2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Installing a Battery Tender sort of thing

[Matt42]

My truck doesn't get driven as much as it used to. So It sits, locked up in the back yard. To keep the two very large Odyssey AGM batteries charged up, I used a Battery Tender for a few years. It recently died due to a form of blunt force trauma brought on by a large Great Pyrenees. So I am replacing it with the Eastwood version that has 2 amp and 10 amp settings.



Now for my stupid question. I have always had the device hard-wired. The positive end went to one battery, and the negative end went to the other battery. Is this a bad idea? Or does it just not matter, what with the batteries being in parallel.



Thanks.

 

[DavidC]

My Battery tender hooked to one battery positive cable and the ground to a bolt on the turbo. It just looks at the battery as being very large and a common ground with both batteries going to the block anyway.



Dave

 

[jelag]

I own several of the cheep ones from harbor freight. keep one on the truck, garden tractor, 4 track, motorcycle etc. . etc... often for 5 or 6 months at a time. . I've wired in 2 wire connectors to the battery. . and have no problems even with the truck, but the batteries must be up before using this unit. . it will not charge...

I just pulled the motorcycle out of storage and it started fine after 6 months on the tender... .

 

[WestTN]

That hookup is fine. The batteries are in paralell.

 

[HHhuntitall]

... . same way the alternator is hooked up... . the hot goes to the driver side battery... as they are in parallel, they'll charge the same, as the grounds are unilateral, or looped, together..... With the ground to the driver battery, it might have a few tenths of a higher voltage when charging, but nothing to worry about.

 

[Allnew2Me]

The way you have it wired is fine and will probably charge both batteries more evenly. One thing to consider though, I know that with my BatteryTENDER (not Minder) when it is connected to the battery and not plugged in to house current, it draws from the battery and left in this state will actually drain the batteries. You might want to check the specific trickle-charger you have to make sure that it doesn't do this. Otherwise you might want to put in a switch or a diode to eliminate this parasitic draw when it is not plugged in and charging.

 

[HHhuntitall]

The way you have it wired is fine and will probably charge both batteries more evenly. One thing to consider though, I know that with my BatteryTENDER (not Minder) when it is connected to the battery and not plugged in to house current, it draws from the battery and left in this state will actually drain the batteries. You might want to check the specific trickle-charger you have to make sure that it doesn't do this. Otherwise you might want to put in a switch or a diode to eliminate this parasitic draw when it is not plugged in and charging.

Very good point.