Trickle charging a brand new battery?

[L_Sludger]

I just bought a brand new Interstate Mega-Tron Plus MTP-24F 1000CA battery from Firestone for $74 out the door (no core charge), and its sitting in my garage right now. The battery looks like it was just made, and the folks at the shop told me that it got there from the truck just last week. The battery its replacing is still installed in my car, so I don't need the new battery right away.
I checked the voltage on the brand new battery and it was 12.5 volts.
I have a trickle charger that applies an extremely weak current (around 100-200mA at 12.9v) and I wanted to know if you guys thought it would be a good or bad idea to let the new battery get trickle charged up overnight before its first used.

Thanks!

 

[Bill in Utah]

100-200ma is really not going to do much. Esp overnight.

Can't hurt it.

Bill

 

[94MaxGXE]

At 200Ma, or less, I would leave it on a week.

 

[Quest]

Unless you are leaving your battery unused/storage over an extended period of time (*say, 3/4mnths+), otherwise IMHO there is no need to trickle-charge lead acid battery if you are to use it immediately.

Most OTC automotive/industrial battery stores or car parts store usually have their battery stocks rotated every 3 mnths: a truck (e.g. interstate battery delivery trucks) will come and collect those that was previously stocked on the retailer's shelves for 3mnths and re-stock with freshly charged batteries. Those that were taken off the shelves will be taken back to the nearest distribution location for recharge.

Q.

 

[L_Sludger]

Good posts, guys. I'm going to run the current Interstate battery in the car through the worst of the winter until it gets really bad, which I think will be about a month or so. Then I intend to toss the new puppy on there.

 

[Durango]

You need a battery charger that has a built in shut off so as it charges it'll continue to resist the charge as it reaches full. If it has a meter also that would also help tell how much charge is left.

 

[94MaxGXE]

Keep in mind that a battery that is on it's way out is taxing your charging system. Even more so during the winter. Alternator's cost just a bit more than a battery. Put the battery in now.

 

[JimPghPA]

94MaxGXE is right on. Put it in now. Why take the chance that your vehicle gets the Alternator abused if the old battery goes bad, or the chance of having your vehicle not start. If you have it use it. You are not adding life to the new battery by sparing it from use in the winter.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Good posts, guys. I'm going to run the current Interstate battery in the car through the worst of the winter until it gets really bad, which I think will be about a month or so. Then I intend to toss the new puppy on there.


Put in in now, you are not saving it by holding on to it for a month.

 

[JustinC25]

Agreed, change the battery now.

 

[robbobster]

Another vote for changing it now.

If you're just gonna have it sit, you should let it sit in the store and use your money elsewhere until you plan on putting the battery in the car.

 

[gathermewool]

What's wrong with your old battery, btw?

 

[L_Sludger]

okay, i'll change the battery before i start driving the car again. the car sees limited use so it might be a week before I'll need it.

my old battery turns over my engine pretty slowly and its getting weaker. it failed a load test about a year ago and is really on borrowed time now. I've sat it on a trickle charger, put new water in it, and done other such things, but eventually its time has pretty much come. It also doesn't help that a side of the case has started to bulge out a bit.