There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of options when looking for a battery maintainer for your car, truck, boat, ATV or other vehicle. It can be confusing to choose among all those options, especially when there are many different approaches to this seemingly simple task. For many reasons, we’d say that PRO-LOGIX battery charger/maintainer products deliver the most beneficial maintenance routines on the market today, and in this month’s article, we are going to lay out the reasons why we feel this way.
The entire point of battery maintenance is to keep your batteries in good shape while they are not being used, so they are ready when you next want to drop the boat in the water or take old Betsy out for a cruise. In addition, the bigger goal is to get longer life from your batteries so you maximize your investment and save money in the long run. Every aspect of the PRO-LOGIX approach to battery maintenance is designed to improve battery health, increase reserve capacity and enable vehicle owners to get more from their battery investment.
We could probably provide 20 plus aspects of the PRO-LOGIX approach that support the above goals, but we are going to focus on six specific aspects that we think are the most important:
- Optimized Charge Routines for Different Battery Types
- Automatic Operation that Responds to Each Battery’s Needs
- Exercise is the Key to Health – Trickle Charging is a Dirty Word
- Temperature Compensation
- Effective Charging of Totally Dead Batteries
- The Ability to Overcome Power Outages
Optimized Charging Routines for Different Battery Types
This is critical when it comes to a battery maintenance option. By definition, a battery maintainer is going to see its most common service in long term charging situations. Your battery is going to be significantly exposed to the maintainer and its charging profile. This makes the maintenance charging profile far more critical than in a standard charger, which might be used once or twice a year on any given vehicle and for just a few hours at a time, rather than days or weeks at a time.
PRO-LOGIX chargers have distinct settings for each battery type serviced and are capable of servicing a wide variety of battery types, including Flooded, AGM, Spiral Wound, Gel Cell, Marine, Deep Cycle and LiFePO4 Lithium batteries (battery types serviced vary by model). This is really important no matter what type of batteries you have, but is especially important if your vehicles utilize batteries other than standard flooded batteries. For instance, if you have several AGM batteries, you need a maintenance option with an AGM-specific charging routine. AGM batteries have specific requirements when it comes to the charge profile and are very sensitive to overvoltage, which can cause deterioration of battery health.
Many maintainers don’t require you to select a battery type. While convenient, the problem with a maintainer that is designed this way is that it usually uses a generic, “safe” routine that won’t harm any lead acid battery type, but is not optimized for any one battery type. This means that it isn’t dialing in its routine and is often short charging batteries in order to avoid overcharging them. Over time, exposure to a sub-optimize charging routine can degrade, rather than improve, your battery’s health and longevity. For instance, you are likely undercharging flooded batteries with such a charger, which can lead to sulfation build-up, which saps a battery’s health and reduces its longevity.
Automatic Operation that Responds to Each Battery’s Needs
PRO-LOGIX battery maintainers utilize an advanced, automatic charging routine that responds to the specific needs of each battery charged to deliver an optimized charge and maintenance every time. Effectively, this means that the charger is going to adjust its operation based on the way the battery under charge is receiving the energy delivered by the maintainer. If the battery shows signs of sulfation, PRO-LOGIX charger/maintainers will automatically shift to battery repair mode and then resume normal charging when the battery accepts the energy in a more normal way. Similarly, if a battery is heavily discharged at the start of the charging cycle, PRO-LOGIX will automatic shift to a soft start mode to safely and beneficially bring the battery’s voltage to a more normal range and then resume standard charging. In the end, the goal is to deliver energy to the battery in the most beneficial way, regardless of size, type, condition or state of charge.
Exercise is the Key to Health – Trickle Charging is a Dirty Word
Let’s start with the second part of the above statement. Trickle charging (float charging) is how it was done for decades: bring the battery to full charge and then hold the voltage (usually around 13.2V). We believe that this approach is flawed on several levels. First, we think it doesn’t do much for battery health over time and, second, we think that it has a tendency to contribute to dried out batteries in extended maintenance situations. There’s a better way.
The PRO-LOGIX enhanced maintenance process has two key stages that, we’d say, are both unique to us and very beneficial for batteries under extended service. The first unique aspect of the PRO-LOGIX approach is that, upon reaching a full, complete charge, we put the battery into a rest phase. We don’t want the battery to be constantly under service. It isn’t necessary and it isn’t beneficial. Instead, we more closely mimic the way a battery is used when the vehicle is in service, with periods of activity and periods of rest. A known good battery will not self-discharge in just a few days, otherwise we’d see hundreds of jump starters in use every time we entered an airport parking lot. This rest phase is what makes PRO-LOGIX far less likely to contribute to drying out batteries in extended charging and contributes to longer battery life. The second unique aspect of the PRO-LOGIX approach is that, when the battery exits the rest phase, it enters an exercising phase before going through the next charge cycle. The exercise phase puts a load on the battery, simulating a starting event, which allows us to get a full, deep charge into the battery in the next charging cycle, which occurs immediately upon completion of the exercising phase. We believe that this rest-exercise-full charge cycle is far more beneficial for all battery types than a basic trickle charge.
