If you store your car for the winter you need one of these. Been using something similar to these for a few years but am picking up a CTEK this year due to the extra features. They’re all cheaper than a new battery…
All are designed to use with 6v, 12v, and your AGM batteries (Optima, Odyssey, etc) and use smart charging technology to make sure you don’t overcharge your battery. These things are pretty amazing as for example, the 7002 does the same thing as other cart-mounted chargers do, but in a case the size of a small shoe.
The 7002 gives you all the features of the 4.3 but also allows you to “recondition” batteries that can bring a completely dead battery back to life most of the time. It also gives you a few more status LED’s so you can see what level the battery is charged to. CTEK Multi 7002 Battery Charger - Maximal Performance - Mitsubishi Performance Parts
Are these needed when you take the battery out and store it inside?
I ask because since I was 15 I’ve been doing that with boat batteries and never had an issue with one being stored without a tender. I make sure the terminals are clean then toss it in the corner in the basement until spring. I know it’s different than leaving it in a car since cars will have some battery draw just sitting, with some modern cars drawing enough to kill a batter in a just a few weeks of storage.
Not as needed but if it happens to lose a charge for some reason then freeze you’re screwed. I had a couple batteries die out of the car like that until I finally broke down and bought one of these, no issues since.
I think I’m going to pick up the first one to keep my battery from dying this winter. It’s already fully charged/functional so I’m assuming that is the one to go for?
Any of them will work for that. If you go to the 4.3 you get charge capabilities and if you go with the 7002 you get charging with the recondition mode.
I gotta get one for over the winter. If I take the battery out or let it drain down while in the car my tune goes with it. I no longer have a functional laptop so I have to borrow one. Not letting it get that low is my best option.
