Recommended Battery Tender

[alazzaro]

Got the NSX detailed and ready for winter storage. Which Battery Tender is recommended for the NSX?

Here are 2 options from amazon.com

Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...3127&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=battery+tender+nsx

Battery Tender 021-0128 Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...3127&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=battery+tender+nsx

Will either work or is one better than the other?

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I use the one on the top. It works for me. I plug it in every time I park the car and have used it for about 1 year now.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Here is what I have installed, and I am very happy with the setup.

http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160497

 

[06_typeS]

I use A black and decker tender.

 

[gene '96 #178]

Griot's charger

I have purchased a couple of chargers for my cars from Griot's.
Although their prices might be a little bit higher than other places I enjoy knowing that their products carry a lifetime warrantee for as long as I own the item. Buy it once and don't worry about it again......
Their customer service is also second to none and they really take care of their customers.

It's a easy choice on my part.

HTH,
Gene Greer

 

[Hrant]

Got the NSX detailed and ready for winter storage. Which Battery Tender is recommended for the NSX?

Here are 2 options from amazon.com

Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...3127&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=battery+tender+nsx

Battery Tender 021-0128 Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...3127&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=battery+tender+nsx

Will either work or is one better than the other?

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

I have both. I use the Junior on the NSX and the Plus for my MDX. Here are the differences.

The Plus recharges quicker as it runs on higher amps, but it also has a shorter cord from the unit to your car hence it is quite awkward if you are not close to a socket or buy an extension cord.

The Junior's one drawback is how they designed the cap for plugging and unplugging it from a socket. It is flimsily held with four screws which with some pressure do break off. Deltran sent me a new cap under warranty/good-will but its a design issue that they are aware of.

 

[alazzaro]

I bought the battery tender.

Is the NSX negative-grounded, or positive-grounded?

If negative-grounded, do I just connect the positive clip to the battery, and the negative clip to the chassis? and vice versa if positive-grounded?

 

[alazzaro]

Later in the instructions it says the clips must be connected to the battery - red to positive - and black to negative, before the charger will generate any output volatage. So maybe you're supposed to connect both clips directly to the battery?

Also, it is okay to run the cable through one of the openings under the hood, and then under the car?

 

[ChrisK]

I use one from Sears. It has the usual terminal rings you attach to the battery, long cable cord with a two pin connector like the others, but the main base has an LCD display screen that starts analyzing the battery upon first hookup, then starts charging and shows you a charge percentage as you go. Once the battery is fully charge it switches to maintain and displays "Maint" on the LCD.

 

[Hrant]

Later in the instructions it says the clips must be connected to the battery - red to positive - and black to negative, before the charger will generate any output volatage. So maybe you're supposed to connect both clips directly to the battery?

Also, it is okay to run the cable through one of the openings under the hood, and then under the car?

Yes to the battery terminals. And yes you can fish it under the hood and car but why when you have the option of doing it under the hood but over the front fender as long as you don't totally clsoe the hood? Everytime you dsiconnect to drive, you will have to fish/search for the terminal under the car! Why?

 

[nis350]

Later in the instructions it says the clips must be connected to the battery - red to positive - and black to negative, before the charger will generate any output volatage. So maybe you're supposed to connect both clips directly to the battery?

Also, it is okay to run the cable through one of the openings under the hood, and then under the car?

There is a battery terminal in the engine compartment. Look for the fuse box and you'll see a positive terminal in there. It is used to jump the car and you can use it for charging as well. You can use the body to connect the negative clamp from the charger.

I have the jr. one on your list and it works fine. The charger will let you know if the connection is not good.

 

[BTL3.0]

i use the one from wal-mart. $20 schumaher battery charger with monitor, trickle charge then stop and monitor then recharge if voltage drop. had it for 2yrs+ now.. no issue.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher-Automotive-SpeedCharge-Battery-Maintainer-and-Charger/13005742

look like it went up $5 since last time i bought one.. dang.. oh well.

 

[GO KRT]

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

$9.99 as listed here but you can usually find it on sale for as low as $4.99

 

[Osiris_x11]

why not keep it simple?

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

$9.99 as listed here but you can usually find it on sale for as low as $4.99

Ding-ding-dong... for the life of me, I don't understand why anybody would want to pay anymore for anything else for such an application (namely, they don't drive their NSX often & they have a good battery which they wish to remain charged).

Obviously, for other needs/requirements I can see more pricy & feature-enhanced battery tenders/chargers. But, if it's merely for keeping the already functional battery charged when the NSX hasn't been driven regularly and/or put away for a season, this HF battery float charger is beyond elementary. I am going good ~7+ years w/ mine if weeks go by that I don't drive the NSX.

 

[Hrant]

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

$9.99 as listed here but you can usually find it on sale for as low as $4.99

Yep, it's only $10 and I do shop at Harbor Freight too :wink:

But, and there is always a but, care to share why you want to save $20 for the hassle of removing the spare everytime you want to hook the alligator clamps? Unless of course you don't have a spare which then makes sense. Or if you have a vented hood with radiator ducting, the hassle of squeezing your arms behind the duct to reach the battery is not worth the savings ......

Battery Tender, as well as the Schumacher, offer the option of a permanent hooked up with ring connectors where you just connect/disconnect one cable extending some 3' from the battery so you zip tie attach it in a convenient access.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Yes to the battery terminals. And yes you can fish it under the hood and car but why when you have the option of doing it under the hood but over the front fender as long as you don't totally clsoe the hood? Everytime you dsiconnect to drive, you will have to fish/search for the terminal under the car! Why?

