Battery Tender/Trickle Charger Question: Hood open or closed?
 

Just a quick question. First time I'm using a trickle charger/battery tender and I'm wondering if I should have the hood open or closed? I'm not sure if this matters or not though but just like to make sure. I think that by having the hood open helps with ventilation, but then again, having it open means that dust, dirt, bugs, mice and crap can get in the engine bay. I don't know if that matters or not.

BTW: I have a Schumacher SC600-A SpeedCharger:
Schumacher SC-600A SpeedCharge High Frequency Battery Charger : Amazon.com : Automotive

http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/pi/mp/1677...37f16bfdacb7f8

Thanks :tiphat:

If you are using the OEM battery, then I would recommend that you keep the hood open to reduce any buildup of highly-explosive Hydrogen gas. H2 is very light so if you just crack the hood a few inches, that should allow most of the gas to escape. Hydrogen buildup shouldn't be a big problem when trickle charging, but why take a chance?

What? where is this hydrogen gas coming from?

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Here we go over analyzing to keep the hood up or down when on a trickle charger.
You shouldn't use a trickle charger instead you should be using a Battery tender plus here is a link.

Battery Tender Plus - Batterytender.com

I bought a battery tender jr! haven't used it yet tho. But will soon.

I have one of them on my Harley they work good ,plug it in and forget it.:tup:

Hood open or closed does not make a difference since your engine bay is not sealed regardless of hood position.

Lead-acid batteries release Hydrogen gas when they are charging.

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To those that dismiss my concerns:
Granted, with little to no precautions taken, hydrogen buildup shouldn't be a problem (especially under a light charge), but Hydrogen is very explosive and it doesn't take much to make a huge bang. It's not like we're talking about an oil leak.
The chances of my house burning down are pretty slim, but I still pay for insurance because the consequences are so devastating. I think ensuring adequate ventilation around a charging battery is cheap insurance considering what can happen.

remove battery. close hood. cover car.
assuming this is for longer-term storage.. months

Very unnecessary, the Battery Tender charges your battery then shuts off and maintains a certain voltage and when it drops it will repeat the process.

yes, I'm still using OEM battery. I suppose you're right, better safe than sorry. I guess I'll just pop the hood and leave it in that position.

I'll be mostly charging it throughout the week and only driving on weekends, but once the temps drop further and there's snow, it'll be long term storage.

I don't know if you are aware of this but your battery is actually stronger in the cold than it is in the heat.