Battery Tender Jr

^^^ thanks for the lowdown on desulphation (I just looked and my device calls it this ) I believe mine gives an occasional pulse to the battery to try and break down crystals. I have a couple different models, the Battery MINDER(I thought it was a Battery Tender(hence my posting in this thread) but just looking it's actually a Battery MINDER) and a much more complicated larger model a Noco Genius. The B.M. says PulseMode Circuitry that automatically kicks in when charging is complete and the Noco has a special repair mode you select. The Noco specifically warns against running the repair mode while the battery is hooked up to the vehicle so I only use it on batteries not hooked up while my B.M. doesn't have such a warning so I use on batteries hooked to my cars. The B.M. has a maximum of 1a output while the Noco can go up to 3.5a.

LeftieBiker said:

It sounds like you're trying to use your Battery Tender while you're also charging the car. I wouldn't recommend that, because the built-in 12v converter is also trying to output 13-14 volts at that time.

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I do this all the time, and it works fine.

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Wow, I was so paranoid that when I have been connecting a Battery Minder, I have also been plugging the EVSE into the car, but also tripping the breaker to the EVSE (with the idea that having the EVSE connected and grounded, but off, would keep the DC/DC converter from running at all).

jjeff said:

AFAIK it's the original and being a '12 could be 5+ years old. I already have a spare Optima Yellow Top

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5+ year-old 12v battery? In Minnesota? I think it’s earned a quiet retirement. I’m in MSP MN, and I don’t know anyone who gets 5 years from a 12v battery, even in a garaged ICE. It can be dangerous when the 12v battery goes south in a Leaf, so I would just replace it.

specialgreen said:

jjeff said:

AFAIK it's the original and being a '12 could be 5+ years old. I already have a spare Optima Yellow Top

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5+ year-old 12v battery? In Minnesota? I think it’s earned a quiet retirement. I’m in MSP MN, and I don’t know anyone who gets 5 years from a 12v battery, even in a garaged ICE. It can be dangerous when the 12v battery goes south in a Leaf, so I would just replace it.

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Yep, I did that last weekend
Didn't go too bad, so I wouldn't lose programming and such I used clip leads to a smallish 12v gel-cell battery to the battery posts, so when I unhooked the old battery I still had 12v going to the car. I then removed the old battery, lifted in the new Optima 51R, hooked it up and finally removed the clip leads. Went very well, didn't lose anything and only took 30 or so minutes, all in all quite easy.
I had thought of back feeding the cigarette lighter with 12v but didn't want to leave the car ON during the procedure and the only way to make the lighter socket hot is to have the car ON. I was also worried if something shorted during the swap, lots of current could potentially backfeed through the lighter socket/circuit, something I would not want.
Checking my old battery I'd often times see voltages in the high 11s or even 10s, checking with the new Optima I'm always in the 12s, no it was time to replace the original battery
Still have the original in my '13, 4+ years old, suppose that will be next