each day. It may have circuitry to stop charging, but the transformer always felt warm to me. I don't know if anyone else has thoughts on putting chargers on a timer. Good idea? Bad idea?
 
Google " Save A Battery", you will be impressed. I have switched all my tenders to their Model 9999. They are not cheap, but they are the only tender I feel comfortable leaving hooked up 24/7. You can buy them from Amazon.
 
I'm glad the OEM tender has worked for others.
I put mine away. If I recall there is no Indicator light telling one if it's functioning.

Which makes u wonder.
 
BtwoG said:
I put mine on a timer and have it "on" for 2 hours each day. It may have circuitry to stop charging, but the transformer always felt warm to me. I don't know if anyone else has thoughts on putting chargers on a timer. Good idea? Bad idea?
Click to expand...

I agree. I have always thought it was much better to mimic the real use cycle of the battery, so my chargers are on timers - they charge the batteries once or twice a week and are shut off for a few days between charges. Never had any battery problems using that cycle.
 
"Extreme Charge X2"..... I have several of them each charging two independent batteries. They have charging capacity as well as the charge maintenance feature. I have the optional 25' extension on each cord. LED's show the current level of charging output which is very nice.They have worked perfectly for a number of years for me.
 
This thread makes me feel like we are discussing what oil to use, or something that never has a definitive answer, and is often one opinion vs another.
 
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