Are you in the market for a new or used vehicle and having difficulty finding something in your budget? Or are you finding yourself making trade-offs to find something you can afford (i.e. less cargo space, lower trim level). A reporter from a national news publication would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by this Friday, 11/21 for details.

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

pauljaypauljay Member Posts: 19
edited February 2016 in Mazda
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.
Tagged:

Best Answer

  • pauljaypauljay Member Posts: 19
    Answer ✓
    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.

Answers

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    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.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.