[NYTMARE23]

I know this is early(for me anyways). I've been "storing" my car each winter from around Halloween time until Mid to end of May. This will be the 4th time coming up this year. My specific question is, do I NEED or HAVE to disconnect the negative cable from the battery when putting my trickle/maintenance/ tender charger on it during that time span. I've been seeing/reading people doing it BOTH ways with no specific advantage or disadvantage for doing it. I'd rather not if I don't NEED to but it it's not hard TO do it if it's "better" fir the battery/car. I prefer not to do under the hood to the posts due to the set up of my garage. I prefer hooking the tender directly to the battery. It's a finished garage(3rd stall)with a ceiling mounted corner heater which helps in the winter, but obviously freezing cold air comes in each time we go out the double garage until the door closes and the heater catches up again.
Thanks for any and all input!

[MT-SS1LE]

I don't disconnect the negative battery cable on mine and have never had an issue. Battery drain would be less if it were disconnected, but that's not an issue if you have a maintainer on it 24/7.

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by MT-SS1LE

I don't disconnect the negative battery cable on mine and have never had an issue. Battery drain would be less if it were disconnected, but that's not an issue if you have a maintainer on it 24/7.

Makes sense! Thanks for the input!. I have been disconnecting it each winter but I recently asked myself....do I NEED to do it?...so that's why I posted. Thanks again!

[bishopts]

With it connected the car is still partially awake. Using low amounts of energy to keep things ready for action. The battery minder inputs more than the car is consuming in that state. With it disconnected the only loss is from just static degradation of the battery alone. The minder will overcome that easier so in theory the amount needed to input over time will be much less. It's not something so dramatic that you will see it in your electric bill but it will be a difference.
With the minder plugged in and not even on a battery it will consume home energy. Pretty close to what a phone charger uses when plugged in but not to a phone. So if you wanted to further reduce consumption. Disconnect the negative cable and on the first of each month put the minder on the battery for the day and remove it at the end of the day. But like i said, it wont be much noticed in the bill.
The downside to disconnecting is your ecm and tcm have to relearn fuel trims, shift patterns, throttle positioning, lots of driving characteristics that you dont realize were there. It will do it naturally and is constantly fine tuning it anyway so it's not that big of a deal.

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by bishopts

With it connected the car is still partially awake. Using low amounts of energy to keep things ready for action. The battery minder inputs more than the car is consuming in that state. With it disconnected the only loss is from just static degradation of the battery alone. The minder will overcome that easier so in theory the amount needed to input over time will be much less. It's not something so dramatic that you will see it in your electric bill but it will be a difference.
With the minder plugged in and not even on a battery it will consume home energy. Pretty close to what a phone charger uses when plugged in but not to a phone. So if you wanted to further reduce consumption. Disconnect the negative cable and on the first of each month put the minder on the battery for the day and remove it at the end of the day. But like i said, it wont be much noticed in the bill.
The downside to disconnecting is your ecm and tcm have to relearn fuel trims, shift patterns, throttle positioning, lots of driving characteristics that you dont realize were there. It will do it naturally and is constantly fine tuning it anyway so it's not that big of a deal.

Thank you for the information! Appreciate it!

[JT6Speed]

Yeah I've never disconnected the terminal on this car, or any other for that matter. I hook it up to the "tap off" under the hood as I like to call it. Either way, as long as you got juice going in all winter, it should fire right up in the spring and roar to life

[2SS Capt]

Just leave it connected, the tender will way outweigh any minute power being used by the car... Keep it simple...

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by JT6Speed

Yeah I've never disconnected the terminal on this car, or any other for that matter. I hook it up to the "tap off" under the hood as I like to call it. Either way, as long as you got juice going in all winter, it should fire right up in the spring and roar to life

Sounds good to me!. That first roar in the spring is something, isn't it!??

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by 2SS Capt

Just leave it connected, the tender will way outweigh any minute power being used by the car... Keep it simple...

I definitely like keeping it simple, if possible!. Thanks!

[knighti2]

I have used my tender / conditioner on everything from Silverado 1500, 2500, Camaro, Cadillac BW, BMW and a Lexus so far.
It has been on them anywhere from a week to few months. Never disconnected negative terminal and never had an issue. As the Capt says KISS always seems to outweigh any possible negatives I have found 99% of the time.

[NYTMARE23]

Originally Posted by knighti2

I have used my tender / conditioner on everything from Silverado 1500, 2500, Camaro, Cadillac BW, BMW and a Lexus so far.
It has been on them anywhere from a week to few months. Never disconnected negative terminal and never had an issue. As the Capt says KISS always seems to outweigh any possible negatives I have found 99% of the time.

Sounds good!. Thank you!