I bought one of these to use as a trickle charger for my mower and Ford Ranger, a battery that would die if the truck wasn't used frequently. Eventually, both that battery and the one on my mower would not stay charged even when on trickle charge. I set this unit on repair, and both batteries are now performing like new. My other truck battery was also failing after 7 years, so I tried it on that truck...it too is as good as new. I didn't want to replace 3 batteries and this unit gets 10 stars from me for restoring all of them.
Had to buy a charger for my Dodge Charger that sits in the garage most days and saw significant battery drain over the winter, and this video is just what I need to understand why and how to use one. Thanks for the great vid and all the details!
I've used my Noco Genius 5 for a few winters now (love it!) as my car is stored in a detached garage that gets really cold in winter & the battery kept dying overnight. I assume it was the cold weather, as it only happens during the really cold months. (The battery isn't old, and has been checked by the dealership & is fine.) I keep the battery attached to the noco during these cold snaps, which means leaving the hood open, thus I want to advance to using the eyelets. Thanks for your added info on eyelets in this video. I'm not at all handy so I think I'll go the fraidy cat route and ask the dealership to put them on for me the next time my car is serviced. Thanks for the review/tutorial.
Thank you for taking the time to watch. Much appreciated. Make sure you order the correct eyelets. There are M6 and M10 size. Double check with the dealer or shop you will have install them to find out which size you need.
@@natemarcy3939 Thank you. The eyelets came with the battery, but I'll make sure they are correct for my car. A lexus RX 350, I believe? Edited to say, the eyelets came with the Noco charger, not the battery. Sorry about that.
I am a gal and I love my Noco products -- even just holding them feels good..lol, well built IMO. I have the Noco Genius 5 (Battery Charger+maintainer) and I use this to mainly maintain my Datsun 280ZX as I don't drive this immaculate vehicle all year round. I also have Noco GB40 booster which I have used several times to boost another vehicle of mine. The Genius 5 manual has very tiny print, I may enlarge font to make it easier to read. When I am not using these units, I like to put them back into their original boxes, bugger to organize them in the manner they were in when purchased. LOL.
I was keeping my NOCO genius 5 in it's original box but the box didn't make it long before it started falling apart so I keep mine in the top side of my Boostx carrying case. All in one spot now 👍🏼
05:11 They are designed and engineered in The United States, but they are manufactured and assembled in places like China, Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. NOCO is based in The United States, but it's a multi national company.
You just explained something that’s been confusing me for years, whenever I charge the battery on my car it’s in the street so I close the bonnet and lock the car. Then when I return to check it I open the car and pull the bonnet catch and the charger is always back at stage 1, NOW I know why. The central locking and interior light are causing the Noco Genius to re-set charge mode to stage 1. 🥴, thanks great video.
Love your video. On the cigarette lighter, I don't think I would use that option. (I could be wrong) However, Some of the newer vehicles now use switching grounds so that the cigarette lighter does not have power until the ignition switch is on. I would hate to send power though the electronics not knowing where the current is passing through.
I learned the hard way that alligator clips are no good for a long term connection. They seem to lose connection after a few weeks, and the battery goes dead. I used the eyelets instead, but I didn't have to buy the eyelet accessory. The wire is connected to the alligator clip by a copper screw with an eyelet connector. Fortunately, my connection points were the right sized bolt.
FYI, just some information to put out there I was reading many reviews online and many people complains that they do not honor their 3-year warranty if the unit goes defective two years later sometime sooner. Still thinking of buying the product but that's the only negative I have on this device
Super helpful. My G15000 went kaput a while back and NOCO walked me through the process. Despite being past a 5 year warranty period, they are sending me a new model, better unit, at a very modest cost to mostly cover shipping and handling. I also bought a NOCO Genius 10 that is perfect for keeping my camper van charged over the winter.
@@murraybrown855 just because they honored your return it doesn't mean other people didn't have issues. The good of one situation doesn't mean the good for all but glad you had a good experience.
I think the cigarette lighter accessory is for the 10 version which acts as a power supply. So if you’re running an air compressor, you can plug the noco 10 into the way and use it to run a 12v compressor to inflate your tires instead of plugging it into your car (say you have a dead battery or don’t want to start your car)
I am not savvy about battery charging. I lost my husband this year and now it's my turn to figure out how to maintain his sports car. I bought this charger because I was told to put a trickle charge on it while it is in storage. I was proud of myself for setting it up. It was doing the just like you said pulsating up to the green. When I went to check on it today just the standby light was on. I pressed the mode and got the flashing up to the green again. If I want it to trickle charge am I doing something wrong or does it automatically switch from standby to charging? I appreciate and advice you can give, Charging for dummies!
