Save your settings when messing with your battery.

[DarkLeftArm]

Anybody besides me have one of these gadgets? You plug it into your cig. lighter before you disconnect the battery, and it saves all your radio/clock settings. Nice and cheap, too!

[awsmsrv]

Great idea! Where'd ya find it?

[DarkLeftArm]

Had it for a few years, but I think it came from autozone. Just remembered I had it AFTER I switched batteries in the bike, and lost all my presets... ugh.

Hooked it up and disconnected the battery again, just to check, and it worked like a champ.

[saddlebum]

I just hook in a 9 volt transister battery before disconnecting my vehicle battery.

[bongobobny]

That's cool, but depending on just how it works Saddlebum's idea may be a cheaper alternative but you have to make sure your accessory plug (cigarette lighter for you older people) is always live. Some automobiles have it configured so that, depending on where you put the fuse, the accessory plug may or may not work unless the key is on...

[Flyinfool]

It also assumes that while you have the battery out and are working on things that you do not ground the positive battery cable.

 

I have used my potable jump start battery to do the same thing. I have a cord with a lighter plug on both ends so that I can easily connect it to the lighter socket. I use the same cord for charging the the portable battery while driving.

 

The other thing to be mindful of is that if you are disconnecting the battery to remove power from the system to do electrical work, this is powering the system back up and you no longer have a dead system.

[saddlebum]

It also assumes that while you have the battery out and are working on things that you do not ground the positive battery cable.

 

I have used my potable jump start battery to do the same thing. I have a cord with a lighter plug on both ends so that I can easily connect it to the lighter socket. I use the same cord for charging the the portable battery while driving.

 

The other thing to be mindful of is that if you are disconnecting the battery to remove power from the system to do electrical work, this is powering the system back up and you no longer have a dead system.

True to a degree, I just bridge the batterry cables with the nine volt battery and some leads,or some other convenient location, slip a hose or wrap a rag over the positve cable. At least with the 9 volt battery if you do short something out by mistake you dont get the automotive version of thunder and lightning, and the little guy can not usually produce enough currant to do any serious damage. However sometimes you just have no choice but to cut all power.

Edited January 26, 2012 by saddlebum