Battery Tender for Optima

[jims427400]

I'm in the process of buying tenders for the 67 and 04.
04 Z06 has factory battery,67 has red optima. My question is do I need a different maintainer for the gel batteries???
The reason I ask is that the Battery Tender brand has a unit specifically for gels.. Any recommendations. Jim

[bradfordsvettes]

battery butler has maintenence float chargers and would probably be ok for both of them. you could contact them via the web they are short money I have 4 of them and they seem to work fine Steve

[vetzs]

Take a look at Cetek, I've heard good things about them and am about to switch from Battery tender's to this.

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/inde...d/3480/sc/7542

Later...vetzs

[Kid_Again]

OK, won't be the first time that I'm criticized for bottom feeding. I bought a smart charger/tender at WalMart. $29.95. No problems over 5 years, I leave it plugged in all winter.

Flame away!!!

[grapeknutz]

Originally Posted by Kid_Again

OK, won't be the first time that I'm criticized for bottom feeding. I bought a smart charger/tender at WalMart. $29.95. No problems over 5 years, I leave it plugged in all winter.

Flame away!!!

Why? if it works!

[ldf44]

I have used a charger/maintainer for several years that I bought from our local Farm and Fleet store for $24.00. Use it year around and have had no problems. I do not see any reason why these units would not work on gell type batteries, one doesn't change the charging system in their car when they change to a gell battery.

[firstgear]

Originally Posted by ldf44

I have used a charger/maintainer for several years that I bought from our local Farm and Fleet store for $24.00. Use it year around and have had no problems. I do not see any reason why these units would not work on gell type batteries, one doesn't change the charging system in their car when they change to a gell battery.

thats a good point, the charging system doesnt know the difference....why would the batery tender know the difference?

I have a couple of Battery Tenders (name brand) and then I also bought a couple of tenders from the auto parts store. I hook them up every winter on all the batteries that aren't being moved around (garden tractor, Corvettes, trailer electric winch). So far, since I have done that, no problems at all.

This will be my first year with Optima in one of the Corvettes and it will get a Battery Tender.

If someone finds out that is a bad thing, I hope they share it.....

Herb

[Vette66AirCoupe]

Originally Posted by vetzs

Take a look at Cetek, I've heard good things about them and am about to switch from Battery tender's to this.

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/inde...d/3480/sc/7542

Later...vetzs

Why are you switching if you already have a Battery Tender?

[vetzs]

I don't completely trust the one I have on my 89. I'm watching it closely. I will say this, since using a battery tender I've not had to replace an alternator or battery on either the C-2 or C-4. The C-4's are famous for burning the alternators up, too much work for the alternator to take a battery from a low charge to fully charged. I've been running the tenders since 99, love em! Later...vetzs

[vetzs]

Something else that may be of interest to the battery tender users. I hard wired my battery tenders.

On the C-2 I used a RV receptical under the front bumper, this goes back to the tender mounted near the battery. I also use the green battery switch to kill power to the rest of the car before I plug in the battery tender.

On the C-4 I have the tender mounted on the inside fender well by the battery and just flip the electrical either over and into the wheel well for hook up to A/C or fold it into the space between the tender and the relay that is adjacent to the tender. I also use the green battery switch to kill power to the rest of the car before I plug in the battery tender. This does cause me to reset the clock and radio.

This is all a small price to pay for the benifits derived... battery is always fresh (and I believe they last longer). Plus I like knowing my vettes are sitting out in the garage with little chance of an electrical fire.

Later.....vetzs

[jims427400]

Herb,
Just curious if the optima is in the Z06 or 66..
If Z06, did you get red or yellow,and what is the #on battery,and while I'm at it,where did you buy it..
I just bought one for my Denali,the red model for $169 at Murrays..
Jim

[firstgear]

Originally Posted by jims427400

Herb,
Just curious if the optima is in the Z06 or 66..
If Z06, did you get red or yellow,and what is the #on battery,and while I'm at it,where did you buy it..
I just bought one for my Denali,the red model for $169 at Murrays..
Jim

it is the red one and it is in Sharon's 01 convertible.....I will have to go see what the number is and let you know.....I got it at
auto zone, seems to me I paid around $130 or so......

[Jeff Farrar]

Originally Posted by vetzs

I also use the green battery switch to kill power to the rest of the car before I plug in the battery tender. This does cause me to reset the clock and radio.

If you use the switch with the inline fuse. That lets just enough juice pass to keep the clock and radio going without burning anything up.

[Kid_Again]

a buck-30 is not a bad price

[TGC4]

I just picked a Battery Tender jr,label info indicates gell or acid makes no difference.You can visit their website and read the instructions for each model