Battery question..

[BUTCH1]

Ok, so I just got back from Wally and my battery I bought in Jan/12 was only putting out 471 CCA (it was rated at 550). After a short charging session it still was not up to spec so they replaced it free under warranty, part of the problem might be that I only drive 2.2 miles to work, then you've got that damm GM "after-blow" feature that runs the blower on high (when the car is off) for about 2-5 minutes to dry out the evap core after running the AC. This can be De-activated but only at a dealer with a proper scanner so I ask if a trickle-charger is a good idea and the guy who worked on my car (he had to be 70-75) said no, it will fuck up the plates internally, I've never heard of anything like that, what sat AT garage, old wife's tale or was the old dude smart and correct??

 

[olds]

I keep a trickle charger on my mc batteries (agm) during the winters and never had a problem.

 

[BUTCH1]

I keep a trickle charger on my mc batteries (agm) during the winters and never had a problem.

Yea, I think I might get a solar charger (if the price is OK), first I have to get my car to the dealer and have the "after-blow" turned off, I can do that myself by just shutting off the compressor and run the blower on high while the car is idling..

 

[LTC8K6]

A Battery Tender or the like is what you need.

The cheap solar chargers are too weak, and the ones with enough output should have a charge controller added to prevent overcharging.

However, "afterblow" as described below, would not bother your battery at all.

Once the above conditions have been met, the following sequence of events will occur:

1. The blower motor will run for 20 seconds.

2. The blower motor will be off for 10 minutes.

3. The blower motor will run for an additional 20 seconds.

4. The blower motor will be off for 10 minutes.

5. The blower motor will run for an additional 20 seconds.

 

[BUTCH1]

A Battery Tender or the like is what you need.

The cheap solar chargers are too weak, and the ones with enough output should have a charge controller added to prevent overcharging.

However, "afterblow" as described below, would not bother your battery at all.

I was reading on a GM forum (I forgot which one) that it was causing battery run down issues in certain cases, in my example your running the AC at max which means the blower motor is on full plus the 2 electric fans on the radiator are automatically on as well, then you throw in multiple short drives over weeks of time and you've got a weak battery. It doesn't help that GM put such a tiny battery in a car with a 3.5L engine, the original Delco battery that came with the car was replaced under warranty, didn't even make it 3 years LOL..

 

[tortillasoup]

If you decide to go the trickle charger route, get a Batteryminder 1500. It's temperature compensated, it will desulfate your batteries, supports SAE quick disconnect and has a 5 year warranty. If you buy the Batteryminder 1510 it has a 10 year warranty.

 

[BUTCH1]

If you decide to go the trickle charger route, get a Batteryminder 1500. It's temperature compensated, it will desulfate your batteries, supports SAE quick disconnect and has a 5 year warranty. If you buy the Batteryminder 1510 it has a 10 year warranty.

K, thanks for that..

 

[LTC8K6]

Ok, so I just got back from Wally and my battery I bought in Jan/12 was only putting out 471 CCA (it was rated at 550).

Sounds entirely normal for a nearly 3 year old battery, actually.

You are trying to solve a problem that does not exist, imo.

 

[disappoint]

Coincidentally I was just testing my battery yesterday as well. I have a battery from Dec. 2010 in my car. It's getting old (average car battery lasts 4 years according to an article I recently read). So I tested it to see if I should replace it before winter hits or if it will last this winter.

It's rated for 525 CCA. Tested 607 CCA. I was like, say what? That can't be right. Granted that was right after a drive so it may have still had a surface charge. I'll test it again, maybe turn on the headlights for a few seconds to remove the surface charge and see if I get a more accurate reading.

I don't have any problems with the battery, it starts the car up fine. Just wanted to check if it will survive the winter cold. Maybe the 525 CCA claim on the label is a minimum and some batteries can deliver more? Also CCA is not indicative of reserve capacity right? So just because it can deliver a burst of juice to crank doesn't mean it can deliver power over time in case accessories are left on.

 

[disappoint]

so I ask if a trickle-charger is a good idea and the guy who worked on my car (he had to be 70-75) said no, it will fuck up the plates internally, I've never heard of anything like that, what sat AT garage, old wife's tale or was the old dude smart and correct??