Brilliant. I was going to condition my battery. Not only did you show me how to do it but you said the flashing light was what I was meant to see and that it could take days. Exactly what I needed to know. Thank you.
Great video, thanks Nate, maybe this is a stupid question, but same here, I won't use my for 6 months, how often do you charge the battery? Or just keep connect?
Thank you! The only stupid question is the question that's never asked haha. This is a charger + maintainer so I put it on my mustang and leave it til I drive it again. Right now I have it on the battery all winter. I have unhooked it twice to pull the car out so I could get in the attic but other than that, It's hooked up all the time. I do check on it once a week to make sure all is good otherwise set it and forget it. It will monitor the battery voltage to know when to be on and off.
I admit upfront I don’t understand cars, batteries or even electricity. 😂. My son’s GMC Canyon (2021) is not driven much and won’t hold a charge. It’s currently dead as a hammer. Three questions: how do I know what type of battery it is (for the setting on the Noco), and I see that you said this isn’t a jump starter. However if I plug it in for a long time, like overnight, will it recharge the battery so that it’s driveable? Lastly, do I have to leave the hood up while all this is going on? Truck is in driveway not in garage. (going to have to use an extension cord.). Would like to avoid having hood wide open if possible. Thanks….argh.
The battery should have a sticker on top or the side with its specs. And yes you can keep the hood closed while it works. Should be drivable when done if the battery wad the problem
Hi Nate. Just viewing your tutorial. Thanks for straight forward explanation. So I just purchased the exact same model as shown on this video and will be connecting to my 2018 Maxda CX5. My question is this... I'm reading on the small tag (on the plug wire of the unit..) that IF charging while the battery is connected in the car, then if the vehicle is equipped with the Neg (-) lead which is also attached to the chassis, the black clamp MUST be attached to that and NOT the battery's Negative terminal. I see you did not do this on your vehicle and I'm assuming because it is an older model and they probably did not do that in those years. My question to you... why would it be "ok" to attach both the red and black alligator clamps to a battery for older vehicles that are not equipped with a ground on the chassis but... not ok for current vehicles that have a split in the negative cable lead which is attached to the chassis? I've read several comments about the battery possibly gassing-off during the charging process which COULD cause sparks and potential explosion.... is the risk different in both of the above scenarios (i.e. old cars and current cars) ?? thanks! Anthony
Honestly my unit doesn't have any tag stating that information but I have seen newer vehicles that have a remote negative terminal and /or remote positive terminal to hook to for jump starting or charging. Some things are connected for safety and/or other electrical components of the car between the battery and the remote negative or positive terminal that if you go directly to both terminals on the battery itself, you could harm other electrical components of the vehicle. I can't speak to all the different reasons but I have seen that and it has caused me issues jump starting those style vehicles. My car just has standard connections with no remote terminals. If you check your owners manual for jump starting or charge your battery, it will show you exactly how to hook it up. That will clear up any issues with improper connecting of the NOCO. Always go with vehicle manufacturers recommendations from the owners manual or consult the local mazda dealer. I had a 2016 CX5 and from what I remember, it didn't have remote terminals but I could be wrong. It's been 6 years since I had it. I hope this explains some of the confusion for you.
I have the genuis 1 for my Silverado, I pulled the black cable off from the truck,and have the noco hooked on the batt. I'm assuming that's a good way to do it, because she does sit , because I have a company truck. But I think I might get the 5. Any suggestions?
You don't have to disconnect any terminals to use any noco. I have the same situation. I have a company car so all my vehicles sit for periods of time without use. The genius 1 is a great unit I'm sure and have others comments that people use the 1 or 2 for maintaining there batteries with no issue. I personally got the 5 so it would maintain anything I have and also charge a dead battery in a timely matter. I feel it would be an upgrade for you to go to a 5 because you have a truck. That is totally up to you. The smaller ones do the same job but take a longer time to do it.
I have a bunch of these, one for my motorcycle and my Mustang that sit all winter like yours, and another for my tractor. I'm in NH. Great units and great video!
Yes must be plugged in to use. The GENIUS line are slow charger/maintainer. The NOCO jump packs are the BOOST or BOOSTX line. I have a video reviewing and discussing my NOCO GBX75 on the channel. It's bigger than most need but they are all similar.
Great video, didn't even know such product existed. I have replaced 5 batteries because of my lack of knowledge. I especially like the car plug option you brought up. After I buy this product, will give plug a try. I wonder if Genius has a product where it auto selects things verses me having to select the right mode using the buttons? Thanks Nate.
