Automotive advice from The Under the Hood® Show
Dear Motor Medics, I have several vehicles and only one driver in the house, me; 13 vehicles in all plus another five ATVs, two Jet Skis and three boats. I’m a collector, lover of vehicles, and maybe a number of other things but they all run well and I enjoy having them around.
My question is about batteries. It seems like I am always replacing batteries. I charge each one up using several chargers I have every couple months, but they seem to go dead every year or two. I use the small chargers at one amp and let them charge overnight.
A few of the older cars seem to stay fully charged but the newer ones with computers are dead anywhere from three weeks to two months.
What can I do to keep them charged longer.
David in Tyler Dear David, Dead batteries and keeping them from going dead have been a lifelong pursuit of vehicle owners since the beginning of vehicles.
Vehicles with computers will draw more power even if they are shut down than a vehicle without a computer but they all will gradually go dead.
Make sure that any charger you use is a battery maintainer, not a trickle charger. Trickle chargers will break down a battery if used too long causing overcharging and damage. Use a maintainer and leave it connected when the vehicle is not being used. They are usually less than $40 each and keep batteries conditioned for many years.
Take care, The Motor Medics
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