Is an Onboard Trickle Charger Useful for a Car Battery.

It would help to keep the battery from freezing in extreme cold, might make it easier to start the car by keeping the battery warmer. For periods of long storage the charger keeps the battery from self-discharging to the point of plate sulfation.

JazzMan

If you are talking about one of those solar powered chargers, they might help keep the battery up if you left the vehicle at the airport for a month of something. On a daily basis you don't need to trikle charge. If you had a regular charger that was putting out an amp or so this might, ever so slightly, help in starting in the morning. But it would be minimal and a good battery is a better answer.

I used a trickle charger (2 Amp) instead of a block heater during Winnipeg Winters. A charger keeps the battery at peak capacity and also (as I understand) keeps it warm; therefore, the battery output is enhanced.

Gary Please remove XXX in email address if email reply is desired.

If you are going to be running a power cord out to the car anyway, why not just use a heater, say a dipstick heater. I have one in the basement that I bought 20 years ago and used it once on a Vega that was a tough start. It worked well.

|Is it useful to have a battery trickle charger mounted |under the hood and used at times particularly in very |cold weather.

The solid state "smart" trickle chargers are wonderful for anything that is not used frequently, assuming 110V power is handy. I own 4 of these. One stays on a jet ski, two are on race cars, one is a "floater". They will keep you from ruining a good battery from non-use. They also ensure a fully-charged battery when you need it, without fear of overcharging. I prefer Solar brand, but Schumacher is also good. 2nd line of defense is the solar-powered dashboard chargers that plug into the cigarette lighter. These are wonderfull for equipment and cars that have to be stored outside. $10 at HF, just plug it in and lay it on the dashboard (or rear deck) where it can get some sun. I have one in all my vehicles, and a few extra for tractors etc. There have been a couple of times I've discovered my lights were left on when I went to lunch, so the car would not start. I plugged in the solar charger, found alternate transportation for lunch. But quitting time enough charge had been restored to start the car. Rex in Fort Worth