Where should I connect the Battery tender?

GKarschnick · 06-27-2005, 11:52 AM

I will be leaving my prius for a couple of months this fall and I bought a Battery Tender Jr. to keep the battery "up" while I am gone. Is there any difference between connecting it to the "jump start" post and frame under the hood or should I connect it directly to the battery in the rear? (It would be more convenient for me to use the under hood post.

tochatihu · 06-27-2005, 07:27 PM

I hope you also get a reply from an owner of your model of Prius. I have the previous one. Anyway, what I understand to be true is that the 12 volt battery should only be connected to an external charger after having been first disconnected from the car. So you would work your connections from the back.

Second, however your battery tender works, it should not continuously apply anything more than 14 volts to the battery. Over the long run higher voltages will shorten battery life. If your device goes higher, you could operate it through a timer, set with just one "on" hour over 24. That would be safe for sure.

jayman · 06-27-2005, 07:48 PM

The Battery Tender Jr would probably work best if mounted in the rear hatch next to the 12 vdc battery, but then you'd have to snake a power cord in under the hatch.

It should work fine the way you propose doing it. Make sure to try it out to ensure it does properly keep a float charge.

tochatihu: the Battery Tender Jr is perfectly safe to leave plugged in 24/7. I use them at my hobby farm to keep the battery up in my old Ford truck and in my diesel tractor.

The Battery Tender Jr specs:

http://batterytender.com/product_info.php?...p?products_id=4

Some battery tender devices also promise to "condition" the battery, AKA "desulphate." These devices also work very well, but the battery has to be disconnected from the car electrical system.

A desulphator introduces a high frequency pulse to get the sulphur deposits off the battery plates. That high frequency pulse could harm sensitive electronics in the car.

jeepien · 06-27-2005, 07:54 PM

I don't see why you couldn't hook it to the jump start teminal under the hood, especially if you hook it to a timer. If the battery is going to remain inside the car anyway, there is no advantage to hooking it directly to the battery terminals.

DanMan32 · 06-28-2005, 10:22 PM

For a couple of months, I'd be somewhat concerned about the traction battery.

06-27-2005, 11:52 AM	#1
GKarschnick Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Melbourne, FL Posts: 49 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Where should I connect the Battery tender? I will be leaving my prius for a couple of months this fall and I bought a Battery Tender Jr. to keep the battery "up" while I am gone. Is there any difference between connecting it to the "jump start" post and frame under the hood or should I connect it directly to the battery in the rear? (It would be more convenient for me to use the under hood post.

06-27-2005, 07:27 PM	#2
tochatihu Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kunming Yunnan China Posts: 2,411 My Car: 2001 Prius Model: Package: Pioneer #1 Thanks: 1 Thanked 39 Times in 39 Posts Friends: 14	Re: Where should I connect the Battery tender? I hope you also get a reply from an owner of your model of Prius. I have the previous one. Anyway, what I understand to be true is that the 12 volt battery should only be connected to an external charger after having been first disconnected from the car. So you would work your connections from the back. Second, however your battery tender works, it should not continuously apply anything more than 14 volts to the battery. Over the long run higher voltages will shorten battery life. If your device goes higher, you could operate it through a timer, set with just one "on" hour over 24. That would be safe for sure. __________________ DAS Tochatihu, the Hopi hummingbird kachina

06-27-2005, 07:48 PM	#3
jayman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Posts: 11,566 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: B Thanks: 35 Thanked 185 Times in 168 Posts Friends: 12	Re: Where should I connect the Battery tender? The Battery Tender Jr would probably work best if mounted in the rear hatch next to the 12 vdc battery, but then you'd have to snake a power cord in under the hatch. It should work fine the way you propose doing it. Make sure to try it out to ensure it does properly keep a float charge. tochatihu: the Battery Tender Jr is perfectly safe to leave plugged in 24/7. I use them at my hobby farm to keep the battery up in my old Ford truck and in my diesel tractor. The Battery Tender Jr specs: http://batterytender.com/product_info.php?...p?products_id=4 Some battery tender devices also promise to "condition" the battery, AKA "desulphate." These devices also work very well, but the battery has to be disconnected from the car electrical system. A desulphator introduces a high frequency pulse to get the sulphur deposits off the battery plates. That high frequency pulse could harm sensitive electronics in the car.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Connect a Creative Zen V plus mp3 player?	kaze72	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	4	08-23-2007 07:55 PM
Best way to connect your iPod	EmptyG	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	20	09-02-2006 03:00 AM
XM Radio Connect to AIC-100i	ZPrius	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	7	10-19-2005 01:36 PM
Treo650 - Won't connect	Jetson	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	1	07-30-2005 04:14 PM
How Do I Connect to Stock Speakers to AMP	ScubaX	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	3	07-30-2005 03:40 PM

06-27-2005, 07:54 PM	#4
jeepien Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 165 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I don't see why you couldn't hook it to the jump start teminal under the hood, especially if you hook it to a timer. If the battery is going to remain inside the car anyway, there is no advantage to hooking it directly to the battery terminals.

06-28-2005, 10:22 PM	#5
DanMan32 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 3,775 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	For a couple of months, I'd be somewhat concerned about the traction battery.