Temperature Compensation
In our introduction to this article, we stated that every aspect of the PRO-LOGIX approach to battery maintenance is designed to improve battery health, increase reserve capacity and enable vehicle owners to get more from their battery investment. Temperature compensation is a great example of us walking our talk. It costs more and makes the product more complex, but you really can’t give a battery what it truly wants if you aren’t temperature compensated. Put simply, a colder battery wants more energy and a hotter battery wants less energy. The world isn’t a constant 70˚F and neither are your batteries. To get the most out of your battery maintenance efforts, you need a charger/maintainer that adjusts its charging routine based on battery temperature.
Effective Charging of Totally Dead Batteries
Just as you need a charger that can handle different battery types, different battery conditions and different temperatures, you need a charger/maintainer that can manage the occasionally totally dead battery. It sounds pretty basic, but many smart chargers and maintainers can only manage 12 Volt batteries with a state of charge above a certain threshold voltage, be it 1V, 3V, 5V, etc. The higher the threshold, the more likely you are of running into a situation where your charger cannot charge your battery. That’s a problem, one which we call The Dead Battery Dilemma, as in, “I bought a charger to charge my dead battery, but my battery is so dead that my charger doesn’t work!” But, that’s never a problem with PRO-LOGIX. All PRO-LOGIX chargers and maintainers incorporate a Forced Start routine where, assuming the only issue is that the battery is stone cold dead and all your connections are correct, you can hold down the START/CHARGE button for 3 seconds and force the charger to start charging. This is immensely helpful and time saving.
Ability to Overcome Power Outages
Several PRO-LOGIX charger/maintainer models (PL2140, PL4020, PL4050) incorporate our Recovery Mode (RM) technology to enable the charger to overcome power outages. On models so equipped and set to RM on (varies by model), the charger will remember its last charging mode when power is interrupted and resume charging under those settings when power is restored. This is a really big deal if your baby is charging in the third bay on a cold February day and you are down south living the snowbird lifestyle. With PRO-LOGIX, you can rest assured that, when power resumes, your battery is getting when it needs, without human intervention.
– the Complete Package
Compare these six aspects of PRO-LOGIX battery maintenance against the competition and you will see that not all charger/maintainers are created equal. PRO-LOGIX is not only better for your battery, but will save money by extending the useful life of your batteries and ensure your vehicles and toys are ready for action when you are.
Many of us are putting away boats, PWC, ATV’s, bikes and our fun vehicles for the winter season. Make sure to not only use a maintainer, but carefully select a maintainer that is best for your battery. With our unique and beneficial approach, many PRO-LOGIX customers report getting additional years of battery life and, most importantly, are not automatically replacing the batteries every spring. Choosing PRO-LOGIX is the smart solution for virtually any battery maintenance need.
30 Responses
Does the recondition mode work on a 6 volt battery?
Don – Thanks for your question. Yes, the recondition mode and soft starts modes are functional whether the unit in 6V or 12V operating mode. As do all safety features and the long term beneficial maintenance routine. Thanks, Jim from Clore Autootive
I have a 2019 Mercedes AMG GTR that I usually only drive on the weekends. The rest of the time it sits in my garage on a trickle charger (I know). Which one of these would you recommend to replace the trickle charger? Also does it automatically detect which battery type it is charging or do we have to determine that?
Peter – Thanks for your question. That sure is a beauty! We strongly recommend the PL2140, 6/12V 4.0A Charger/Maintainer. None of our models detect the battery type. It is best to check the battery itself or the operator’s manual for this information. Most AGM or Lithium batteries are specifically called as such on the battery labels (most, not all). You could also ask the dealership what battery the vehicle is specified to have, since your vehicle likely still has the OE battery in it. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Hi, I store my car for the winter. What model of charger/maintainer would you recommend for my 2006 Mercedes SLK55 AMG.
Eddie – Thanks for your question. That’s a great vehicle! We strongly recommend the PL2140, 6/12V 4.0A Charger/Maintainer. This is our go-to maintainer for your situation. It will keep your battery in great condition throughout the winter. It has the ability to charge virtually any vehicle battery type, including Flooded, AGM, Spiral Wound, Deep Cycle, Marine and LiFePO4 Lithium batteries. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Twice in the comments you recommend the PL2140 but I can not find it by browsing, and when I search only accessories for the PL2140 are listed, so what is up with that?
Norm – We are sorry for that and I have no idea why that is the case, bu8ut we will get it fixed. Here’s the link: https://cloreautomotive.com/product/pl2140/. Again, we apologize for the hassle we caused you. Jim from Clore Automotive
Are there any issues with using the front charging points on a rear compartment battery for long term care? i.e. Camaro or Dodge Magnum
Ed – Thanks for your great question. We would say that the vehicle manufacturer has deployed cable connections of sufficient gauge such that you should be fine doing so, with minimal voltage drop between the starting points and the battery. That said, if you were charging in a very long term situation (say, all winter) and the battery were reasonably accessible, it may be worthwhile to try to connect directly to the battery (with the positive) and a nearby ground with the negative. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Ummm, why is it so difficult to find the pricing?
