Trickle charger question

[oldBolt]

I borrowed a coworkers trickle (speedcharge) battery charger to see if a can charge the battery to my car.
The directions state:

For a battery installed in the vehicle,
first connect the charger output lead to ungrounded battery post (not connected to automobile chassis)
in accordance with polarity indication and then opposite polarity lead to chassis away from battery.

Can any one tell what this means to do in a form I can understand? (Me stupid)

My guess is diconnect the neg from the car to the battery and connect the neg from the charger to the neg on the battery.
Then I connect the pos of the charger to the chassis and not the pos to the battery?

HELP!

[Justin]

speed chargers go from pos to pos terminal post  (red)

and neg to the car chassis (black)

Make all the connections first,  then plug in the charger

[zipbyu]

What is the reason you have to charge it in the first place.  If you just need a jump with the charger- leave that battery connected to the car and jump/quick charge it, and start it up.  No matter what +pos to +pos, -neg to -neg.(parallel) and you never will go wrong.  Oh and the chassis ground goes to the neg batt post directily so clamp it there and you will be fine.  Chassis ground is refered to for safety or some crap, I never done that it is over rated.

Your battery still might not hold a charge if it is bad.  If you draned it completely(deepcycle) it will never charge back up to its full ability.  Thay lact 4-5 years anyway, alot less if deepcycled.

[Justin]

Myron,
2 years without starting the car.   I spoke to him on the phone.
By the way, I always go from battery terminal to battery terminal and skip the chassis thing too.
We also determined that it should be a quick attempt to start after the hook up and not "charging the battery" with a speed charger.


I just wanted to recommend 'by the book' approach

[oldBolt]

Yes the vehicle is a victim of my first bike purchase in 2008.
If the temperature is in range 28 – 130 degrees I ride the speed triple to work and any where else.

The car (a 2001 BMW 540i) lost out to my new two wheel friend.  I have an old 2001 Dodge Intrepid which I used in the winter as the 540 has I hard time even with a frosty road.
Now I wanted to get a trailer to haul my newest friend a 2007 CBR600rr, to the track, which I wanted to pull with the wife's suburban but she stated that I would need to get the BMW running.  Those two years went fast for the world's greatest procrastinator. (My list of todos just gets bigger)

I think the car may need some work though.  I put the speed charger on as Justino suggested putting the negative to the frame and the fully charged light on the speed charger was on.  When I put the negative on the negative battery post I got the fully charged light and the charging light on at the same time.  I have tried to jump the vehicle but it is completely dead.  I think the battery is gone.  I replaced it last in 2005, the car acted as it does now. (Couldn't jump it then either) 
Thanks for the posting Justino /zipbyu any and all help is much appreciated.

Hopelessly non- mechanically inclined
OldBolt