From my understanding 2 things can mess up the plates.

1. Depleting the charge too low.
2. Charging with so much energy that you heat up and warp the plates.

A trickle charger is designed not to deliver so much energy as to heat up the plates enough to warp them.

 

[BUTCH1]

Sounds entirely normal for a nearly 3 year old battery, actually.

You are trying to solve a problem that does not exist, imo.

I understand your opinion but here's what happened, the car was starting but the crank was very slow, as in if it didn't catch right away it would have failed. After noticing this I stopped using the AC so as to eliminate the "after-blow" from ever coming on and not running 3 electric fans at once. I also immediately shut off the daylight running lights feature and when I got to my destination I sat there for 2 min. or so @ 2K RPM then shut it off, this brought it back enough to stop the really slow cranks. At Walmart the initial test was 471 CCA so he tried charging it up higher and re-tested it but it still would not go above 471 so they gave me a new one. Props to Wally for standing behind their shit and F-ing GM for putting such a small battery in a car with a 3.5L engine and loaded with accessories such as heated seats, electric power steering, ect.

 

[disappoint]

GM cuts costs as much as they can get away with like every other company out there trying to maximize profits. I blame the bean counters, not the engineers.

Just curious what CCA battery did Walmart sell you? I ask because in my Chevy the battery holder has room for a bigger battery if I choose to buy one.

 

[disappoint]

Props to Wally for standing behind their shit and F-ing GM for putting such a small battery in a car with a 3.5L engine and loaded with accessories such as heated seats, electric power steering, ect.

Also those accessories are running off the alternator and not the battery while the engine is on. Has anyone checked the alternator to see if it's adequately charging the battery? Checked for any stray current draws when the engine is off that would deplete the battery?

Also 471 CCA is more than enough to start an engine so how accurate was Walmart's test? Did they mention anything about what voltage the battery is putting out? Maybe it had a shorted cell?

 

[BUTCH1]

Also those accessories are running off the alternator and not the battery while the engine is on. Has anyone checked the alternator to see if it's adequately charging the battery? Checked for any stray current draws when the engine is off that would deplete the battery?

Also 471 CCA is more than enough to start an engine so how accurate was Walmart's test? Did they mention anything about what voltage the battery is putting out? Maybe it had a shorted cell?

Yea, 471 will do it but like I said, I got it back up by babying it for 2 weeks. I put a DMM on the batt with the car running and got 14 V so I'm assuming it's OK, (not a real load test though). You are correct in that I should do a test for any excess parasitic draw when the car is off. Something must have been out of spec though as he just came back and said "we're replacing the battery", I didn't ask about the specific 2nd test results.

 

[tortillasoup]

Well lots of cold starts and not driving a vehicle much will definitely kill a battery mighty quick... So will having a strong parasitic draw and not driving the vehicle frequently and long enough. I know someone with a Toyota Prius that has that stupid smart key system and they don't drive the car enough so what I found was that the battery was running down to 10v regularly and having to be charged up. It's true the car is running on the original battery and it's a 2005 model but because the battery is so expensive, I found that simply disabling the smart key system was enough to keep the battery from draining down to 10V and instead rests at a reasonable 12.1V after a few days of non-use. It has been driven in this condition for about 3 years now so this winter they'll probably have to replace the battery.

But yes, if you observe your batteries prematurely failing and your charging system is working properly and you know you don't drive your car frequently enough, then topping off the car with a Batteryminder 1500 or the like is a great idea as I do the same myself.

 

[BUTCH1]

Well lots of cold starts and not driving a vehicle much will definitely kill a battery mighty quick... So will having a strong parasitic draw and not driving the vehicle frequently and long enough. I know someone with a Toyota Prius that has that stupid smart key system and they don't drive the car enough so what I found was that the battery was running down to 10v regularly and having to be charged up. It's true the car is running on the original battery and it's a 2005 model but because the battery is so expensive, I found that simply disabling the smart key system was enough to keep the battery from draining down to 10V and instead rests at a reasonable 12.1V after a few days of non-use. It has been driven in this condition for about 3 years now so this winter they'll probably have to replace the battery.

But yes, if you observe your batteries prematurely failing and your charging system is working properly and you know you don't drive your car frequently enough, then topping off the car with a Batteryminder 1500 or the like is a great idea as I do the same myself.

