Battery Tender recommendations

[ZeroGravity]

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Does anyone believe that AGM batteries should have or "require" different battery chargers?

The Ctek charger I use has an "AGM" mode. The charger is pretty old, so I assume most modern chargers will have this.

[jutes]

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Sure, but there's no advantage to this. And it has the likely disadvantage of doing things to the electronics on your car, like killramos said. Batteries are ok being cold if they're on a tender.

Depends on what “cold” is. Attached insulated garage, you’re likely fine with just a tender. Detached barn that gets to sub -20c for weeks on end? I’d probably store it inside somewhere away from falling coat hangars.

[gpomp]

Pretty good deal on Noco chargers

[mr2mike]

@89coupe recommended (probably).

[DonJuan]

^ Holy F that thing better change my oil and chill my beer at that price. And its 30% off!

[jutes]

Pretty sure they use those to jump start the space shuttle.

[Toilet_X]

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Pretty sure they use those to jump start the space shuttle.

Please. I use that to recharge my prostate stimulator.

[Flexray]

I work on a lot of vehicles that only get driven half the year. Vehicles are ment to be driven, the longer you store a vehicle for the more that needs to be done before and after storage.

The vehicles battery will be able start the engine for about 4 weeks. Parked for a year or under I would get a trickle charger. Don't buy some $100 piece of shit, you want to burn your house down over a few hundred dollars? Buy a really good one. Don't be poor. Once you start driving it, change the engine oil.
Parked for over a year I would be looking draining the fuel, and removing the battery. Coming out of storage, replace all of the fluids and the battery.

As the engine sits, the valve lifters and camshaft actuators will loose their oil prime. Once the engine is stated, they will be noisy until all of the air is bled out of them. The engine will tap/knock, run rough for a few minutes. And set cam timing codes. Starting the engine every few weeks will prevent this. Condensation is only a problem after years of sitting, or a crankcase ventilation problem.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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I work on a lot of vehicles that only get driven half the year. Vehicles are ment to be driven, the longer you store a vehicle for the more that needs to be done before and after storage.

The vehicles battery will be able start the engine for about 4 weeks. Parked for a year or under I would get a trickle charger. Don't buy some $100 piece of shit, you want to burn your house down over a few hundred dollars? Buy a really good one. Don't be poor. Once you start driving it, change the engine oil.
Parked for over a year I would be looking draining the fuel, and removing the battery. Coming out of storage, replace all of the fluids and the battery.

As the engine sits, the valve lifters and camshaft actuators will loose their oil prime. Once the engine is stated, they will be noisy until all of the air is bled out of them. The engine will tap/knock, run rough for a few minutes. And set cam timing codes. Starting the engine every few weeks will prevent this. Condensation is only a problem after years of sitting, or a crankcase ventilation problem.

I respectfully disagree on some points with this; however, I am thoroughly too inebriated to elaborate. This sounds too much like the composer of Ferrari manuals that state that annually, ALL fluids shall be changed. Coolant, ATF and rear end gear oil in a vehicle that's not been driven for >700km per year. Really? And it's not like you can dump Prestone or Peak into the coolant. No. It must be whatever Shell(TM) glycol for a car that hasn't been driven. And then the TiMiNg BeLtS that somehow magically get eff'd without any use.
That's crazy. Modern fluids have so many buffers to prevent damage that this antiquated advice is based on unrealistic driving patterns that simply are not seen.
Sooooo drunk right now, so hopefully I can remember to retort better another time, but excessive oil changes cause more harm than good.

[Team_Mclaren]

I have 4 of those amazon ones... works great from different make/models

Definitely way too lazy to start the car every few weeks. With current fluid and engine technology. sitting for a few months shouldn't cause any harm?!

[jutes]

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I have 4 of those amazon ones... works great from different make/models

Definitely way too lazy to start the car every few weeks. With current fluid and engine technology. sitting for a few months shouldn't cause any harm?!

I parked my S65M3 outside from Oct-Apr with battery removed. Reinstalled it in May and it fired up without hesitation, never had an issue with the car 50k kms later.

[BavarianBeast]

My two classic cars have been on $30 battery tenders for the last 5 years. Always crank up with no issues and never had any battery problems.

[Flexray]

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I respectfully disagree on some points with this; however, I am thoroughly too inebriated to elaborate. This sounds too much like the composer of Ferrari manuals that state that annually, ALL fluids shall be changed. Coolant, ATF and rear end gear oil in a vehicle that's not been driven for >700km per year. Really? And it's not like you can dump Prestone or Peak into the coolant. No. It must be whatever Shell(TM) glycol for a car that hasn't been driven. And then the TiMiNg BeLtS that somehow magically get eff'd without any use.
That's crazy. Modern fluids have so many buffers to prevent damage that this antiquated advice is based on unrealistic driving patterns that simply are not seen.
Sooooo drunk right now, so hopefully I can remember to retort better another time, but excessive oil changes cause more harm than good.

Most people don't store their Camry over the winter, but lots of nice cars like Ferraris are.

Maintenance doesn't just go off of mileage, brake fluid should be changed every two years, coolant will be 2,5 or 10 years. Engine oil is yearly.If you park your car for the winter, it's not a big deal. If you park it for like 5 years, that's different.

The whole change your oil too much thing, comes from the concern of catalyst and exhaust filters being coated with additives from the engine oil. I have seen way more cats melted together from over fueling, than coated. And way more engines fucked up from not having the oil changed enough.

[mr2mike]

But if you did have a stored Camry. $11K USD

[The_Penguin]

I've been driving since 1976, used to be we'd change oil, grease the suspension, and spark plugs/rotor/cap fairly regularly.
Now plugs are damn-near lifetime, suspension parts are sealed and lifetime lubed, but oh, gotta change your brake fluid every xxx.
I know that modern ignition systems are why plugs last much longer, but what the fuck changed with brakes?

[bjstare]

You have to change your brake fluid when too much moisture builds up in it, not based on a certain timeline. It's really easy to test it to figure out how much moisture is there, but most techs/service advisors just recommend you change it every two years because it's easy money for them, an easy sale, and 99% of people don't know/care enough to debate it.

[killramos]

Brakes?

That sounds important

[mr2mike]

Never heard of them.

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I've been driving since 1976, used to be we'd change oil, grease the suspension, and spark plugs/rotor/cap fairly regularly.
Now plugs are damn-near lifetime, suspension parts are sealed and lifetime lubed, but oh, gotta change your brake fluid every xxx.
I know that modern ignition systems are why plugs last much longer, but what the fuck changed with brakes?

Greasing zirks, turning carb screws and all that other maintenance.

[Flexray]

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You have to change your brake fluid when too much moisture builds up in it, not based on a certain timeline. It's really easy to test it to figure out how much moisture is there, but most techs/service advisors just recommend you change it every two years because it's easy money for them, an easy sale, and 99% of people don't know/care enough to debate it.

Bmw has brake fluid built into their condition based service. After 2 years it will give you a message on your dash. Brake fluid collects moisture, but also crystallizes and plugs up hydraulic control units and master cylinders.

Things like induction services are a waste of money/rip off, but replacing fluids is not.

[jutes]

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Bmw has brake fluid built into their condition based service. After 2 years it will give you a message on your dash. Brake fluid collects moisture, but also crystallizes and plugs up hydraulic control units and master cylinders.

Things like induction services are a waste of money/rip off, but replacing fluids is not.

Don't be poor and just do two year leases.