When to replace a car battery

[mm]

I think they sulfate when they are charged too quickly. After a battery is fully or mostly discharged, for whatever reason, people might put a 10 ot 20 or 50 amp charger on the battery, so they can get going quickly. Service stations are even more likely to do this. While lead is being deposited on the plates, particles of lead sulfate are trapped under the lead, It's covered, and not broken down into lead and sulfate (which combines to make sufuric acid).. Later, when the battery is being used again, the lead participates in making electricity, but the lead sulfate is a big dissappointment.

This is why I used to run the battery down by mistake, I would run the headlights and especially the fan motor while I was driving the car. To keep the battery from charging too quickly. I'm not sure how well this worked, (the ammeter seemed to show that the charging rate was only sllightly lower with these things running, but I figured even that slight amount would help, and I wasn't going to readjust the regulator for these rare occasions) but the problem is solved by your suggestion below, to use a trickle charger (which iirc is the same as a float charger.)

Good ideas. When I was doing this, I put the charger under the hood, near the battery, and ran the regular cord out through the grill. It was quick enough to plug and unplug from an extension cord.

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[mm]

They make them like that so they will look like "maintenance-free" batteries. Back when everyone wanted Maintenance Free. ONce you find the right point to pry, there as easy to get off as any 3-cell cap.

A lot of oilless motors have oil impregnated bearings. When the bearing heats up a little, oil emerges from it, and iiuc is sufficient. When the motor stops, the oil soaks back into the bearing.

AIUI, that's a very good idea.

Very good point.

He could use a regular external meter also. Try it at various engine speeds, although it should be just about the same at all of them.

Wow! Are you in the midwest that is east of the Mississippi, or the one that is west of it? (There are two, for some reason.)

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[mm]

I solve that by carrying battery jumper cables. Though not as easy to get a jump as it used to be, I've never needed a tow. Once I got one from a young good-looking woman. It was nice to meet a girl who wasn't a fraidy-cat.

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[George E. Cawthon]

And you know that how? Most batteries now come with 72 or 84 month guarantee. I haven't bought a vehicle battery with a guarantee shorter than 60 months since at least the mid 70's. I would expect that the average battery life would be in excess of the guarantee, otherwise the battery company would be losing money. So northeasterners must buy cheap batteries (less than a 60 month guarantee). Do vehicle batteries even come with a

48 month guarantee anymore?

[Lawrence Glickman]

If they do, they're most likely pro-rated, meaning they are depreciated according to the number of months since they were sold.

One thing I noticed. I went to put the charger on the car battery tonight because of expected below Zero Fahrenheit temps, and the battery charger said the battery was already fully charged. Indicating to me, that the worn serpentine belt I had been using, and the intermittent electrical connections at the voltage regulator plug were the problems I had ALL ALONG. No new battery required, although I could easily have ass/u/me-d that the battery was the problem.

No doubt if I had taken the car to a *shop* they would have sold me a new battery ( think pep boys ) and sent me on my way. Or an alternator, which I didn't need.

Your best bet, IMHO, is to track these problems down on your own. That is the only way I know of to get to the TRUTH OF THE MATTER without any bullshitting to dig through. Save your money for more important things.

Lg

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Years ago a co-worker asked my brother for a ride from the shop when he was going to drop his car for repairs. He said yes and asked what the problem was. The guy said he needed to have the alternator and voltage regulator replaced. (they used to be separate units). My brother replied, no, you need one or the other, very rare that both would die at the same time. Turned out to be a loose fan belt and no parts required.

You have to wonder how many people are duped every day either by crooks or just plain incompetence.

[Lawrence Glickman]

It is stealing from customers. It goes on everywhere, everyday, because there is no profit to be made in selling a new fan belt, and plenty of profit to be made from jacking the customer into thinking they need half a new engine.

If you ever meet an HONEST mechanic, expect to see an older fellow wearing worn clothes and tattered shoes. The youngsters are only interested in turning a fast buck.

Lg

[cod oil]

minutes of car use per

The answer is NO. The battery will keep draining due to the car computer and other electronic gadgets even though the car is not in use.

I'd had similar problems with my car battery until I learned it in a hard way. I also did not use my car much and the battery kept dying on me. I did replace the battery once, which did not help me at all. That is how I found out that what I need to do was buy a trickle battery charger.

I bought a trickle battery charger, which is attached to the battery, and plug the charger into the electricity outlet when the car is not in use. You can't overcharge with this charger.

I am sure if you ask any reputable auto parts stores, they will tell you what you need.

Good luck.

