# Maintaining battery through lighter plug?



## Capodosto (Nov 9, 2006)

I bought a Battery Tender Jr that I want to plug into my vehicle while it is sitting outside in the cold waiting for the snow to fall. I will only be plowing my own driveway, so the battery won't have a lot of time to recharge from the alternator and may get a lot of juice through the Tender. Can I just wire up a cigarette lighter plug and attach the Battery Tender that way? It will make life a lot easier and I will also never have to worry about accidentally driving away while plugged in because the wire will be right there in my face when I climb in. The gizmo comes with battery clips and a wire-in ring harness, but I can easily splice in a cigarette lighter plug if it will work.
Opinions?

Thanks,

Dan


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

As long as you cig lighter is hot with the key off (some are not) you can add the plug to your battery tender and plug'er right in.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

If the battery tender puts out more than 15 amps you could start a fire in the truck.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

It'll be ok,a battery tender wont put out more than 2 amps max,so it wont be a problem.


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## bryanj23 (Nov 17, 2006)

Or you could get an Optima battery and forget the whole mess.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

bryanj23;346322 said:


> Or you could get an Optima battery and forget the whole mess.


bryan, I'm just curious, why do you think that an Optima would solve all his problems? Any battery that set's idle in a vehicle will become discharged.An Optima's no different.


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## bryanj23 (Nov 17, 2006)

*Won't necessarily solve it but...*

Yes, every battery discharges but it takes 2-3 times longer for an Optima battery to discharge. I've even heard of people disconnecting the leads and having them work like new a year later.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

OK, I see your thinking, yes an Optima does have a longer STORAGE LIFE (which is when the battery is FULLY CHARGED AND DISCONNECTED from any electrical draw) but if it's connected to a vehicle that draw's a small amount of power all of the time (like most vehicle's built since the 80's) it will discharge just as any other battery would.


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## bryanj23 (Nov 17, 2006)

Had a friend in high school that ran his Optima completely dead running his stereo on acc. Turned the truck off for an hour and it started right up. They are a tough little battery! And if he went with a deep cycle battery the short charges wouldn't have as much effect on the life of the battery.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Yep,I agree, they are a tough battery.I've had one in my personal plow truck for 5 years.


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## WetChicken (Dec 23, 2006)

If you don't mind me offering the ideas that I have.
I personally use the 6-pole trailer connector on the back of my trucks. There is 12v there, and I have an Anderson Power Pole for the connection since I use it so much for ham radio. These are the same style that is used on electric pallet jacks/forklifts, etc. If I was to drive away, it would separate easily. The only problem that I am having is that the metal contacts are corroding since I left the trailer plug in. =]

In the fire department we have a couple of different solutions. One is a 120v all weather outlet near the drivers door. Disconnect that and the air line and you are ready for fire.
The other is a 120v all weather outlet near the drivers door. But wait, THERE'S MORE!!! There is a company that makes an auto-eject socket for the cord when you start it. 
Of course, you would have to hardwire these last two. BE DIALIN PEOPLE!!!  

The most probable solutions:
Run the extension cord in the drivers door and loop it in the sterring wheel.
You could wire it to the battery, and hang a pigtail out of the grill like they do a block heater. Hang the cord over the mirror.

Jason


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## WetChicken (Dec 23, 2006)

Make that a 7-pole. 
And they don't make a connector when you start it, it ejects when you start it. heh

Sorry, I was tired.


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## Yaz (Apr 13, 2005)

Capodosto;342749 said:


> I bought a Battery Tender Jr that I want to plug into my vehicle while it is sitting outside in the cold waiting for the snow to fall. I will only be plowing my own driveway, so the battery won't have a lot of time to recharge from the alternator and may get a lot of juice through the Tender. Can I just wire up a cigarette lighter plug and attach the Battery Tender that way? It will make life a lot easier and I will also never have to worry about accidentally driving away while plugged in because the wire will be right there in my face when I climb in. The gizmo comes with battery clips and a wire-in ring harness, but I can easily splice in a cigarette lighter plug if it will work.
> Opinions?
> 
> Thanks,
> ...


As long as the lighter plug is energized when the truck is off no problem. You'll know right away when the truck is off if the led on the tender stays red. it will go green in a day or two on a good battery that has been sitting for a month or so. I use one on a classic car I have and share the same unit with my Motorcycle and JD Tractor. I just have the connectors they give you. And buy the way I forgot it was there a few times and they pup out with no damage.


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## Lawnscape89 (Nov 28, 2005)

WetChicken;346714 said:


> The only problem that I am having is that the metal contacts are corroding since I left the trailer plug in.


Put some Fluid Film on the contacts and you won't have the problem in the future.


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

WetChicken;346714 said:


> The only problem that I am having is that the metal contacts are corroding since I left the trailer plug in. =]


I use di-electric grease on my trailer plugs, as well as my plow plugs, and the always come appart easily and have no corrosion. I even use it on my boat trailer wiring and jet ski trailer wiring and they have never had a problem either, even going in salt water


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## WetChicken (Dec 23, 2006)

Lawnscape89;347323 said:


> Put some Fluid Film on the contacts and you won't have the problem in the future.


On the battery too? Is this stuff good for a sex lube, also? 


spittincobra01;347407 said:


> I use di-electric grease on my trailer plugs, as well as my plow plugs, and the always come appart easily and have no corrosion. I even use it on my boat trailer wiring and jet ski trailer wiring and they have never had a problem either, even going in salt water


I use it on everything too, I don't know why I never though to use it on this. Thanks for the reminder!


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## BPK63 (Sep 6, 2006)

My truck sits idle in the driveway most of the time. I just make sure I take it for a ride on the weekend to the local home improvement store or up over the hill on the back roads for a ride or something. That way it keeps running good and I don't have to worry about the battery.


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

no prob


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