Battery Items Blankets, heaters???

[LazyDog]

Having just replace a 2 year old battery on the Jetta makes me wonder if the battery blankets or heaters actually do work.

I went with a much larger battery hoping to avoid the winter blues. I know the best thing is to drive the car but w/ no places to go and it mainly does the

curbside pick up few times per month. The weather was just to cold so hoping the warmer weather makes me drive it more often.

 

[supton]

Not sure about the heaters but if it's sitting "a lot" perhaps just run a charger to it? I'm not sure that the HF maintainers are actually all that great, but if they throttle to a decent trickle then they are likely better than nothing. Or just a decent charger wired up for a few hours once a month.

 

[eljefino]

+2 a trickle charger will warm the battery from the inside out... and keep it charged, your real issue.

 

[LazyDog]

I forgot to mention car sits on the street some times close by but not that often.

What about a solar charger on the glass?????

 

[c502cid]

I forgot to mention car sits on the street some times close by but not that often.

What about a solar charger on the glass?????

I used a cheap harbor freight solar charger for years on an old truck with an older battery. It actually worked fairly well.

 

[LazyDog]

I used a cheap harbor freight solar charger for years on an old truck with an older battery. It actually worked fairly well.

Nice to hear that it might work, did you had it hook at the lighter or actual clamps on the battery?

 

[c502cid]

Nice to hear that it might work, did you had it hook at the lighter or actual clamps on the battery?

At the lighter.

 

[michael007]

They definitely work. I bought a fancy one that maintains the temperature @ 80F.

https://www.hotstart.com/product-search/ul-battery-thermal-wrap/

Amazon has cheaper models but they don't have a thermostat like the Hotstart brand.
https://www.amazon.com/Zerostart-2800055-Electric-Battery-Blanket/dp/B0076DTCBW/

The best solution though is probably what's been suggested - buy a charger.

 

[RAR]

I bought a couple of cigarette lighter solar battery maintainers for a couple of cars I used to have: my 2010 Ford E350 Super Duty and my 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. I would park them in the icy, snowy months and would face their windshields south. Plugged these $20 chargers in, and I never lost a battery.

On the Dodge truck, however, I had to be sure the outlet I used was one that was always on, since Chrysler would have both always on and key on outlets.

But for me, they worked great!

 

[Astro14]

If all the driving you are doing is just a few short trips a month, you’re killing the battery by not allowing it a full charge. Not a blanket or warmer issue, it’s a low charge issue. Get a battery maintainer or smart charger. Top it off periodically. Doesn’t have to be on the charger all the time, but top it off every couple of weeks.

 

[LazyDog]

Thanks to all for your great ideas!

 

[NYEngineer]

Like mentioned above... We used to have this flatbed that we didn't use all that much. Every time we did need it, the battery was dead. Nothing was wrong, just it got used very infrequently. The solution ended up being a solar charger on the dashboard plugged into the cigarette lighter.
Worked like a charm.
Even better, we sold off the truck and paid someone to move stuff on the rare occasion we needed it. Ended up being cheaper than insurance and maintenance on a tilt flatbed.

 

[Donald]

I think the blanket is to keep engine heat from the battery.

Overnight (car not in use, owner sleeping), the blanket will do nothing for the temperature of the battery.

 

[NYEngineer]

I've seen it go both ways. On a lot of new cars, the battery comes boxed in an insulating material. Looks like it's trying to isolate the battery from engine heat.
My brother is a Briggs home generator dealer. They have a trickle charger and an optional battery pad that the battery sits on. It is heated and thermostatically controlled. In my opinion, all you need is the trickle charger but we installed one unit at a cousin's house in Maine and we did energize the mat. So far, he hasn't called to report a cooked battery.

 

[atikovi]

Nice to hear that it might work, did you had it hook at the lighter or actual clamps on the battery?

Volkswagens came from the manufacturer with a solar charger plugged into the OBD2 socket and suction cupped to the windshield. After delivery to the dealer they are sent back. Occasionally you can find them on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Batter...51e7aa4:g:rQ8AAOSwqK1dsjpJ&LH_ItemCondition=4