[Entropy11]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Makes me wonder if it's the tenders. Batteries…

I’m late to this but I’m totally on the same page. So many battery “tenders” practically do more harm than good. I will only use the NOCO or CTEK chargers. The CTEK is often relabeled/rebranded for certain manufacturers/models (like for Subaru, and is also shipped as the OEM charger for the C7/8 Corvettes). I have more if the CTEK (MUS 5.0) versions now since the price is back under $100.

You can also run your charger(s) through digital repeat cycle timers like the ones offered by BN-Link (under $20) so they only come on every few hours at a time or once every day for an hour or so if you want. These are outdoor rated and capable of 15A unlike those old school ones you used to use indoors for Christmas lights.

[HWYSTR455]

Yes, NOCO and CTEK are the way to go. I know the NOCO actually does go thru certain cycles, on, off, trickle, etc. There are other good ones out there now, but NOCO is working for me, so no need to break the habit.

An interesting note. I bought a new KTM EXC-F 500 in spring of 2022, and used a NOCO for it. By fall, I was having an issue with gas in the oil, and took the bike in for a warranty service. Service department knew exactly what was going on, and told me it was the NOCO smart charger. Those cycles would impact the ECU programming, which also had a type of 'smart' capabilities, specifically to cycle the fuel pump for startups (efi). I switched to a Battery Tender and all is fine. The factory even issued a reprogramming TSB, they applied it on the following service interval, but I had already switched anyway. The service notice had a list of chargers that were known to cause the issue, and a list of suggested ones to use, Battery Tender being one of them.

I can't even count how many battery chargers I've owned over the years, 99% of them were junk, and not inexpensive ones either. I had some issues with some early AMG batteries and learned from those experiences. That's what eventually led me to NOCO.


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