battery tender was plugged in... now battery is stone cold dead! Did I kill the car?

Sounds like you need a new battery, but I'd call Deltran and explain the situation.

 

I'd guess it's time for a new battery... but check your main fuses also.

 

How is the battery tender connected to the car? I wouldn't bother checking fuses unless it is connected through the fuse panel, via a cigarette lighter or something.

If it is connected directly to the battery via the pig tail or clamps, I would immediately suspect a shorted battery.
Replace the battery, then drive the car to an auto parts house that will perform a free electrical test to confirm your alternator was not contributing to the battery failure.

 

There is no normal reason for any charger to get hot. Warm yes but never hot. And 3 years is about normal battery life.

Change battery AND charger and make certain charger is fused per manufacturer's numbers.

 

I have been laughed at by people here for warning against using those things, with most everyone arguing they never fail. Well, they do fail, and when they fail it can be catastrophic. Your lucky you found it before it set your car on fire and burned your garage down, because that's where it was headed. Seriously, I couldnt sleep at night with one of those things hooked to anything I own. Ive seen the results firsthand. My family, our lives, and our home is worth a lot more than a dead car battery.

 

I guess I missed the reason for one of these. I replaced my battery in 1999 when I got the car and it usually sits all winter unless it is a nice day and I drive it. I don't use a charger nor do I use any fuel stablizer. It has never let me down and now that I use it every day there still is no problem. Battery still takes a charge and runs at 13-14 volts. I realize I am now on borrowed time but that is only due to age. So I would think the only reason for a tender is because you have a leakage (short) in the car and it is taking out your battery. I would fix he source 1st and then you won't need the tender. My 2C. Enjoy the ride

 

A failure mode of the Deltran battery tender (aka "Super Smart") in some instances is to overheat (not to 1000 degrees as was posted, but uncomfortable to the touch). The unit stops charging the battery at this point, but continues to draw enough current from the wall to keep the unit VERY warm. This won't result in anything "catastrophic", & shouldn't even be hot enough for the unit to melt vinyl if it is sitting on such a surface.

Can you provide further details on the results of Deltran battery tenders causing fires or other damage that you have seen firsthand?

 

:O :O :O
Wow! So your car can sit all winter and not go dead? What kind of battery do you have, and does your analog clock still work? Do you have a radio with a clock or CD player or an old AM/FM two poster? Having both of those in mine (the former more than the latter) I've always thought to be sufficient to explain why it runs down eventually. I park my car in about November and get it back out in April or May.

P.S.- as for concern about this particular device malfunctioning and burning your house down... I also worry about my refrigerator, that flourescent light I leave on 24/7, my computer, my stereo and my air conditioner/furnace! But I don't unplug them when I leave home...

 

In almost 49 years, I cant recall another everyday electrical appliance more prone to burning itself up than a battery charger. Out of over a dozen chargers over the years, I had one catch fire, another two that smoked profusely and got VERY hot, and one that turned the 12 volt leads red hot and burned the insulation off. And a few other people I know over the years had had them go up in smoke as well. In comparison, I have never seen a home appliance burn up. Quit yes, burn no.

The failure mode of a Ferrari wont result in burning it to the ground either, but they have and they do. Why would you want to put a fire prone appliance into a fire prone car? Regardless of what the failure mode "should be", many times Murphy has other ideas.

 

Not a battery tender, but a "smart" charger when left io overnight caused a fire in the best paint shop in our area that destroyed a city block.

Since that happened, I charge my battery when it needs it, when I am there, and check on it frequently. Not as convenient, but having your house burn is also not convenient

 

Take your old one with you... they'll test it for you.

 

So you are saying you have never seen this occur with a Deltran product (known as a battery tender - NOT a battery charger)?

I have personal experience with a Snap-On charger with a "smart" mode causing a battery to explode after approx 4 hours on charge.

 

Sounds like a plan to me. Then I'd go to Sears. If you're not on the Optima bandwagon (I'm not), my recollection of a Consumer Reports battery test a couple of years ago was that DieHards scored in the top 1 or 2 in all of the sizes they tested. They also have a machine there that they use to qualify your battery for warranty replacement; they can hook it up and while you shop they can confirm 100% for you that it's beyond salvation.

 

In my experiance, once a battery is completly discharged as your battery is, it's not worth the hassel to deal with. They NEVER are the same after. And you can bet, when it fails, it will be at midnight, cold as hell and raining....with your girlfriend or wife in the passanger seat....



Darrell.

 

Probably a bad battery cable. Jiggle them at the connections with a meter and see if it fails. Mine did that; looking at it you'd have no idea it was bad!

Ken

 

For the almost neglectable amount a new battery cost, I fully support DMOORE.
A battery that was fully discharged is damaged and will never recover to its old state.

Hearing as to what happened: "battery empty but not short circuited", "charger superhot but still working afterwards", my guess is that you connected your charger the wrong way, plus and minus interchanged.
So instead of charging your battery, you completely discharged your battery with the 6A or so that your charger can supply. A continous current of 6 Amp into zero volt is more than enough to make your charger as hot as hell.
Seems to me the only logical explaination.

 

This sounds like you might have a couple of things. If you normally connect with a cigarette lighter plug, be aware that some of them aren't all that solid, and they can short. That would drain your battery (or kill the lighter fuse) and heat your charger.

It also sounds like the "positive connector in the engine bay" isn't making contact with your battery -- thus unable to charge in the car, but okay out of the car.

 

Now drive it back and have the alternator tested to confirm that the alternator is charging correctly.

 

Is it necessary to use the trickle charger every time you park the car? Or only if you don't drive for an extended period of time?

The most I've gone is 2 weeks without driving and my F430 has started fine. Car is 2005.

In my M3 I usually only drove once a week...sometimes two weeks and car started fine each time and the stock battery lasted 6 years and was still good when I simply decided to replace it with an Odyssey 925 I believe. This battery works good too.