Because keeping the hood unlatched will prevent the factory security system from working properly, for one. That may be an issue for some owners.

Fishing for the terminal under the bumper is no big deal, it's easily reachable and takes two seconds at most.

 

[GO KRT]

Yep, it's only $10 and I do shop at Harbor Freight too :wink:

But, and there is always a but, care to share why you want to save $20 for the hassle of removing the spare everytime you want to hook the alligator clamps? Unless of course you don't have a spare which then makes sense. Or if you have a vented hood with radiator ducting, the hassle of squeezing your arms behind the duct to reach the battery is not worth the savings ......

Battery Tender, as well as the Schumacher, offer the option of a permanent hooked up with ring connectors where you just connect/disconnect one cable extending some 3' from the battery so you zip tie attach it in a convenient access.

If you want convenience add this: http://www.amazon.com/MALE-FEMALE-Q...003205&sr=1-4&keywords=male+quick+disconnects----thicker gauge wire with different configuration plugs are also available at Frys/Radio Shack....... to the $4.99 float charger(always on sale) from Harbor Freight and two ring connectors to the battery --- or fuse block---(another 25 cents ) Less than 7 bucks for everything and you will have "convenience" AND a low cost way to keep the battery topped off for the winter :biggrin:

 

[jaybird]

My Thanksgiving project (other than raking tons of leaves.....) was to install the Battery Tender to my NSX. My previous 91 had a setup that the previous PO had done where the connector came out through the front bumper opening, and I quickly got used to that and liked it, so I went along with the Phoen$x setup that he had posted previously.

Took about 15 minutes and works like a champ. The 36 inch extension that Phoen$x suggested is perfect for this application -- just a "Thanks" to Phoen$x for his detailed instructions. Just another example why PRIME is awesome.

 

[Hrant]

My 3.5 years old Battery Tender Jr just died with no discernible reason. Deltran's warranty is for 5 years so it is covered as long as i ship it to them at my cost and then there is a minimum charge of $7.95.

They claim this was most likely due to a change in the voltage. I didn't notice any change in other appliances/products in the house. I checked with our local electrical company there was no documented surge or low voltage. But that doesn't mean there was no change in the voltage to fry Deltran's circuitry if the circuitry is sensitive to a threshold below what the electrical company classifies as surge/low.

Question: have you had similar issues with yours? I can get a new one with the attachments from Amazon for $27 shipped including tax - so does it make sense to ship the old one?!

 

[Gansan]

My Battery Tender jr. died by overcharging my battery. It worked great for years, and one day, my battery died on a canyon drive, stranding me at the top of a mountain. The car wouldn't even take a jump start--the battery was 100% dead. When we took the battery terminals off, we found a giant ball of encrusted corrosion on the positive terminal. This had not happened at all for years, and so it was very sudden. When I cleaned the terminals with a terminal cleaner, it turned pink, indicating acid content. This would indicate electrolyte bubbled up and helped eat up the terminal.

I bought a new one, and the new one is slightly redesigned. It has bulges on the sides that form a grip for pulling the wall wart out of the socket, and the vents are different. I don't know if it is different internally.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I've had mine hooked up for maybe a year and a half with no issues.

I do notice I need to clean my battery terminals but not sure if that's because normal maintence or not. I figure I'll just wait when I replace the battery.

 

[Hrant]

My Battery Tender jr. died by overcharging my battery. It worked great for years, and one day, my battery died on a canyon drive, stranding me at the top of a mountain. The car wouldn't even take a jump start--the battery was 100% dead. When we took the battery terminals off, we found a giant ball of encrusted corrosion on the positive terminal. This had not happened at all for years, and so it was very sudden. When I cleaned the terminals with a terminal cleaner, it turned pink, indicating acid content. This would indicate electrolyte bubbled up and helped eat up the terminal.

I bought a new one, and the new one is slightly redesigned. It has bulges on the sides that form a grip for pulling the wall wart out of the socket, and the vents are different. I don't know if it is different internally.

Just curious, how did you determine that it was overcharged if you were driving it and this happened; the corrosion on the terminals? My terminals are clean.

 

[nis350]

Have mine for a couple of years and no issues so far. I don't have mine hook up all the time though, maybe 2 to 3 days every month.

What's the symptoms?

My 3.5 years old Battery Tender Jr just died with no discernible reason. Deltran's warranty is for 5 years so it is covered as long as i ship it to them at my cost and then there is a minimum charge of $7.95.

They claim this was most likely due to a change in the voltage. I didn't notice any change in other appliances/products in the house. I checked with our local electrical company there was no documented surge or low voltage. But that doesn't mean there was no change in the voltage to fry Deltran's circuitry if the circuitry is sensitive to a threshold below what the electrical company classifies as surge/low.

Question: have you had similar issues with yours? I can get a new one with the attachments from Amazon for $27 shipped including tax - so does it make sense to ship the old one?!

 

[Gansan]

Just curious, how did you determine that it was overcharged if you were driving it and this happened; the corrosion on the terminals? My terminals are clean.

I'm guessing the cause, but what I observed was there was a big ball of corrosion on the positive terminal. By "ball" I mean there was a solidified chunk of what looks like granular sand/rock. The rubber boot over the terminal had been completely filled with the stuff. The clamping bolt of the terminal had nearly disappeared in the process. When I was cleaning everything, there was literally no bolt except a small section of the shaft left. I believe the corrosion was a result of a galvanic reaction from overcharging, but if there is another cause, then I'm all ears.

I'm amazed that I was able to start the car in the morning. I don't remember noticing it cranking slowly but I may not have been paying attention.

 

[GT-N]

battery tender plus all the way