Newbe Trickel Charge Question

[Finsfan]

Hi guys,
I just purchased my first dream car, a 2000 Dodge Viper GTS Steel Gray with Silver strips in cherry condition and only 10k. It a beast. So while I'm waiting for my VCA activation to occur I figure I would though out my first question. Please don't laugh to hard. Where the heck is the battery? I only plan of putting between 2-3k per year on it and want to set up a trickle charger. Anyone have any ideas or illustrations that might help?

Best regards,

Frank

 

[Roysviper]

The battery is in the rear inner fender on the drivers side. You have to pull the rear tire off and take the screws that hold the panel out and there is your battery, but to put a trickle charger on it raise the hood and there are two terminals on the drivers side, black and red. You can hook up the trickle charger there. Those are the terminals for battery charging, jumping, etc. They have a black and red plastic cap on them. It shows all this in your owners manual. You will love being in the VCA and meeting the nicest, best people on the planet and that is the great people who own and drive these awesome cars. ENJOY!!!

 

[okloneranger]

Smart move getting a battery tender plus. The computer in these cars will, overtime, drain and shorten battery life if you don't drive everyday. Using a battery tender when not driving for even a week really helps. A week here, a week there, eventually add up for most of us who don't "daily drive". Welcome to the Viper Nation.

 

[Finsfan]

Thanks for the feed back, sounds like it will be a lot easier to hook up then I though.

 

[IEATVETS]

Welcome to the SG/SS club, best color ever to be put on a Viper. Bar none!!

 

[eucharistos]

congrats, good noob question, consider getting a service manual if your are a wrencher

 

[eucharistos]

Smart move getting a battery tender plus. The computer in these cars will, overtime, drain and shorten battery life if you don't drive everyday. Using a battery tender when not driving for even a week really helps. A week here, a week there, eventually add up for most of us who don't "daily drive". Welcome to the Viper Nation.

good info, thanks

 

[FikseGTS]

any recommendations on a battery tender?

 

[autoreality]

I won't pretend I know anything yet about a charger. I'm still pretty wet behind the ears. I do know what it feels like to finally get the dream car. I just got mine home in February. Congrats and Enjoy.

 

[Finsfan]

any recommendations on a battery tender?

I'll try a throw together a poll and see what the majority of our club members prefer.

 

[BlknBlu]

Try this link. I use the VTEK with no issues.

http://forums.viperclub.org/srt10-srt10-coupe-discussions/621600-battery-tender.html

Bruce

 

[Finsfan]

Thanks Bruce, the link works great and tons of useful information and photo's.

 

[Olddudesrule]

I've always installed a Battery Tender (Deltran) on every vehicle I've owned that doesn't get used on a regular basis. Just installed a pigtail on my recently purchased GTS, and as was recommended, I hooked it up to the positive terminal under the hood by the power box, and to the negative terminal underneath. I ran the other end behind the powerbox, and zip tied it to the large wore loom just inside the hood opening by the front of the driver's door. Easy to hook up and unhook.

The one thing I did notice, is is seems to take a bit longer to fully charge hooked up in that location. I've always hooked the pigtails up directly to the battery, but chose to do it the other way this time for ease and convenience. Don't know if it's because of the increased distance to the battery, but either way, it fully charges and goes into trickly mode within 6-8 hours after a ride.

Go with the Deltran Battery Tender. I use a multi-station so I can hook up my bike at the same time.

 

[Paul Hawker]

Many people hook up the battery tender connector to the front terminals, and run the wire out through the "gill" openings on the drivers side. You can use one tender on several vehicles this way. (just not at the same time)

Makes hook up and removal a 15 second deal.

Be sure to put a yellow stickey note on your dash to remind you to disconnect the tender before driving away : >)

 

[Martin]

When hooking up to the positive terminal near the relay box, be careful with that nut... When you're torquing on it, you can break it and that is a ticket to a whole new wiring harness. If you can clamp to it, or splice into it without removing the nut, you might save yourself some grief.

 

[eucharistos]

on my todo list for tonight was to wire a cig lighter plug to my tender,

this will work, yes



tia

 

[carguy07]

As long as the socket is always on it works great, used this on my Gen I for years.

You must be registered for see images

Cigarette Lighter Adaptor - Batterytender.com

 

[BlknBlu]

Mine is wired directly to the battery on my 09 ACR. The unit is then Velcro'd on the aluminum panel from inside the battery opening just above the rear Air fins and then the cord is Zip tied to a small circular opening in the frame where I attach an extension cord.

Bruce

 

[eucharistos]

As long as the socket is always on it works great, used this on my Gen I for years.

You must be registered for see images

Cigarette Lighter Adaptor - Batterytender.com

thanks carguy07 for the fast reply, i just pushed in the cig lighter w/o a key in the ignition, and she fired up, so i guess it is hot

going to wire it up