# Battery Tender...Connections...



## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

I have two cars that I store through the Winter...in the past, I just changed out the same batter tender between cars every few weeks or so...
This Winter, I decided to pick up one of the Harbor Freight float charges...the kind that just hold the battery topped off (as long as it starts that way) through the Winter...or so I thought...
I went out to the GTO just now and the little light was off for the float charge holder...I changed it over to the other car and the light came back on...
I tried my Deltran Battery Tender from the other car on the GTO and I keep getting the flashing red light telling me my connections are not good...this isn't my first time but what might I be doing wrong...I don't doubt the battery on the GTO is dead now but what's up...
Red to positive on the battery (either post) and black to any unpainted steel I can find and I still get the flashing red light telling me I am not connected properly...
Any help would sure be appreciated...
Bill


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

figured part of it out...dead battery...Deltran Battery Tender Plus has a protection circuit in it so it won't charge...jumped the GTO battery from the other car...and it was enough of a charge after letting it run for a while to let the Battery Tender Plus begin its work...
Now to find out why my float charger from Harbor Freight (highly talked about as being a good piece of kit elsewhere) did not hold a charge on the GTO this Winter...
The float charger is showing that it is holding the charge on the other car...for now...
Bill


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

The instruction manual that came with my Deltran stated if the battery is in a dead state the tender will not charge it. The battery has to have a minimum amount of life left to it for the tender to work. If the battery is that bad off it may be time to replace it?

Harbor Freight sells A LOT of junk. Ya gotta beware buying certain things in that place. Many many years ago I bought a breaker bar, first time I went to use it, it bent right in half.


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

thanks Judge...I bought my GTO in 2007...they replaced the Battery with a Delco Professional 84 month (I think)...anyway...never a problem EXCEPT with using this battery float...once I got her started and it ran a bit...there was enough juice in the GTO to get the Battery Tender Plus going on it...thanks...
As for the Harbor Freight battery float...it was recommended on some other sites as a cheap (I found out how cheap it is) alternative to another Battery Tender...I know where my money is going from now on...first thing I had ever bought at Harbor Freight (new store near home)...thanks again.
Bill


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

There is a lot of debate regarding peoples preferences on batteries. Optima being the choice of many. I installed Delco's Professional battery (top o de line) in my wifes G/A and it kicks arz. One touch of the key and it starts right up even after sitting all night in single digits. For the money it can't be beat. (100$). One will be going in the goat once the time is at hand.
I put Delco's med line in my 4Runner back in 2004. The runner is a back up vehicle and it sits for long periods of time. It still turns right over even after sitting 2 months in sub freezing weather, and 3 months of hot summer weather. Once in a while I will throw it on a tender. 
The tender is a must have for anyone.


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

I agree your Honor...I have been using Delco exclusively in my cars and trucks since 1985 without a single regret...thanks again...
Bill


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## 06goatm6 (Dec 5, 2008)

I have two or three of those float chargers from Harbor Freight. Whenever they are hooked up the red light comes on, always. They kept my 94 Formula, my dads 72 Grandsport, and his 89 Jimmy all charged this winter. I agree they do sell some junk there, but as far as my luck has been with these they work just fine.


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## ppurfield001 (Jan 21, 2008)

silversport said:


> I agree your Honor...I have been using Delco exclusively in my cars and trucks since 1985 without a single regret...thanks again...
> Bill


Bill, I bought a battery tender from Griot's Garage (griotsgarage.com) for my 1967 Goat. When I first got the car last year, I ran down the battery by flooding the carb (forgot how to use the choke in my subsequently rebuilt Q-Jet carb). This tender recharged the battery from almost zero, no sweat. Just my two cents. Regards Paul.


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

Hey thanks guys...the Deltran Battery Tender Plus recharged the GTO battery to full (took two days) and the red light is still on for the other car...I was doing some electrical work in my basement...possible that I tripped something on the Battery Float...it seems to be working fine right now...red light is lit...
Bill


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