Charging the Battery

[DonD]

While I know the owner's manual and a service manager I've spoken to have said don't do it, I still think there must be a way to safely charge the battery in the car. May simply be an abundance of caution by Kia and the dealer to protect them from damage to the car's electronics if an owner botched the process and got battery power going where it shouldn't. I'm aware that a number of forum members have wired up products like Battery Tenders etc. No criticism anywhere is intended by my comments.

I decided I'd see how much work removing the battery is. I could do it a lot faster a second time. 10 or 11 nuts to remove, all being really bent over as I'm 6'2.

Would be easy to lose control of the heavy battery as you lifted it out and drop it.

Put it on a nice Sears Diehard charger. Registered a 78% charge level when it started and I took it off at 95%. I'm of the opinion that the pre delivery check the dealer I bought it from didn't involve giving the battery a top off charge.

Not a job I'd care to do very often. Car started immediately when I tried it. Don

 

[nhcowboy28]

While I know the owner's manual and a service manager I've spoken to have said don't do it, I still think there must be a way to safely charge the battery in the car. May simply be an abundance of caution by Kia and the dealer to protect them from damage to the car's electronics if an owner botched the process and got battery power going where it shouldn't. I'm aware that a number of forum members have wired up products like Battery Tenders etc. No criticism anywhere is intended by my comments.

I decided I'd see how much work removing the battery is. I could do it a lot faster a second time. 10 or 11 nuts to remove, all being really bent over as I'm 6'2.

Would be easy to lose control of the heavy battery as you lifted it out and drop it.

Put it on a nice Sears Diehard charger. Registered a 78% charge level when it started and I took it off at 95%. I'm of the opinion that the pre delivery check the dealer I bought it from didn't involve giving the battery a top off charge.

Not a job I'd care to do very often. Car started immediately when I tried it. Don

You overthink a lot.

 

[zetatai]

In my experience, charging is appropriate for a dead or dying battery (get a new one if it doesn't take or hold the charge), or a battery-tender type charger for a vehicle that is rarely or irregularly driven to maintain the charge. If the battery starts the car, it will be fully charged after a decent drive unless you have alternator issues.

 

[DonD]

You overthink a lot.

That was a very useful reply. Don

 

[killinghall]

I've charged the battery twice since collecting it last November, using the terminals under the hood.

Took about 6.5 hours on both occasions.

 

[D.J.]

I'm of the opinion that the pre delivery check the dealer I bought it from didn't involve giving the battery a top off charge.

I do not believe any dealer, with any car, anywhere, does a pre delivery top off charge.

 

[ChaneRZ]

Dealer will give you a dead battery instead. I test drove. Santa Fe back then and the battery was dead. They had to jump start it.

 

[nhcowboy28]

I do not believe any dealer, with any car, anywhere, does a pre delivery top off charge.

I would hope my Bugatti I just ordered would have a pre-delivery too off charge….

 

[DonD]

I do not believe any dealer, with any car, anywhere, does a pre delivery top off charge.

I have no personal knowledge, so lacking any other source I'll use your comment. Doesn't matter to me although any car that was shipped here from overseas or that has been sitting in the lot for a great length of time should be topped off, I'll take care of things myself. Don

 

[777David]

I've charged the battery twice since collecting it last November, using the terminals under the hood.

Took about 6.5 hours on both occasions.

Pretty much same here. Got a new battery charger for Christmas, specifically for AGM batteries. I tried it on the Stinger couple of times this month. Used the post under the hood.

Took a lot longer than I would think to bring it up to full charge, even driving it every other day. The AGM battery chargers slow way down near the 85% mark to bring it up to 100.

 

[DonD]

Took a lot longer than I would think to bring it up to full charge, even driving it every other day. The AGM battery chargers slow way down near the 85% mark to bring it up to 100.

My Diehard charger has 3 charge levels, 5, 15, and 45 amps. I started at 5amps, then went to 15. Charge level went up from 75 to 95% and then slowed down. The charger does have an AGM setting which is what I used.

 

[SKStinger]

Ctek trickle charger stays on all winter. 3 winters and going strong. Just put it on the posts under the hood and walk away.

 

[ChaneRZ]

Hardwired mine at the back. Hate popping my hood just to charge and blow the fuses lol.

 

[D.J.]

Hardwired mine at the back. Hate popping my hood just to charge and blow the fuses lol.

Blow fuses?

 

[ChaneRZ]

Charging post is by the fuses right?

 

[SKStinger]

Charging post is by the fuses right?

You’d have to be pretty incompetent/intoxicated to miss the positive post and clip a fuse.

 

[Devin]

You’d have to be pretty incompetent/intoxicated to miss the positive post and clip a fuse.

Hold my beer.

 

[GT Elite]

Ctek trickle charger stays on all winter. 3 winters and going strong. Just put it on the posts under the hood and walk away.

I have a Cteki that I use on my C7 Corvette. Plug it into a “cigar” receptacle in the cargo area and leave it on all winter. I’ve been doing that for 5+ winters with do problems.

Working from home and with COVID, I’m not driving the Stinger much, so I’ve hard wired Ctek terminal kits to both the front and back and use another Ctek battery maintainer. Which end I use depends on where I park and which one is closest to a power outlet. Both work really well. At present, the car has not moved for over 3 weeks and the battery is fully charged.

 

[ChaneRZ]

I’m always high and drunk when working with cars.