Jay

[Jim Elbrecht]

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I bought 3 '84 month' batteries last year. a Sears, an Interstate & one from Autozone. [several long stories on how I got so lucky]

None had more than a 2 year full replacement guarantee. They are all pro-rated after that-- with the Interstate being the best deal-- a straight line- i.e.; you paid $84, it lasted 48 months-- we give you $1 a month credit on a new battery. [no paperwork necessary-- we don't care who bought the battery]

2 of the batteries that I replaced were less than 5 yrs old and showing signs of their age. The 3d was in my teen daughter's car, was 6 yrs old, and seemed fine. But I thought spending $70 bucks in October sure beat the feeling I'd have on a blizzardy January night if her car wouldn't start.

Jim

[trader4]

I agree they shouldn't but some do. I have a 2000 Porsche 911 and if you leave the keys in it, but the ignition off, the battery will be dead in about 5 days. If you take the keys out, it will go several weeks. That's the way it's designed.

[trader4]

I agree they shouldn't but some do. I have a 2000 Porsche 911 and if you leave the keys in it, but the ignition off, the battery will be dead in about 5 days. If you take the keys out, it will go several weeks. That's the way it's designed.

[Mys Terry]

Totally incorrect. Battery Guarantees are essentially a marketing tool so you come back and buy another battery of the same brand. The Guarantee is pro-rated, and to the battery company, the discount on the subsequent batteries is cheaper per battery than any other type of promotion. Car tires are the same way. The guarantee is just a tool to lock you into buying the same tires over and over again. Think of it as a "Loyalty Lock". That's how the battery company sees it. They know that the 72 or 84 month battery (which is a 60 month battery with a higher price to cover the warrantee) will probably crap out after about 5 years, and at that point, they will only be giving you a credit of about $10. That's enough incentive for you to replace the battery with another of the same. To switch brands, you'd lose that "imaginary" $10 that YOU actually gave to THEM when you paid $15 more for a longer guarantee. It's smoke and mirrors.

Mys Terry

[Jim]

Much prefer using my cables, or portable jump start battery, helping others.

[dnoyeB]

I wonder what brand battery you use? I have never had a hard failure. I havent had any failures that were not forseeable.

Cold is also hard mostly because batteries are electrochemical devices. Its hard to generate the voltage and current when the chemicals are having a hard time mixing.

I honestly cant remember the last car battery I bought over the last several cars. Maybe one per 5-7 years.

[Mark Lloyd]

That could be the security device that's supposed to keep it from starting unless you have the right key. My 1998 Chevrolet pickup is like that. They sent an extra "door only" key. Put that in the ignition switch and you just get buzzing.

[Mark Lloyd]

In my first car (a 1980 Plymouth Horizon) the battery got too weak to start the car in just a few hours. The problem, which most mechanics couldn't find was a defective glove compartment light switch. The light never went off.

[Jim Yanik]

Mark Lloyd wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Most mechanics are not good with electrical problems;they tend to be oriented towards the -mechanical- . 8-)

(there are shops that specialize in auto-electrical problems.)

[George E. Cawthon]

When one doesn't know anything about a mechanical subject, it is easy to be duped. Most drivers don't even know how to change a tire or where to find the tire changing tools so how would they know whether a belt needs to be tightened. Most belts nowadays have an automatic tightener so a loose belt is seldom a problem.

However even if you demonstrate some knowledge mechanics can tell explanations that makes no sense mechanically in order to convince you to buy an expensive part. Had an air conditioning clutch burn up and the guy tried to tell me I needed a new compressor. Then the SOB (Pontiac Dealer)replaced the clutch and didn't replace the idler bearing even tho I asked and they said they would replace the bearing. It froze about 2 years later. Needless to say, I just bought the tool necessary to replace the bearing instead of taking it back to the shop.

[hallerb]

Most car shops hoping to find some bad alternators checking charging voltage with engine running.

It should be 13.8 with engine running!

Found a buddys car with bad alternator was 10.6

around 10 volts everything will quit.

there are cheap amp probes to check for current draw with everything off. If your car has a underhood light be sure to remove it if doing this test!

a regular glove box or dome light bulb shouldnt deaden the battery even if left on all nite. with a failing battery this will be a problem

[George E. Cawthon]

minutes of car use per

More batteries are ruined from overcharging that by any other method. Most of those little trickle chargers have lousy regulation and can damage batteries. Using a trickle charger is like putting STP in your oil to stop oil burning.

If the battery in a vehicle goes dead while sitting for less than 3 months, the battery needs to be replaced, something is wrong in the vehicle circuitry (mainly a high draw appliance) or the vehicle has a lousy electronic design.