Nick – we do not sell our products directly to the public. We sell through distribution. Our products are available through virtually any outlet that serves the professional market as well as many other outlets. This includes NAP, Auto Value, Bumper to Bumper, Carquest, Advanced Auto Parts (professional), Amazon and more. Not all locations carry all products (as professional products, our items are less likely to be on the retail shelf and more likely to be in the back room/warehouse). I hope this is helpful. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Have a neighbor who has a GMC Terrain that has the shutoff when stopped and this car sits in Florida during the summer for 4 to 5 months. Just had a new battery installed for them and it is different than a normal battery where the engine does not stop, etc. What do you recommend for this application?
John – Thanks for your question. The battery is likely a Stop-Start AGM battery. In this case, our PRO-LOGIX models should be perfect for this situation. I would recommend Model PL2140. Double check the battery – it should state AGM on the label – and then set the PL2140 to AGM charging mode. Make sure the RM LED is ON. This will ensure that the unit will continue functioning after a power outage, for instance due to a storm, without intervention. It should be perfect for this task. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Johara,
Thanks for the info.
John
Johara,
Forgot to ask as to where I can purchase this PL2140 unit.
John
john.r.marchiando@gmail.com
John – Thanks for your question. PRO-LOGIX chargers can be purchased virtually anywhere that profesional tools and equipment are sold, though you may have to order it (usually takes 2-3 days). Our products can often be found in NAPA, Carquest, Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper stores, but it is always best to call ahead (not all items are in all locations). They are also available through a variety of online outlets. Thanks again, Jim from Clore Automotive
Johara,
Will the PL2140 work on my wife’s 2018 Envision that has the off and on for the engine when stopped.
John Marchiando
1821 San Trovaso Way
Venice, FL. 34285
941-716-6755
john.e.marchiando@gmail.com
I have a 2006 GMC 2500 HD diesel with two batteries. Will your unit maintain both batteries with just one connection, or do I need two chargers–one for each battery?
Ken – Thanks for your question. The batteries are wired in parallel (12V system), so you should be fine using a single charger to charge and maintain them both at the same time. I recommend using the PL2140. Its 4A output will be high enough to be useful and effective with your 2-battery configuration. Our PL2112 would be too small/low output for your task, in my opinion. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
I notice that you do not support trickle charging. Not sure which devices you were using for your review, but my trickle charger from the 1970s will charge the battery to capacity (12v+) and then automatically shut-off. No over or extended charging. Just unhook from the terminals and put away. The battery is charged. I do this every Spring when I wake my classic car up from it’s hibernation.
D Sho – Thanks for your comment. We are glad that you have a solution that works for you. Our take is that many trickle chargers (basic battery maintainers) never shut off and are always “holding” the battery at some level above full charge, usually around 13.1V. Basic maintainers, in our opinion, can bring negative consequences during long term charging and are not as ideal for this use as our PRO-lOGIX products with enhanced maintenance modes. In addition, often these chargers are every basic, so they are not appropriate for newer battery types, such as AGM, Spiral Wound or LiFePO4 Lithium types. These are all things to keep in mind when seeking a product to use for long term storage charging. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
Is your charger recommended for vehicle that is kept outside with a cover?
I have a 2018 Corvetter that I stop driving from Dec – thru about March
Gerard – Thanks for your question. The PL2140 should do fine charging a battery inside a covered vehicle. It is a sealed unit. In addition, the car cover will keep it from getting direct exposure to the elements. Thanks again, Jim from Clore Automotive
I have the PL 2320 and have used it on an AGM car battery and 2 regular car batteries. It works great. How often should I recondition my batteries? Is it safe to recharge any type of car battery at 20A?
Luis – Thanks for your question. In terms of how often should you use your PL2320 to recondition/refresh your vehicle batteries, we would suggest quarterly. That said, it you experience extremely cold or extremely hot temperatures, it may be worthwhile for you to increase your frequency to monthly. We would suggest that 20A is fine for any car battery, regardless of type, since they typically are 60-65Ah minimum. That said, low and slow is still the most beneficial charging method, so unless you’re in a hurry, you may want to use the 10A setting. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
What triggers the exercise phase in your chargers?
RJ – Thanks for your question. On a good battery, it is time. The rest period is timed (roughly 96 hours). Then, upon leaving rest, the unit goes into Exercise Phase. Thanks, Jim from Clore Automotive
How do you use pl4020 as a battery maintainer
John – Thanks for your question. The PL4020 can manage up to 4 batteries simultaneously, with each channel independent of the others. When you connect a battery to one channel, you then set the charger up for the specific battery being service by choosing your battery type, Standard Flooded or AGM. Once that has been done, you hit the start/stop button and the charger will commence the automatic charging sequence, bringing the battery to full charge. It will then execute the maintenance mode, where, upon full charge, it will enter a rest period to allow the battery to rest. At the end of the rest period, the unit will exercise the battery, simulating a load, such as starting a vehicle. It will then start the charging process again at the beginning. The unit will perform this loop indefinitely until the battery is disconnected to the operator stops the charging sequence by pressing the start/stop button. I hope this is helpful. Jim from Clore Automotive