Battery Drain 2005 T-Bird

[irands]

Good idea! I have a friend who charged his battery on his 2005 Bird, disconnected the hot cable from the battery and went on a vacation in his motor home. It's going to be interesting to see if his battery is still charged when he returns. I have mine on a battery Minder (1 amp), desulfating type, at this time. I disconnedted it before this and let it sit for about a day, checked it and it was about 12.7 volts; then, the following day I believe it was about 12.4 volts. That seemed like a little too much drain to me, so it's back on the battery Minder.

[jimbeck]

My 03 that I bought new only has 4000 miles on it and I had the battery go dead a couple of times before I bought a battery tender. It is my understanding that all cars experience a "parasitic drain" and the battery will die if not constantly recharged. I have had 0 problems in the 5 years I have been using the maintenance charger. I have hardwired it to the battery and leave it in the trunk permanently and simply unplug when I leave and plugin when I return.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Jim

[George]

Exactly what I do Jim. And I've used battery tenders for over 30 years on my antique cars and it really pays off.

[yrbamje]

Pardon my ignorance. What the heck is a battery tender?
Jim

[George]

Jim:
It maintains your battery at all times. Goggle it and you'll find sites or buy one from Griots Garage on line. It is not a charger or and trickle charger. How's it different? Found on line:

How is the Battery Tender Plus battery charger different from a trickle charger?
The Battery Tender Plus battery charger delivers 1.25 amperes during bulk charge mode, holds the battery charge voltage constant at 14.4 VDC during absorption charge mode until the battery charge current drops to 0.1 amperes at which time it then automatically switches to a float charge mode. During float charge mode, the output voltage of the Battery Tender Plus battery charger is 13.2 VDC, which is well below the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery. This keeps the battery topped off, while minimizing any detrimental effects to do gassing. The Battery Tender Plus battery charger is able to perform these complex switching functions because its electronic circuitry is controlled by an on board microprocessor.
Although they often appear to be a better economic choice for the typical consumer, trickle chargers do not have the advantage of sophisticated electronic control. Therefore, as they allow the value of charge current to trickle down to what appears to be safe levels, the output voltage of the charger rises well above 15 VDC, sometimes even going higher that 16 VDC depending on the charger type and the battery that is connected to it. Either voltage is well above the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery. If the battery remains connected to this high level of voltage for an extended period of time, even less than 1 day, extreme damage can be done to the battery. What appears to be a cost savings for the charger may actually cost several times the charger price in replacement batteries.

[yrbamje]

Boy, that's a complete thesis on this gadget!
Thanks.
I'll look into getting one.
Jim