They definitely work in my experience. Picked up a genius 1 for the mower. That will be a test because it sits most of the winter except when I need to plow which the battery seems to be dead. I revived it once last year with the 5 so I will have the 1 on it all winter in the cold. Should show it's true colors.
No. This is just for charging and maintaining a battery. You would want the jump pack that they make. The boost (gb) or boostx (gbx) is the two lines of jump packs they have. I have a gbx75. It works great.
Wow thank you so much your walk through explanation was fantastic. I picked one of these up used/still new and have no book or instruction manual for it 👍👍
Thank you so much. I purchased this unit for my 83 yr old friend and former neighbor lady. Many senior citizens just use a car to get groceries or make doctor appointments, like my friend, and she told me about having to get help getting her battery jumpstarted about 3 times now! Meanwhile, your demo is helping me take notes which are going in the Noco box I'm shipping to her! And if her cig lighter can somehow stay on, she might want that! Thank you!
can the noco genius 5 plug into a DC power box like jackery instead of AC for road work? I sometimes need to keep european cars at 13v when doing programming via OBD
Hi Nate, my noco 5 keeps flashing all colors and then goes back to power mode. Any ideas? I’ve read the instructions and watched your video and I’m just not getting it. Their support is out till after the New Year. Thanks
thank you grate review Im going to buy three of them for my boat battery i like the versatility of separate units over a multi bank i remove them for winter storage and have a built in promariner 30 amp for summer thanks again
Good video, thanks for the information. A question, what happens if I charge a 200ah battery with the Noco 5 (battery capacity 120ah)? Does it just take longer to load? or does it not charge completely? Thanks
Nate thank you for this review. I’ve been advised to get a battery trickle charger as I just replaced my vehicles battery (32k miles on a 2015 MINI Cooper JCW Roadster). It was time, four years and I was getting indications stating “increased battery discharge”. Being retired I’m not driving nearly as much as I did previously so the charging system needs a little help… Thinking I’ll be getting one of these units shortly myself as they seem to be well made and simple to operate… Oh and I’ll be subscribing to your channel as well.
Much appreciate the kind words. Guys and Gals like yourself are the reason I decided to make videos. Definitely a great investment. I just did a Black Friday video for noco. The genius 5 is normally $90 on amazon. They are marked down to $70 now but expect it to be $50ish on Black Friday and cyber monday. I got mine for $45 on amazon prime day back July so look out this deal. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for this. Great info. I am researching this unit to maintain an AGM battery as my car is staying in the garage for the winter. Last year, the battery went dead and I couldn’t open the trunk were the battery is located 😂
Winter storage of anything with a battery is always an issue and with technology advancements it's making it worse. Lol sometimes it would be nice to still have basics such as a key hole to open trunks as a backup.
Funny thing is that there is a key hole alright, but it still needs a battery because the latch is electric lol. I was able to open the trunk with a broom stick using the ski pass through.
I charged my 2015 mazda 3 to full green led but the charge went back down to red (1st bar) im the morning when i woke up, would this be an issue with the car battery? (I'm about to try using the repair mode)
That shows that the battery will not Hold a charge, which could be caused by the plates in the battery being sulfated. If you use the Repair Mode it may and probably will correct the problem. 1.-- Charge your battery to 100% 2.--- With the battery at full charge switch to Repair Mode and let Repair Mode mode run until it shuts off automatically, which is 4 or more hours. In some cases you May have to run Repair Mode more than once to Fully Restore your battery. From what I have seen, Repair Mode will work to repair the battery approximately 75% of the time.
It's why I bought mine. My 2019 battery (which was checked out to be fine) kept dying during freezing temps. This battery issue started happening when the car went from being stored in the center of an attached 3-car garage, to a detatched garage. The battery dying only happens when it's really cold out. Keeping a Noco attached during the cold snaps has rectified the problem.
Question: So, does this NOCO Genius5 battery charger always need to be plugged into a wall outlet to charge a car battery? If I forget my car lights ON and the car battery dies and the car is not near a wall outlet, will the NOCO Genius5 charge the battery? Please let me know. Thank you for helping! Great video.
The genius 5 will only work plugged in. It is a charge/maintainer. What you would be looking for to jump start your car is the NOCO boost(GB) or boostX(GBX) jump packs. I have the GBX75. They are costly but mine works great.
I’m getting up there in age, so my memory…., anyhow I go to your video to refresh the info whenever o have a battery issue. You’re very succinct and I find your video one of the best I’ve ever watched and learned…learned…, and relearned from. Thanks for the time you invested in making this very insightful video.
