Troubleshooting Your Selectable Battery Tender Charger: Switching from 6V to 12V and Resolving Lithium Mode Stuck Issue

A man holds a selectable battery tender charger in his hand after connecting it to his vehicle's battery.

The top of a Battery Tender® 5 bank selectable charger showing selectable features.

If you're having trouble changing your selectable Battery Tender® charger from 6V to 12V or if it’s stuck on the lithium setting, you can easily resolve this issue. Read on to learn how you can troubleshoot your charger.


Why is my Battery Tender charger stuck in one mode?

Let’s start by clarifying that your Battery Tender charger is not actually stuck, rather, the charger simply needs to be unplugged. This is a result of one of the many safety features Battery Tender includes in their chargers - once a charger is connected to a battery, it cannot be switched to a different mode.

To safely operate your selectable charger, you should always connect your charger to the battery first before connecting it to AC power. You want to ensure your settings are correct before plugging the charger into an AC outlet to avoid the charger getting “stuck”.

When power is applied, a fresh signal is sent through the charger to start a new charge. You will notice that all of the lights on the charger come on before half of them switch back off - leaving the amber charge LED and green LED solid. This means the charger is now in charge mode and cannot be changed once this occurs.

For further troubleshooting instructions, the steps below will help ensure that you’re operating your battery charger correctly.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide:

  1. Unplug the Battery Tender Charger:
    • Disconnect the Battery Tender charger from both the battery and the A/C power source.
  1. Wait for 30 Seconds:
    • Allow the Battery Tender charger to sit unplugged for about 30 seconds. This helps to reset the charger’s settings.
  2. Reconnect A/C Power (but not the battery yet):
    • Plug the Battery Tender charger back into the A/C power source, but do not connect it to the battery just yet.
  3. Toggle Between 6V and 12V:
    • Press the “Select” button on the charger.
    • Switch the Battery Tender charger’s voltage back and forth a few times between 6V and 12V by pressing the button again. This helps ensure the unit registers your selection.
  4. Choose Your Desired Voltage:
    • Once you’ve toggled between voltages a couple of times, stop on the desired setting—whether 6V or 12V.
  5. Select AGM/Flooded Mode:
    • After selecting the voltage, press the “Select” button until the AGM/Flooded setting is highlighted.
  6. Reconnect the Battery:
    • Now, reconnect the Battery Tender charger to the battery, and the unit should go into a working charge mode in the 12-volt AGM/Flooded setting.

In conclusion

By following these steps, your Battery Tender charger should reset and allow you to switch between 6V and 12V settings without getting “stuck” on lithium mode.


If the problem persists after following these steps, consider checking for any updates in the user manual or contacting Battery Tender customer support at support@deltran-global.com for further assistance.


To shop Battery Tender chargers, visit our website here.

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