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Battery tender recommendations

Netman

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I drive my car usually on nice days only and sometimes it can be a couple of weeks between drives. The last few times the battery sounded a little hesitant when starting. I'd like to get a permanent in car battery tender to leave hooked up when the car is not in use. Any recommendations for something like this?
Thanks..
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skinnyb

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I have one that I just installed on mine today. I had it on my F150 that I traded for the Mustang and it would sit for 2-3 weeks at a time and it kept it up to date and ready to go all the time. I use the NOCO Genius charger. I got one that uses aligator clips but got a second one that has eyelets that I mounted directly to the battery and left under the hood permanently. Works great for me.
 

ay1820

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I've been using Battery Tender products for a while now (but full disclosure, I have not hooked it up to my Mustang as of yet). I used this one on my BMW in the past and plan to use it on my Mustang when I put it in storage for the winter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068XCQU
 
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Netman

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I have one that I just installed on mine today. I had it on my F150 that I traded for the Mustang and it would sit for 2-3 weeks at a time and it kept it up to date and ready to go all the time. I use the NOCO Genius charger. I got one that uses aligator clips but got a second one that has eyelets that I mounted directly to the battery and left under the hood permanently. Works great for me.
That is the one I was actually looking at.
1656638746743.png
1656638746743.png
 

Cobra Jet

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Iā€™m using this exact one:
https://www.batteryminders.com/1510-12-volt-maintenance-charger-desfulator-with-warranty

Put it this way, I use it on my 94 Cobra 24/7/365ā€¦ I posted another thread here a while back that the original Optima battery I had purchased for my Cobra lasted 15 years and it was maintained by that Battery Minder device.

If you donā€™t use a vehicle or battery for quite some time, you canā€™t go wrong with a ā€œtenderā€ or ā€œminderā€ device. They are completely safe to leave on long term. If the battery is in a vehicle, you disconnect the vehicleā€™s battery cables and attach the tender/milder cables to the battery terminals. Both a Tender and Minder state to remove the battery from the vehicle, but Iā€™ve always left the battery in and never had any issues.

These arenā€™t considered ā€œchargersā€, they actually maintain the battery, they donā€™t ā€œcharge itā€ like a standard battery charger that can literally cook a battery.
 

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Netman

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Okay dumb question. Iā€™ve never used one of these gizmos before, only a conventional charger. Is it necessary to disconnect the battery leads when this is in use? Secondly, does the tender/minder have to then be disconnected when going for a drive?
 

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Installed mine this week. There are a few tender treads. Lots of great ideas, products and inspiration.

It's best to remove the negative cable from the battery, before starting any of this. Dropping a tool at the wrong moment can short something out, causing damage to you or the car. When connecting back up, the car is going to make all kinds of weird noises, several times, as it performs self-checks. Perform a BMS reset when done.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/bms-reset-no-tools-required.151602/

Yesterday, I attached my Ford Performance battery tender for the first time, to check it out. Using alligator clamps and leaving the hood up might be alright for the weekend, but it wasn't going to work long-term. I began eyeing the fuse block, another pigtail I had with the kit and these threads.

Thank You for the insight and the inspiration. Below are two options I'm playing with. Maybe these ideas and others might help you.

Cowl: the advantage of the cowl is I can tuck it under the hood and take it out as needed. To a passerby, it's almost invisible. The disadvantage is the hood closes snug and its a water area. The cable I fabricated is sealed with heat shrink, but still.

Front: the advantage of the front is all the wiring under the hood stays away from water, sharp edges or rubbing. But the plug poking out isn't very esthetically pleasing. I considered the grill, but it's a heat area and snug fit, for best airflow. If I Sharpie out the orange it will probably be less obvious.

For now, the front headlight area.

The advantages to either solution are not having to pop the hood, being able to hock up in moments and having a visual on the tender at any time.

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tender project 14.jpg


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tender project 3.jpg
 
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Skye

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Okay dumb question. Iā€™ve never used one of these gizmos before, only a conventional charger. Is it necessary to disconnect the battery leads when this is in use? Secondly, does the tender/minder have to then be disconnected when going for a drive?
You're considering doing work on your car's electrical system. You're smart for thinking things out before attempting. I probably spent one hour making connections and another six or seven thinking out the tasks, how the cable would run dressing things just so, etc. LOL.

No, you do not have to disconnect the battery to use the tender. The tender can be connected in different ways and would be considered a semi-permanent, removable mod. The battery never needs to be disconnected and reconnected. The tender would be disconnected before driving and reconnected upon return.

The tender exercises the battery while the battery is in the car. In a sense, it treats the battery like it is in use, while the car is resting, to keep it maintained correctly. Can also help prevent the car from entering "deep sleep" mode, where the car senses the battery is running down and begins disabling features to maintain the battery as long as possible.
 
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Bought the noco genius 5 and the xl terminal accessory and mounted the accessory under hood - then use the quick disconnect to plug in.
 

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MCS

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Cory S

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NOCO Genius 5 is Awesome.

I own a Genius 5 and a 10
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