fEArmE

Since I have another car as the daily driver, I am not driving the A6 as often. I start it up for 5-10 minutes every 3 days and I am sure it is insufficient to keep the battery charged up. In addition to the current ball freezing temperature, I am thinking to get a battery tender to keep the battery charged up. I understand my other option is to remove the battery and prevent it from frozen but right now, I am trying to avoid this route. Has anyone had any experience with a battery tender? Is it ok to leave the battery tender connected to the car for long period of time? (a week or two)

This is the battery tender i found on amazon.com. It has pretty good review.


Appreciate in advance for any feedback.

Thank you.

PJRed2008

CTEK Multi US 3300. I have used this all winter on my Corvette when I had it. It autocharges, maintains, etc. Hook it up and forget it. Also has QD connectors so you can leave the wiring in the car and use the charger on another vehicle.

mwar99

Agreed. When I had my Corvette I used the same thing. Much smaller than the batter tender and very easy to use.

dicktahoe

Agreed: The CTEK 3300 is identical to the Optional Charger for Aston-Martin which costs >$150.

If you anticipate more than "Maintaining charge", which the 3300 will do very well (~$55 on Amazon) look at their top-of-the-line:

fEArmE

Thanks for the recommendation guys. I ordered the ctek 3300. For now, i do not need anything more than just maintaining battery charge.

Thanks!

DeerHunter

Yes, by all means, use a battery tender. And don't start your car for just a few minutes at a time. Cold starts dilute the oil with fuel and create unnecessary wear-and-tear. Unless you can drive it until the oil is warm (which burns off contaminants, like fuel), just leave it be.

fEArmE

Thanks for the advise. My plan is to drive the car at least once a week when the snow is clear.

James517

Long term battery tender shouldn't be a problem. If you want an extra layer of protection, add a timer so it only comes on for an hour per day (that's all it really needs and then can't over charge).

I'd reconsider running the car for 5-10 minutes. This will probably do a lot more damage by introducing water into the engine than just letting it sit. Just run it every few weeks long enough to fully warm the engine and boil off any moisture that got in the crankcase.

DeerHunter

That's a good strategy for a standard battery charger. A tender is designed to only charge once battery voltage drops below a predetermined point (i.e. when it requires charging). There is absolutely no harm in leaving it permanently attached (well, at least until you drive the car again).

PJRed2008

Agree. You do not hook up a timer to a CTEK or similiar tender.