Trickle Chargers and "Battery Mainainers" not the same thing

I am old, I will try to keep up better.

 

Some battery maintainers can also break up sulfate crystals that form on the lead plates extending battery life. This is a good thing.

JeffD

ps. I'm not sure that you are older than me Jim.

 

Concur!!!

It's not all that bad though. Wal-Mart sells a battery tender for $20.
Like the Prius...my Harley V-Rod has a very weak 12v battery. Unlike my Prius, my VRSCD battery is still going strong after 7 years, mostly b/c I semi-consistently place it on a battery tender whenever it’s not going to be in use for > a week.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you "have" to get a $100 Gucci battery maintainer. As long as it has the built-in circuitry that prevents over charging, you'll be fine.

I've got 2 of the $20 units. They've been in use on my motorcycles and lawn equipment for >6 years. I bought a few extra quick connect plugs and I cycle the tenders between all of my batteries whenever they need to sit for a while.
No battery problems here.

 

The 12v port in a Prius is not hot. This is why you can't use it to recharge a device while the car sits overnight.

 

The "Battery Tender" comes with two "pigtail" leads, one with clips and one with ring terminals. I installed the one with ring terminals on the "boost terminal" in the engine compartment fuse box and use the other one on the FJ Cruiser. I haven't really needed to use it on either vehicle, but it's cheap insurance when I know one of the two will be sitting for awhile. It helps to have a garage to park in an plug it in to.

 

i bought a liitle 12v solar charger which i stuck to rear window with wires permenently attached to battery
it's output is very small but keeps it charged when i'm away for a month

i leave it in all year round

 

a good trickle charger will stop at 13,5 volts
but i agree there are a lot of stupid chargers out there and they will boil it up.
i use a smart charger that even got a anti sulvation setting
this charger really stops charging and lets the battery voltage drop a bit below 13,5 volts

its the Ctek MXS 5.0 i recommend it
using it for less then 1 year now but i hope it will extent the lifespan of my 12 volt battery
its charged every night and the compleet weekend when car is parked at home

 

Hi edwardob, I've been looking for a battery solution for a 2010 Prius and I think you've got the answer. Can you point me in the right direction to setup the same system? Which model solar charger did you get and where did you purchase it from?

Also just to clarify, this is for charging the small 12V battery, correct? In my 2010, the 12V battery is under the hood in the front of the vehicle. How does your solar panel connect from the rear window to under the hood?

Thank you sir!

 

^^^
I got one of solar chargers? VW OBD2 port chargers? OBD2 disconnect/reconnect cycles? | PriusChat. I ended up getting an OBD2 splitter to keep the wear/# of cycles down on the OBD2 port.

I actually don't use the panel anymore as I can now park in a garage w/power outlet. I sometimes keep my 12 volt topped off w/an Tecmate Optimate 4.

 

all prius battery 12v are in rear????? sure it's a prius?
got mine on ebay....just attached to battery...and stuck solar panel on rear window with stick pads...

 

what kind of car do you have ... not a prius if you have 12V battery under the hood can you send us a picture of the battery under the hood ???

 

I have a Prius 2010, this is not a picture of my car but its the same configuration. I have circled what I thought was the 12V battery: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7646006/prius2010.jpg

Is this not the 12V? Under that black cover there is the positive battery lead which I have used to jump the car.

 

no battery is in rear on right hand side
take out your rear tray /cover till you see your spare tyre
look in the right hand side just in front of light..there is another piece plastic...remove

euraka!!1 there's your battery

 

Thanks, what are the specs on your solar panel? Max Watts/mAmps? Does it have any kind of "smart charging" feature or just something like this: 7-Watt Solar Charger - 12v Battery Charger

 

long since lost the box..don't know spec
just keeps battery topped up when i go away for a month

just make sure it has some form regulator stop overcharge
plenty on ebay...just search

 

NOPE that is the fuse box ... and where you actually have the jump port .... I am again stumped that somone spend 25k on a car which is non-traditional and do not even read the manual (the short version)

 

You are correct, even all battery maintainers are not the same. Some can only be used on a flooded cell battery, but not on an AGM battery like the 12V in a Prius.
In my 2010 Prius, I have a permently mounted Battery charger/ maintainer/ desulfator, wired directly to the 12v battery. In winter, I may not drive the Prius for a month or more. If the car has / will be parked unused for more than 2 weeks, I plug in the Maintainer.
The one I use is safe for an AGM battery. It is a BatteryMINDer brand, sold through Northern tool.
I have 4 of this model, that I rotate monthly through my fleet of farm equippment in the off serason.
A majority of my equippment have Optima or Exide Orbital , spiral cell AGM batteries.
BatteryMINDer Charger/Maintainer/Desulfator System — Model# 1500 | Battery Maintainers| Northern Tool + Equipment

 

do not buy the $5 battery maintainer at harbor freight, it fried my battery .

 

I went and bought the $10 battery maintainer at harbor freight this morning. Surely, spending double meant I got the better product???