Ford GT factory battery tender


MK2_GT

GTX1 Owner
Mar 25, 2006
795
I tried a search on the froums and also on the web but had no luck. I have always used a Deltran battery tender with cigarette lighter adpater to tend my GTX1.

My question is:

What does the factory Ford GT battery tender look like that ships with the Ford GTs?
I ran into a cigarette lighter ac adapter tender buried in my tool box and I am simply wondering if this is the original one that came with the ford GT. I have no idea and need to find the proper place for it.

So a picture or specs would be great of the original factory battery tender for the Ford Gt ..thanks!
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
Just a black plug ,black wire to a square plug pack to the outlet, nothing special, no red lite/green lite BUT IT WORKS!! REMEMBER IT WILL NOT RECHARGE YOUR BATTERY , JUST MAINTAIN THE CHARGE ITS AT!:thumbsup enjoy gtjoey 1314, p.s. the posts on that were about 3 years ago with dbk ....enjoy:thumbsup
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
 

MK2_GT

GTX1 Owner
Mar 25, 2006
795
Just a black plug ,black wire to a square plug pack to the outlet, nothing special, no red lite/green lite BUT IT WORKS!! REMEMBER IT WILL NOT RECHARGE YOUR BATTERY , JUST MAINTAIN THE CHARGE ITS AT!:thumbsup enjoy gtjoey 1314, p.s. the posts on that were about 3 years ago with dbk ....enjoy:thumbsup

Is the adapter:

Model NO SPA-4180-84
INput 120VAC 60Hz 12W
Output 12.0V=500mA

anyway you can check for me? Last thing I want to do is plug something in and fry something..thanks for all the help.

here not sure why i did not think of this earlier...is this it?

battery_tender.jpg
 
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MK2_GT

GTX1 Owner
Mar 25, 2006
795
can anyone verify the picture for me?
 

Kayvan

GT Owner
Jul 13, 2006
4,782
yes, thats it, also came with zippered pouch

I like it so much i ordered another, the 30ft cord is worth it
 

Superfly

HERITAGE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 23, 2008
2,210
Edmonton, Alberta
Like Kayvan says, that's the same one that came with my car inside the zip pouch.

I've got a couple of C-TEK's for my other cars, which work pretty well, but I gotta admit, that 30 feet of cord IS pretty sweet!! :thumbsup
 

MK2_GT

GTX1 Owner
Mar 25, 2006
795
Thnaks, you guys are the best.
 
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BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
REMEMBER IT WILL NOT RECHARGE YOUR BATTERY , JUST MAINTAIN THE CHARGE ITS AT!

Not exactly true, if your battery is not damaged and can take a charge, this unit at 500 ma should bring it back to life in about 80 to 100 hours!
 

SYCO GT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 9, 2006
4,974
California
Just a black plug ,black wire to a square plug pack to the outlet, nothing special, no red lite/green lite BUT IT WORKS!! REMEMBER IT WILL NOT RECHARGE YOUR BATTERY , JUST MAINTAIN THE CHARGE ITS AT!

Thanks Joey, I didn't know that. I thought it was a trickle charger - but didn't realize it was ultra low voltage. So, I typically just plug it in for 2 days every couple months. Never had a battery problem, but I drive the car fairly regularly.
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
7,997
ma.
Torrie ,
Nice avatar !!
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
Torrie ,
Nice avatar !!

Funny I was thinking the same thing, Thanks Ron !!
 

mardyn

GT Owner
Dec 20, 2005
490
Beautiful East Texas
Not exactly true, if your battery is not damaged and can take a charge, this unit at 500 ma should bring it back to life in about 80 to 100 hours!

So this damn thing is strictly to maintain the charge level, and not to recharge?

I've been using mine about once a month to keep (what I thought) a hi-level of charge in the battery. I used it once two years ago, to recharge the battery after it had set for a few months without driving.... seemed to work fine it that capacity.

mardyn
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
Thats the charger and yes it only maintains the charge not recharge the sysytem.:thumbsup enjoy gtjoey 1314:thumbsup
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
Bingo
 

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nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,177
From the description on the OEM charger, it is simply a made-in-China transformer supplying a constant 500mA of charge to the battery. I haven't opened one up, but I would seriously doubt that it lacks any on-board electronics to cycle on and off as needed. That said, I'm sure that it does its job just fine and likely no harm would come from extended use.

There are, however, superior float chargers available at the same price point. The Battery Tender is one such popular brand. The Battery Tender (unlike the OEM charger) has on-board electronics to sense battery level and it will float on and off to maintain proper battery level. From an interface point of view, the Battery Tenders employ and LED so it is quite easy to see the condition of your battery at a glance - especially as your car sits idle in storage. A blinking red light will mean that there's some kind of connection failure and the Tender is not communicating with the battery. A constant red light signals that the Tender is, in fact, charging. A green light will mean that the Battery is fully charged and the Tender is in "monitor" mode.

So, if you walk by your stored vehicle you should most often see a green light. Occasionally, you may catch the Tender in charge mode with a red light but it wouild be rare. If you see the red light frequently, you know something is wrong.

This slow charging method is an excellent way to re-charge a partially depleted battery. It will take more time than a conventional or even a trickle charger but it will get the job done. So, the trade-off is time, but the benefit is that this slow charge is best for the longevity of the battery.
 

ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
I just received a very well engineered float charger / battery tender from Cool Tech. Worth every nickel. Thanks Kendall .....
 

Green Beret

Green Beret
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
25
Danville,Calif
Battery Charger

I have a Cool Tech charger with options to install in front grill or in power outlet.
Kendell has been great with detail
 

Jones

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 11, 2007
267
Orange County, CA
Kendell,

Can I purchase the battery post hook-ups? I have the charger.

Thanks,
Ron
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,177
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