I will be going out of state for several months and am afraid of my battery dying while Im gone. Mainly due to the alarm not being able to monitor the truck if the battery is dead. I thought of hooking up a trickle charger but dont know if and how long it can run. Is there a device that I can buy for this purpose just to keep the battery topped off while Im gone?

 

Do you have a close friend or know of anyone that might be able to start it for you every now and then? You may also want someone to drive it around the block so that it just does not sit idle for a long period of time.

 

Yes I do, Im just trying to keep from having to do that. Just trying to find if there is a device that will keep it charged.

 

In that case, you may want to look at a battery tender then. Something like this?

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

 

Thanks. That seems like it will work.

 

You can install a solar trickle charger, most of them will automatically shut off if the voltage is good.

 

The problem with some trickle chargers is they will constantly try to shove a charge into the battery, causing problems if left on long term.

The one I use is the BatteryMinder mod 12248.
http://www.thebatteryminder.com/12v-...2%AE-p-58.html

this is has multi battery support ( Glass Mat, sealed, filler cap types ) a temperature probe ( vary the charge depending on the temp of the battery ) and an auto desulfate mode.

I had used trickle chargers on my bikes, and would get about 3 to 4 years out of a battery tops ( some winters the bike sits for more then 30 days ).

When I got my 2002 ZG, I got one of these, and I still have the factory battery in it, and I run heated clothing and fog lamps on the bike ( = not nice to this battery even more so ). 6 years on a bike battery with heating clothing is nothing short of a amazing.

Just another option to think of.

 

Starting a vehicle on a regular basis over many months, in the hope that it'll keep the battery voltage up, regardless of how long it idles, isn't going to do much [at all].... especially when it gets to a dangerously low operating voltage. Ever jumped a [dead] vehicle, let it idle for a few minutes, shut it down - without driving - and tried to fire it back up again? It ain't gonna' happen...

The second sentence is correct, however, not for the reason your outlined - and I'd recommend driving a little more than just "... around the block." for a noticeable effect. A vehicle's alternator sends charge to the battery under boost [revolutions], and that happens when that vehicle's being driven. Ever tried to jump start a dead battery on one vehicle without reving the vehicle with the "good" battery? Similar situation...

Now it's true that there is a very minute trickle charge [low current voltage] that's being transmitted at vehicle idle via the alternator to the battery, but it would take several hours of operation for this to take any noticeable effect under the aforementioned conditions.... hence the near uslesss act of letting a vehicle sit at idle.

If that isn't an option for you, then both SSCULLY's and hivoltagefx4's link seems like a winner.

Good luck and have a safe trip.

 

Other thing, need to get the vehicle up to operating temp to remove all the moisture from the xhst system, else it will puddle in there, and cause a problem ( unless 100% T-706 SS ).

Most of the factory systems are SS now, but the muffler itself could have common metal in the material.

 

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

And, you'd like to spread the lubricants around. Not to mention exercizing the hydraulic systems (power steering, brakes). Those deteriorate quickly if not used on a regular basis. The same advice applies for the air conditioner. Its seals dry out if not exercised.

Finally, unless you jack your vehicle up, your tires can develop "flat spots" that may or may not completely disappear.

Overall, our toys are meant to be driven.

- Jack