And rather than lose all the system settings, I was thinking of connecting my Schumacher SC-600A to the car's battery leads before removing the old battery to keep power to the electronics.
One problem is the charger owner's manual says if it doesn't detect a properly connected battery, it won't put out any juice.
So I'm thinking the Schumacher won't work. And I'll need to pop for one of those gadgets that hook a 9 volt battery to the car's electrical system.
I made one of those gadgets he refers to but I don't think I ever remembered to use it. It's easy enough to reset the radio, and the engine settings must not be that much different on my last 2 cars because it didn't seem to run differently after the battery was disconnected.
But this was a 2005, 2000, or 95. Newer cars might have more settings.
But I think 9 volts is probably enough to last for 10 or 15 minutes.
This one gets 4.1 rating on 132 reviews. That's pretty high.
formatting link
You can look at other 9 volt devices. The ratings for any of them apply to all of them.
Important note in one rreview: This product worked great but it is important to note that many newer cars don't supply power to the 12V outlet unless the car is in accessory mode. To do so, turn the key until only the radio turns on. Then, while leaving the key turned, turn the radio off (using the power button on the radio). Also turn off all headlights, dome lights, etc... You don't want any of these things taking power away from the ECM and radio preset memory.
If you aren't sure if your car has this issue, try plugging in something like a phone charger and see if it supplies power to the phone while the key is off.
2) You can also use a trickle charger that's older than new. I have a one-amp one I got from my cousin in 1965, and it has no idea if the engine is on or not. I have another much bigger one I found on the sidewalk (far from any home or business***) in 1975** and it doesn't know either. Anything more than 20 years old probably doesn't.
**That one was broken and I deducedd in needed new selenium rectifiers. Looked all over NYC for big ones like it had and got nowhere. Meantime it sat in the closet After 7 years I took it out and it worked fine!, for another 25 years. This time I think I just used diodes to replace the selenium.
***Maybe someone was stealing it and it got too heavy? Or it didnt' work and the owner gave up on it before getting on the bus.
3) I always go for the cheapest method but there are also now battery-jumper batteries the size of deck of cards or a little bigger. $40 or more but it would have other immportant uses too. Some will power your phone if it's dead. Some will massage your feet if you're tired.
As long as the only load is the computers a 9 volt battery WILL work. There are tools made to do just that. A booster pack is a lot more usefull though - - -
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.