Can I charge my Miata's battery using a battery tender?

pauljay

I have 2016 MX-5 Miata "Sport" trim. Is there a way to keep the battery at full charge by using a battery tender (trickle charger) attached to an interior receptacle? I know I can probably accomplish this by connecting the tender's clips to the actual battery but this would require me to leave the hood open. My tender has the necessary interior adaptor, but plugging it into the GPS receptacle does not work.

pauljay

Mr_Shiftright: Thanks for your response. Unfortunately the port is not "on" after the ignition is turned off. So I guess I have no other options but to attach the battery tender directly to the battery, unless there is another port somewhere that I have not found yet.

Mr_Shiftright

It should work but only if your AUX port stays live after you shut the ignition off. I would not attempt to start the car with this connected however. If you want to safely experiment, buy an in-line fuse holder at the auto parts store and use a fuse that is smaller than the one for your AUX port, and wire that inline fuse in between your charger and the AUX port. That way, if something doesn't work right, you'll only blow your inline fuse. Your AUX is probably 15 amp, but check that.