How-to

How to Keep Car Battery Charged When Not in Use

If you plan on not using your vehicle for a long period of time the battery will lose its charge. There are ways you can prevent this from happening though.

How to Keep a Car Battery Charged When Not in Use

Use a Car Battery Float Charger

What is a float charger?

A float charger will charge a car battery at the same rate that it discharges. This will maintain the battery at full capacity.

What’s the difference between a float charger vs trickle charger?

The float charger has circuitry that prevents it from overcharging a battery. Trickle chargers do not have the same circuits.

What is the Best Float Charger?

Battery Tender makes some of the most reliable float chargers out there. The Battery Tender Plus is highly rated and will maintain your car battery during long-term storage.

How to use a float charger:

Step 1: Disconnect the positive and negative cables from the battery.

Step 2: (Optional) Remove the battery from your vehicle and set it near a power outlet. You don’t have to remove the battery unless the vehicle is sitting outside in cold weather. Cold temperatures are bad for batteries!

Step 3: Attach the clamps from the float charger on the battery terminals.

Step 4: Plug the float charger into the power outlet.