Batter Tender battery connection?

[DemonGT]

How are others that have connected a tender to there battery with ring terminals made the connections?

The ground has a post/bolt connecting the cable but the positive does not?

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[StangTime]

Here's how I did mine (posted some time ago):


"Hooked up my battery tender for a more permanent installation. I had it originally connected directly to the battery last year but when I did my stereo upgrade I had to remove it. I was using alligator clips for the last three weeks with the hood open. So now I can close both the fuse block cover and the hood.

Positive side fuse is tucked neatly away under the smart junction box. The wire then heads back toward the shock tower.

Ground terminal attachment. The wires are here behind the junction box cover.

Ran the wires under the attachment points for the junction box. Had to de-tach and lift the left side to get the wires under the plastic arms. The wires stay put here. I found an unused clip at the side of the junction box that was available to hold the charging connector. The mating plug for the battery tender then runs out from under the hood by the headlight. The hood can close completely without pinching any wires."

 

[Topblissgt]

How are others that have connected a tender to there battery with ring terminals made the connections?

The ground has a post/bolt connecting the cable but the positive does not?

My sons 18 gt has both ring connections to the battery terminals. It worked fine for me. After that, put the battery cover back on and run out the connector to hook to the maintainer

 

[DemonGT]

Can the bolts the hold the battery cables to the battery be used?

Is the smart junction box something you added?

 

[StangTime]

Can the bolts the hold the battery cables to the battery be used?

Is the smart junction box something you added?

You should use the ground on the strut tower. If you use the ground direct to the battery the BMS (Battery Management System) has issues with it. You can use the positive on the battery.

The Smart Junction Box (basically a fuse box) is part of the car.

 

[DemonGT]

Where is this smart junction box located?

 

[StangTime]

Where is this smart junction box located?

Look at the last photo I posted above. It's on the passenger side just behind the washer fluid cap.

 

[DemonGT]

Found it under the fuse cover. My three wires are black not red? Does it matter which of the three i hook onto? Is the one that sits lower that you hooked onto the wire that goes to the positive side of battery?

 

[StangTime]

Found it under the fuse cover. My three wires are black not red? Does it matter which of the three i hook onto? Is the one that sits lower that you hooked onto the wire that goes to the positive side of battery?

The one that sits lower. Have a look at the pic above.

 

[Topblissgt]

You should use the ground on the strut tower. If you use the ground direct to the battery the BMS (Battery Management System) has issues with it. You can use the positive on the battery.

The Smart Junction Box (basically a fuse box) is part of the car.

not true. Been doing it for months with no side effects

 

[boB]

Found it under the fuse cover. My three wires are black not red? Does it matter which of the three i hook onto? Is the one that sits lower that you hooked onto the wire that goes to the positive side of battery?

Odd that the wires are black, that goes against all vehicle wiring codes that I know of (wires that are always hot and not fused must be red). Oh well, there are always exceptions.

It only matters which terminal we use in that one goes directly to the battery, one goes to the alternator through a 275 amp fuse, the other goes to the power steering though a 125 amp fuse. If a battery tender blows either of these fuses we have much bigger problems.

 

[Farkel]

...It only matters which terminal we use in that one goes directly to the battery, one goes to the alternator through a 275 amp fuse, the other goes to the power steering though a 125 amp fuse. If a battery tender blows either of these fuses we have much bigger problems.

Hmmm. When I was using a maintainer with the quick-connect plug, I attached the pigtail to the strut tower nut and the positive nut closest to the battery on the fuse block. Now I use a Griot's 2/10/20 amp charger/maintainer that only has big alligator clamps. That first positive nut is recessed too far for the clamp to attach, so I've been using the middle one, and it seems to work just fine. Keeping in mind that the max setting on the Griot's unit is 20 amps (I usually set mine on 10), am I really risking blowing a fuse?

 

[ice445]

not true. Been doing it for months with no side effects

Well it is true, it just doesn't cause obvious issues.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

I have my pigtail connected directly to the battery, been that way for 5 winters now and I have no issues. The only time I plug it in is when the car goes into storage for the winter

 

[ice445]

I have my pigtail connected directly to the battery, been that way for 5 winters now and I have no issues. The only time I plug it in is when the car goes into storage for the winter

The only real issue with connecting it direct to the battery is the BMS doesn't see the battery charging up. Now whether that causes actual problems with the charging strategy or not over a long period of time isn't immediately apparent. I suppose in the end it's kind of irrelevant, the car is going to charge regardless. But if you're 100% anal it's best to just use a ground point that's not the battery so the BMS participates in the charging process.

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