another winter storage item. i don't have a battery tender in the CS. unfortunately, the CS cuts the connection to the cig-lighter socket in the cockpit, so you can't simply use one of the nice porsche, or so-equipped deltran chargers that way. so that means that to install a trickle charger i'd need to tap the battery (or maybe those two leads that seem to talk to the battery up where the factory-installed battery charger goes (i didn't get that option) in the boot. i'm not much of a wrench, and have a very small window to deal with this (like, 36 hours or so), so it ain't going into the shop for someone else to do this. the car will be sitting for 70-80 days and the battery was presumably born sometime in august (ie: it's new). i have the following options and would very much appreciate any advice: (1) flip the battery disconnect switch to off. don't worry about it. it should retain more than enough charge to start the car up in 70-80 days. (2) leave everything as-is. it's not a long enough time to worry about. don't do a damn thing. (3) get a battery tender tomorrow and be a man: figure out how to wire it up - it just isn't rocket science. or be a woosie and get the one with the little clips and you're all set. #3 is of course the right answer, but i'm curious if anybody can tell me whether #1 or #2 are feasible answers - just in case thanks! doody PS: can someone with a CS or 360 who has faced this tell me if those two posts in that far section of the boot where the factory charger connection goes are in fact live-wired up to the battery? would a trickle charger connection be as trivial as clipping each lead to the appropriate (i think they're marked) post.
My answer is door #2 If it won't start throw a battery charger on it for 1/2hour and forget about it.
I generally don't suggest it but I would at least turn the battery off. Better still, Schumacher among others makes a nice small tender with a pigtail/quick disconnect plug adaptor. Behind the drivers seat there is an access panel below which is a battery junction box. It is a black plastic piece with a lid with a red+ on it. Above and to the left of it is a gold stud with a hex head for attaching a jumper cable. Connect the red wire to the box, black to the stud, leave the connector hanging out when you reinstall the panel and you are done. Or you could come to your senses and move to a warmer climate so you could enjoy your cars year round. Btw It is a good thing you didn't buy that overpriced Ferrari battery tender. Within the 70 day window it would have quit working and your battery would be dead anyway. Those things should go into the Joe Lucas - Prince of Darkness Hall of Fame.
I wired mine directly to the battery behind the passenger front foot rest plate and using the pig tail plug. No need to turn the battery off. That way you don't have to worry about losing any past data.
grazie tante, gents. i'm gonna get a trickle charger with alligator clips tomorrow and just pop the battery cover and hook 'er up that way. it's clearly the right answer. doody.
I have a Tender with the cig lighter adapter for the Fcar and it works great. So, I got another one for the JGC only to learn (the hard way) that the cig lighter needs the ignition turned on to work. I used the pigtail connection on the battery bolts. I didn't unscew the battery bolts. I just added one nut to each and placed the adapter terminals between them. Works great and took 5 minutes. If you can't get the Tender in time, I would switch the battery off. Good luck