Thanks Nate your instructions were clear and easy to understand. I have a 2021 mustang GT. My car isn’t a daily drive. The last time I took out was probably 2 to 3 months ago and didn’t close the trunk properly and flattened the battery. It’s 10.30 pm where I am in Australia. I’ve just set the charger up and followed your instructions. I’m hoping it will be fully charged in the morning. My understanding is I can leave the charger on for as long as I like and it won’t harm anything. Is the true. Thanks again mate ….jim
Thank you for the kind words. I have mine for my mustang as well. You can leave it on for as long as you want because it recognizes the volt and toggles on and off depending on the voltage.
A lot of people always say the mounting system to mount it to the wall. Its actually to mount it in your engine bay and have the charger connected to your battery with eyelets. Run the plug to your grill and you dont need to even open the hood to plug it up
I thought that to but it doesn't automatically start charging at least mine doesn't. Definitely would mount under the hood like the genius 2D but would still need to select the mode to have it start charging unless mine isn't working properly. They should make the 2D a 5D. The 2D takes off on its own once plugged in. No buttons to press.
@@natemarcy3939 it says in the instruction book after the first setup its has onboard memory so when you plug it in the next time it is already on the mode ready to go
You've got it hooked up wrong. You've got it connected directly to the battery. On Fords you should connect it to the ground at the BMS otherwise it won't keep track as to how much charge you're putting into it.
If the unit is seeing the battery and will go into one of the modes, force mode isn't needed. Was your battery low on power or you just using it to maintain it while it sits?
I think you will be happy with your purchase. I believe you would be good to purchase the genius 1 or 2 to save a few more dollars. No need for extra power unless you plan to use on a car or truck as well.
Hi Nate, Thanks for a good inf. Can I hook up the novo genius 5 to my car battery and leave it for a month because I will be away for a month? Thanks, NQ
@@natemarcy3939 Thanks! I have a track loader that if not cranked for a couple of weeks will have a low battery. I have disconnects on all other equipment except for the newest ones with multifunction screens. Don't want to constantly reset the info in the computers so wanted to get battery tenders for that equipment. Thanks for the reply and the videos. Good job.
Something to go with that, are your machines 12v or 24v systems? I only ask because most larger heavy equipment tend to be 24v systems. If so, look into the NOCO genius pro series. They have a 24v setting on them. Otherwise enjoy!
I bought one and it was fine the first two times I used it but now whether it’s in regular mode or repair mode it makes a loud pinging noise. Is there anything I can do or is my battery done
...Also just want to say nice video, and was wondering if you know if this unit would repair a 12v jumppack? ...afterall, they are pretty much a battery, but not sure if that would work?
Great video. Help!! I hooked it up to my jeep battery that wouldn't start and it cycled from the red to pulsating green. It started the first time. Then 2 days later it was on green and did not have enough juice to start. How do I repair the battery now when I hold the mode button it just goes from 12 to 6 volt then back to on light I can't get all the lights to flash or go in repair. Any Help?
Yes it should work on a fully dead battery. If battery voltage is too low for the charger to detect, press and hold the mode button for 5 seconds to activate Force Mode, then select the appropriate mode. All available modes will flash. Once a charge mode is selected, the Charge Mode LED and Charge LED will alternate between each other, indicating Force Mode is active. After 5 minutes the charger will return to the normal charge operation and low voltage detection will be reactivated. Then you should be about to use the normal charging mode. In normal mode, you select the battery you have with the mode button. Once active, each status bar light will pulse slowly as it charges up. In the video skip to 10:25 for a full demo of how it works when using.
In my experience with the genius 5, around 24 hours to get close to fully charged on a full size car battery. should be above 25% within 3-5 hours. The last 25% of the charge is the slowest because it slows the charge down to maximize the final little bit of charge and protect the batteries health
Where did you get this information? My AGM car battery tooks ages to fully charge (14h and blinking green with the other led on) so I'm trying a repair mode. Is it bad ??
With anything electrical, I was always treat it as a possibile shock hazard but in reality, this is very safe and being zapped is next to none due to all the safety circuits inside of the unit.
I CAN SAY THIS. THE PRINT ON THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL IS REDICULOUSLY SMALL. THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT. IT'S ALMOST UNREADABLE. THE CHARGER IS MADE IN VIETNAM. ITS DESIGNED IN THE USA. MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL DESIGNED IN VIETNAM AS WELL. 😂 🤣 😂
I have the NOCO 10, 5, and 4 of the 1"s.. The 5 is a great choice for overnite charging the typical auto battery. Once the battery is fully charged, the NOCO 1 is my choice for maintaining. My BMW sitting idle most of the winter is a current-hungry beast and the NOCO 1 can do the job indefinitely. NOCO is a good choice.
