i have a 92 yukon that i leave in co in the summer & rarely use the rest of the year at home....i never disconnect the cables...i think i have bought 2 new batteries for it. now has about 68k mi's, so has done a lot of sitting.

Posting Pat Goss's Response Original Post
 

FWIW, I'm posting the email response that I recieved from pat Goss:

A "Trickle Charger" is a VERY BAD IDEA! A trickle charger supplies a constant charge to the battery --- it never completely shuts off. Even very small amounts of electricity going into a battery over a long period of time will overcharge it and eventually kill it.

The real answer is not a trickle charger but a "Battery Maintainer". A battery maintainer differs from a trickle charger in that it senses the battery's state of charge and when the battery is fully charged it turns itself off. As the battery continues to sit it will self discharge and when it becomes slightly discharged the maintainer turns back on. Essentially it works like the car's own charging system.

Battery Maintainers cost considerably more than trickle chargers but are well worth the extra money. A trickle charger can be purchased for just a few dollars (one local company has an ad in the paper for a 1/10 amp trickle charger for $3.99 and don't even list a maintainer.

I own a C-5 Corvette that sits in my garage all winter and I use a maintainer to keep the battery alive and well. My maintainer came from Griots Garage and cost $39.00 still cheap in my book. It has kept the battery in great shape for three years. I also have one that I use on my motorcycle with the same results. www.griotsgarage.com

Sincerely,
Pat Goss

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9421 Smith Avenue
Lanham-Seabrook, MD 20706-4045
301-577-9200
[email protected]
www.patgosscarworld.com

Moderator: I don't know if it's a FT faux pas by mentioning Mr. Goss above. If yes, please take appropriate action to redack my posting above. Thanks