On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 07:28:00 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.

Reminds me to go put the charger on the truck. Thanks.

On 1/25/2014 11:10 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 07:28:00 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.

Reminds me to go put the charger on the truck. Thanks.



Yeah, I bought a block heater for the tractor but I should also get a
battery blanket.

I think it's about due for a new battery anyway. May as well bite the
bullet.

True North wrote:
I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.
Where did you learn that is a good thing to do to maintain a battery?

On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 10:19:00 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

Gotta go buy a new battery for the JD tractor I guess.

Went to start it up yesterday to do some clean up work from plowing and
I think the battery was frozen. When it's as cold as it's been lately I
can usually get it to fire up by putting a small battery charger on it
for five or ten minutes to warm it up a little. This time however the
charger displays "Full" after about 1 second of trying to charge and
automatically stops trying to charge. Battery voltage is low though,
about 11.8 volts, so I know it isn't charged.

Hate this cold. I can deal with the occasional snowstorm but the cold
is getting to be too much.

I've had the same thing happen with my digital charger.

Yesterday I went to the doc about a pain in my butt, which he diagnosed as ishiogluteal bursitis.
Then he asked me if I'd been sitting a lot more lately. I've been able to get out and play golf
twice in the past month. Yesterday I took the dogs out and we'd not gone two blocks when one started
licking at her paws. Just too damn cold for them.