Anyone know if I can hook up a battery tender to the front of the vehicle to charge the D?

I know the batter is under the passenger seat but I have not looked under there to see how hard it would be to get the alligator clips in order to top it off so I'm wondering if its a straight connection from the front of the hood to the battery.

 

There is a big red capped off positive lead on the passenger side.

 

Can you hook a battery tender up to a battery that's still connected to a vehicle? I would have thought that could mess with the electronics in the vehicle...

The battery is very easy to access. Simply move the passenger front seat all the way forward then firmly pry up on the false floor under the seat with your fingers. It takes a fair bit of force but the false floor will pop up revealing the battery.

Good luck

 

unless the vehicle sits for very long periods of time(for example a month or more) without being driven a battery tender is not needed

 

Yes you can, I keep my show car hooked up all the time. I drive it a few mounths out of the year but most of the time it just collects dust.
Taken from the Battery Tender Website.

How long can I leave a battery connected to the charger?
In theory, you can leave the Battery Tender Plus battery charger connected to a battery forever. Like they say, “Just plug it in and forget about it!” Practically speaking, it is a good idea to check on the battery at least once a week. Strange things can happen. Sometimes a battery can have a weak cell that won’t show up until the worst possible time. Of course, that time is usually when the battery is connected to a charger. If something goes wrong, then you have to deal with the question of the chicken and the egg. Which came first? Did the battery fail because it was connected to the charger or did the charger fail because it was connected to the battery?

No matter how good a product is, anything can break. With a battery and a charger connected together, it’s a much better idea to be proactive and anticipate problems, however unlikely they may be. In more than 99.9% of cases, nothing will go wrong. That still leaves about 0.1% where something might. Learn to respect electricity. A little common sense can go a long way.

Is there any danger that the Battery Tender Plus battery charger can cause any damage to other automotive electronic systems while it is connected to the battery in my automobile?

No. As long as the automotive electronics system is functioning properly, there should be no problem. Typical automotive electronic systems run between 14 and 15 volts with the alternator running. The maximum voltage output of the Battery Tender Plus battery charger is 14.4 to 14.5 volts.

Can I leave the Battery Tender Plus battery charger connected to a battery while I’m using the battery to power another appliance like a radio?

Yes, you can leave the Battery Tender Plus battery charger connected to a battery even when the battery is being used. As far as the Battery Tender Plus battery charger is concerned, the appliance just makes the battery look like it’s not fully charged. The Battery Tender Plus battery charger can supply up to its full 1.25 amp current output even while its output voltage is at the lower, float level of 13.2 volts. It is only when the battery voltage drops below somewhere between 12.0 and 12.5 volts that the Battery Tender Plus battery charger will reset and begin the full charger cycle. All that means is that when the appliance is no longer being used by the battery, the battery voltage will rise normally and there will be an absorption period of a few hours where the Battery Tender Plus battery charger holds the battery voltage at 14.4 volts until the charger current drops to below 0.1 amp, or until 8 hours has elapsed during the absorption charge period. Then the Battery Tender Plus battery charger goes back into float mode where its output voltage is constant at only 13.2 volts.

 

I've connected my battery tender to all my cars, on my MB, the battery is at the back of the trunk, but I guess my question is can I pop open the hood and connect it via the hood area. I think that is made to jump start the D if it ever needs jumping but I don't know if its a straight connection to the battery or to the starter, and it bypasses the battery all together.

Yeah, I looked under the passenger seat, and pulled a bit but I guess I was not pulling hard enough, I didn't want to break anything since its all plastic. The issue that I see if I connect it inside the car will be then I need to have a longer power cable and leave the door open which in turns makes all the interior lights turn on. I know I can turn it off but I think if it works on the hood, there is no light switch there that can stay on all the time.

Yes I realize its not needed unless it sits for a long time but this is my third car so it can go months before using it and I like to have it topped off especially if I make a small move like move it out in the driveway to wash it and just put it back in the garage.

 

The battery tender works just fine hooked to the posts under the hood. I use mine at least monthly when the vehicle is left in the garage.