ThunderStruck007

Has anyone used a trickle charger on their truck?
Should it be connected directly to the battery? On my car, it has a IBS (Intelligent battery sensor) and chargers are NOT to be directly to the battery, but through a positive/negative posts that run through the IBS so the car knows how much the battery is charger. Our trucks don't have anything like this, correct?

I drive my truck pretty frequently and do take it on the highway, so the alternator does get a chance to charge the battery.
However, I do use a CTEK 3300 (great product + highly recommended BTW) on my BMW that I also drive pretty regularly but sometimes not as much over the winter. I used it on my car for 4 years now with great success. I've had my BMW sit in my garage for up to 2-3 weeks at a time without driving it, and with the trickle charger and a 6 year old battery, still fires right up after sitting.

With the cold weather arriving here in the NE, and my truck has been sitting for 3 or 4 days without me driving it, and with it being 3+ years old (2015) I am thinking, why not hook up my trickle charger to my truck and "top" off my battery. Can't hurt right?
Thoughts?

tvsjr

Yes, the F150 has had a battery management system for a number of years. You should connect the charger where the sensor "sees" the current flow into the battery. There are a few different types of sensors, so YMMV. You can also disable the BMS, as I've done (since I have a second, isolated battery to power the technical equipment). A charger won't hurt anything - I have a Kussmaul dual-battery charger to keep both of mine charged.

I would suggest being careful on the type of charger. Some of the "trickle" chargers are just that... constant voltage, no current limiting. These will cook a battery. A smart charger is strongly recommended, and make sure whatever you choose supports AGM batteries if you have one in your truck.

BadAV

The Ctek 3300 is a battery maintainer. I also have one and it works better than the Battery Tender Plus that I use at the farm.

BareBonesXL

Just curious...how do you know that the Ctek works "better"? I just went through the whole internet/Google/Amazon/read reviews and specs process and bought a Battery Tender Plus. Actually bought the old style, with the ten year warranty and years of history.

Not arguing, just discussing. If you have a "smart" charger you can leave it hooked up indefinitely, apparently. Not an electronics expert, just read a lot. http://www.batterytender.com/float-charging

BadAV

I have used both to maintain the same Optima Red Top battery at different times. The Ctek has different charge modes, and that helps with AGM batteries that need to be charged at a higher voltage. I have also had the Battery Tender Plus show signs of overcharging a regular lead acid battery - small amounts of acid on the top of the battery - and have never seen this with the Ctek. I have a Vette that stays on the maintainer in the winter when it doesn't get driven much, and have used both on it.

ThunderStruck007

Do our trucks have special "posts" or areas to connect under the hood other than the direct to the battery? What you mention is exactly the same concept as my BMW and hooking the charger directly to the battery is a big no-no. I didn't realize our trucks were just as smart and had similar features. Its freezing cold and I am not going outside to get my owners manual to check to see if it is in there haha!
Where have you connected your chargers at?

The CTEK units are some of the best chargers on the market IMO. They are smart, and will not overcharge a battery.
I don't know if this is 100% correct, but I believe once they get to 90% charge or so, it goes into a type of 'maintenance mode' where the charger will charge it full, then let it drain a little and keeping the battery topped off. I honestly forget the exact specifics but the CTEKs are "smart" in this sense and won't ruin or overcharge a battery. Many high end manufacturers - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, etc. all use re-branded CTEKs are their own chargers. I paid $55-60 for my CTEK 3300... the EXACT same unit with a Ferrari sticker on it, is like $300! Haha!

Before I bought the CTEK, I looked at mnay on the market and Battery Tender Plus one of the other highly rated ones, however, BMW along with many other companies, as I listed above, have switched to and recommend the CTEK's. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with the Battery Tender Plus, but I think they may operating a little differently than the CTEKs, with the CTEKs being a superior product in my type of application from all the research and question asking I did back when I bought it.

I just want to connect my CTEK to my truck and "top off" my battery, as it will only be a positive (pun intended!) and can't hurt my truck at all... as long as I connect it correctly to my truck - so just looking for clarification on proper connection. Once connected, I'll let it plugged into my truck for a day or so, or until I get the "Green light" indicating the battery is full. 2015 XLT 5.0.

tvsjr

The Battery Tenders are competent products, and are smart. They tend to be a little more expensive, because they have the name (then again, my charger was almost $1K, so maybe they aren't so bad). I would be very careful of the various Amazon offerings that are made of the finest alloys of Chinesium.

tvsjr

Depends on the model year. The 2015, if memory serves, is a Hall-effect sensor around the ground clamp. Some of the newer trucks have the sensor built into the positive clamp.

My charger is (or rather, will be... the build is currently in progress) will be mounted in the rear of the truck under the topper and will be directly connected to the two battery systems (which are isolated when the truck isn't running). Since I have the BMS disabled, I don't have to worry as much about where I connect things.

Any good charger should be 4-stage (initialization, bulk charge, absorption, and float), ideally with a safety timer (which will shut the charger down if it stays in one of the modes longer than some number of hours... prevents a fire).

BareBonesXL

I almost bought a CTek but then, of course, I found a story about one burning up. Went with the long-term proven product, I had a Battery Tender before, about 20 years old, but I think it fell in to my recycle bin (crowded garage). It's just a step up from an old Schauer trickle-charger that I inherited.

wreedsvt

iTrader: (1)

I just disabled BMS and it also kills A.S.S. too.