Connecting your Battery Tender® charger to your battery is a straightforward process, but it’s essential to do it correctly to ensure both safety and efficiency. Read on as we walk you through how to properly connect your Battery Tender charger using both ring terminals and alligator clips. You’ll also learn how to switch between these two types of connections using the Battery Tender smart alligator clips.
Using Battery Tender® Ring Terminals: |
Using Battery Tender® Alligator Clips: |
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Locate the Battery: Before you start, make sure your vehicle is turned off and the key is removed from the ignition. Locate the battery, usually found under the hood or, in some cases, in the trunk or under a seat.
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Identify the Battery Posts: You will see two battery posts: one marked positive (+) and the other negative (-). The positive post is usually covered with a red cap.
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Attach the Ring Terminals: Using the ring terminal cables provided with your charger, attach the red ring terminal to the positive (+) battery post and the black ring terminal to the negative (-) battery post.
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Secure the Connections: Ensure the ring terminals are securely fastened to the battery posts. This may involve tightening the bolts on the battery posts.
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Connect to the Battery Tender charger: The other end of the ring terminal cables has an SAE connector. Plug this into the SAE connector on your battery charger.
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Locate the Battery: As with ring terminals, make sure the vehicle is off and locate the battery. Identify the positive (+) and negative (-) battery posts.
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Identify the Battery Posts: Use the alligator clip cables provided with your charger to clip the red alligator clip to the positive (+) battery post and the black alligator clip to the negative (-) battery post.
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Attach the Ring Terminals: Using the ring terminal cables provided with your charger, attach the red ring terminal to the positive (+) battery post and the black ring terminal to the negative (-) battery post.
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Secure the Connections: Ensure alligator clips are firmly attached to the battery posts to avoid any loose connections.
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Connect to the Battery Tender charger: The other end of the alligator clip cables also has an SAE connector. Plug this into the SAE connector on your battery charger.
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Changing from Alligator Clips to Ring Terminals (and Vice Versa)
Switching from alligator clips to ring terminals on your Battery Tender charger is simple, thanks to the innovative combo cables from Battery Tender. Using a hex wrench, loosen the bolts under the alligator clips. The ring terminals are located under the bolts (see image below). To revert to alligator clips, simply use the same hex wrench to secure the ring terminals back onto the clips with the bolt and washer provided.
Connecting your Battery Tender charger to your battery using ring terminals or alligator clips is easy, and switching between these connectors is just as simple. Remember, red goes to red (positive), and black goes to black (negative) to ensure proper polarity. Following these steps, you can keep your battery charged and ready to go, whether using your vehicle daily or winterizing it.
Shop the Battery Tender collection of battery chargers and accessories on the Battery Tender website.
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