Thank you for the info. It's nice to hear someone else's experience with multiple. I'm thinking of getting the 10 once I get my diesel restoration project done. I'm sure it will appreciate the 10 for the two big batteries in it. What do you use your 10 for?
@@natemarcy3939 Well, I run a small battery restoration business from home now that I am retired, kinda like a hobby of mine. The NOCO 10 is used at times for weak auto and tractor batteries I get in occasionally which may be somewhat sulfated and need to be turned around and returned to the customer within a couple weeks. All the NOCO's can desufate, they obviously charge at different rates. I actually have much larger chargers and even stick welders for reviving dead batteries. What's good about the NOCOs is their pretty much plug and play and need mostly no supervision. As always you should have good ventilation while using the 10 and maybe even the 5. Be sure to pop off the vent plugs when initially starting a charge process and watch for heat. Once the battery is fully charged, put the caps back on, use a small maintainer (the 10 is overkill) the 5 will be great for this. -Dave
@@340dave wow that's very interesting. Something that I didn't even know could be a business or that anyone even did. Very cool! Thank you for sharing all the great knowledge. I like putting information out there for others but love being introduced to new knowledge.
Great review. I just received mine to use on the boat battery. Used the boat once for 4 hours. The 3500 didn't do anything on the trickle. Just got hot, and blink green. The 5 finished in about 25 minutes.
IBOUGHT 2 NOCO 5X3 AND BOTH OF THEM WAS BAD KEPT BLOWING FUSES FIRST IT WAS NUMBER 2 THEN THE NEXT CHARGER WAS NUMBER ONE DOD ANYONE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ?CAUSE I WONT BUY ANOTHER NOCO AGAIN
Great video! I've just got the NOCO 5 to charge my leisure battery. The battery was down to 12.37 volts, which apparently means its due a charge. The NOCO 5 went through all the colours to green in less than 3 minutes, then the pulsing green went on for 8 hours (with the other colours lit up too) eventually just the green stayed on. Does this sound right, it gets the "bulk" of the charge done in 3 monutes?! The battery is now reading 13.01 Volts, but looks to be slowly going down every 5 mins by 0.01 V.
That is correct. All lights will light up one at a time then the green light will pulse as you mentioned then it goes solid green once down. As of for the discharge, a battery will never hold charge at 13 volts for long. Any charger will charge a battery to around 13 volts but it will discharge down after it's done to around 12v and should hold charge there if it is a good battery. 12.37 volts I would consider a good battery. Another indication that it is a good battery is it charged to pulsing green quick. if it had any issues it would charger much slower.
@@natemarcy3939 thanks for the helpful reply! Its a 60 AH leisure battery running an electric fence energizer. From new its lasted 2.5 months without a charge, until it read 12.37 V and I decided to charge. Its now reading 12.91 V after being stood overnight since I took the charger off. What volts would you reccomend taking it home for a charge again? I'm going to refit it to the energizer today.
So when it's hooked up to a normal 12v battery, and the light goes green, is that the trickle charge mode? I just need it for that, as a trickle charger, to maintain it.
It depends on how dead the battery is and what condition it's in. My truck batteries truck batteries take 2 days from dead. If it's still on the first bar after that, try doing a repair which will take 24 hours or more depending. If it still doesn't charge, the battery maybe too far gone to be saved.
Good video , I have a Genius 5 but seen the Genius 10 and it was $100 and charges twice as fast and has a feature that can plug into the OBD2 port and provide power to the comptuer systems so when changing the battery the computer memory , radio memory and seat memory is retained so you do not have to reset them , I use the Genius 10 most of the time nowadays , great product
I think I will be getting the genius 10 next as well for my diesel truck. It has two big batteries so I would like the extra amps when it is parked for long periods of time. Thank you for the feedback!
Genius 10 is $85 on AMZN These are designed in USA, made in China or Vietnam. When you connect the Noco to the battery, do you disconnect the battery from the car ? Thx, great vid and tips 👍🏻 Also, Noco GB40 on w00t for $75
@@natemarcy3939 thanks for the reply, someone stated if using repair mode to disconnect battery as it might interfere with car electronics. Also, if the battery is in the trunk do I connect to the posts in the engine bay or the battery in trunk ? Thanks
@@babagandu if doing repair mode it never hurts to be safe and unhook it. I personally have done a repair with the battery still hooked up and had no issues. I would hook the noco directly to the battery in the trunk. That cuts out any potential issues the wiring could cause or other systems in between.