Yea, Old's suggestion was probably the best idea, the fact of my 2.2 mile drive to work and the under-sized battery GM put in the car in the first place means I need one of those. I had to LOL when the factory Delco batt. didn't even make it through the warranty period.

 

[Blain]

Have a F150 that I don't use very often, but it's well worth the taxes & insurance to keep it around.
I had a problem with the battery draining down, then having to jump it.

I solved the problem with a 20W solar panel laying on the dash, plugged into the cig lighter via a small charge controller.
I know I could have got by with a lower wattage panel, but in my world, excess capacity is always worth it... at a reasonable premium in cost.

 

[BUTCH1]

Have a F150 that I don't use very often, but it's well worth the taxes & insurance to keep it around.
I had a problem with the battery draining down, then having to jump it.

I solved the problem with a 20W solar panel laying on the dash, plugged into the cig lighter via a small charge controller.
I know I could have got by with a lower wattage panel, but in my world, excess capacity is always worth it... at a reasonable premium in cost.

You might want to be careful unless that charger is a "smart" model that detects when the battery is full and goes into "float" mode

 

[Raizinman]

You might want to be careful unless that charger is a "smart" model that detects when the battery is full and goes into "float" mode

Seriously? Don't forget Ohms Law. 20 watts, 12 volts, = 1.6 amps. And that would be only when the sun is directly on the solar panel (much less on cloudy days), perhaps 3 to 5 hours a day at best (average), depending where the solar panel is and which way it is facing. 1.6 amps for 3 to 5 hours a day is much less than most trickle chargers and is not going to hurt anything. There would be no need for additional smart circuitry. This would be a very good idea for a vehicle that is rarely driven and this would keep the battery topped off without fear that the small parasitic drain would kill the battery.

 

[tortillasoup]

Problem with these solar chargers is that if you want to desulfate a battery, because they don't get constant current 24/7, they won't get that opportunity. These are great if you have a vehicle parked in the middle of nowhere and need to keep the battery topped up but otherwise I prefer a temperate compensated battery tender that can desulfate the battery 24/7. It takes months to fully desulfate a battery.

 

[Blain]

This Instapark 20W set is what I bought.
I've been using for almost a year now, starts every time.
The truck is located out away from any power source, so keeping it charged via a power cord isn't a great option.

 

[inachu]

My family learned the hardway and that is why they call it FAMILY BRAND because it is a name you can trust and DELCO is not. Has not ever been a family brand to all the different cars we have driven. At the moment I am unable to give the top 5 brands but I know that the top 5 do not include DELCO.

Of the top 5 includes one of the sears batteries.

Anyone out there know the top 5?

 

[LTC8K6]

My family learned the hardway and that is why they call it FAMILY BRAND because it is a name you can trust and DELCO is not. Has not ever been a family brand to all the different cars we have driven. At the moment I am unable to give the top 5 brands but I know that the top 5 do not include DELCO.

Of the top 5 includes one of the sears batteries.

Anyone out there know the top 5?

There are only about 3 major lead acid car battery mfgs left, and I think two of the three dominate. There's a good chance that the brand that you think is great, and the brand that you think sucks, are made by the same company.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've seen a lot of batteries start to fail after 2-3 years in the past decade. Back in the OLD days, batteries would be rated for 5 years and they seemed to last longer for whatever reason. I think since so much in cars are controlled by the computer, the voltage/amperage needs to be just right or you can have issues.

I had a Jeep a few years back that ran rough until the alternator gave the battery the kick it needed. I thought it was a problem with the throttle body when it was the computer all along. I replaced my 2 year old battery after I needed a jump from a friend and it was working much better.

I've had Walmart and Autozone replace my batteries for free in the past. Both offer decent replacement warranties.

Exide/Duralast

 

[tortillasoup]

You're right on the money... Cars need good voltages today because the electronics are sensitive to that sort of thing while a carbureted car or one with a simpler EFI system wouldn't care as much about the system voltage. A '98 Civic would operate normally with a resting voltage of only 11v while on say an '01 LS430, a resting voltage of 11.9V would definitely cause all sorts of errors and stuff to come up.