Accidentally used charger instead of tender!?
 

Ok, I'm a complete total idiot! My car has been garaged and covered for the past month and half to two months. I just noticed today that it's been on my battery charger instead of my battery tender (on the 2A/12V setting). I was in a hurry one weekend when I garaged it for the winter and must have grabbed the charger by mistake! I didn't even realize I had a charger so I must have assumed it was the tender.

Anyway, I checked the water in the cells and all looked good. While I hated to do it, I started the car and it fired right up no problem. It's on the tender now, but my question is will the battery be ok (it's less than 2 years old).

Jesus man.. do you realize how lucky you are that the battery didn't explode and catch the car and house on fire? And if it were me I would probly just replace the battery why risk it?

A lot of newer chargers won't overcharge the battery, I have a digital one that'll stop and an old dial style one that will charge up forever, that being said if yours is a 2010 like your sig and you have or haven't changed the battery it wouldn't hurt, most batteries can be swapped out every 3-4 years to be safe. I store and maintain about 40 cars for military members overseas and deal with this every week

Judging by the fact that you didn't boil any water out of the battery and it still holds a charge well, it looks like you have a charger that will do a good job of limiting itself. You should be OK. But you may have done some damage, so I'd keep a close eye on things for a week or so.

As long as it's an automatic charger that shuts off you are fine. Most modern automatic chargers have a built in "tender" mode anyways these days.

I'm not sure if the charger is an automatic. It's from 1999 :-/ it is a Century model 87062. I looked online but couldn't find much about it. Again, it was on the lowest setting 2A/12V.

Yes, I do have 2010 but the battery was replaced mid 2014.

Amazon 8706C? <-- Maybe? Everything I see shows it to be a manual charger, meaning it does not shut off.

If that's the case, I would stop using that charger honestly, it's going to end up killing batteries. Set it and forget it automatic chargers don't cost that much anymore. Even ones that automatically detect battery types (conventional, AGM, GEL) don't cost that much compared to a battery.

I wouldn't worry about it, whatever is done is done. It works right? You may have shortened the life span some, but that's probably the worst case.

Mine doesn't have the C after the number, but that picture is similar. You think it helped that it was set on the lower 2A setting?

Anyway, I immediately stopped using it yesterday. It's now on the actual battery tender and is showing a green light/full charge.

I would replace the battery just in case but you are a very lucky man.

I have no problem replacing the battery in the spring if needed. I did just call the Nissan dealership and they told me that a 2A setting 'probably' didn't do any harm. They also said to take the battery off the tender for a few days and let it drain a little. Then if it starts back up then, I'm probably ok (and at that point, put it back on the tender).

They asked if the battery looked bowed/warped which it does not. Also, they said to check the terminal. There's some purplish residue on them along with a little bit on the plastic part of the battery underneath them. The purple stuff on the terminals is dry and wipes off, and the stuff on the plastic is a bit greasy. I'm assuming it was put on their when they changed the battery last time and not from this issue?

The battery seems to be ok from what you described. Relax and don't repeat it.

:iagree:

if the water level is sound I wouldn't worry about the 2A charge especially if ur car had its security turned on and all. da car drains pretty quick anyway.. I mean I suspect most of dese steering lock issues we saw on earlier 370Z's were partly from dying lower cca batteries.

good thing u caught it though.

one sign of an over-charged battery is acid leakage. I think if your battery holds enough juice to start your car after about a week of sitting, it is fine.