primitive has problems with automobile battery

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=310x1391

Oh my.

OmahaBlueDog  (1000+ posts)        Mon Aug-02-10 11:14 PM
Original message
 
I'm X-posting this from the Lounge

My wife was at a shopping plaza, and the 2006 Taurus would not start. I opened the hood, pulled the caps off the battery cells, saw that they were low(but I've seen lower) poured bottled water into the battery cells, and the darn thing starts right up. So we figure the battery is on its way out. We go to the mechanic, who says that they load tested the bat and checked the charging system and no problem was found. Then, Mrs. OBD drove around, did some shopping, got home, and then went to start it again -- no start.

Mrs. OBD then said some unkind things about the mechanic that I really don't think I should repeat.

The odd thing is, if I drive, then park, and come back in 15 minutes, the car won't start. If I wait an hour, it starts right up.

When it won't start,it tries to crank, like a low bat. I don't (for example) get a complete no-crank, or any grinding/binding noise.

It's been hot here of late (upper 80s to mid 90s)

What do you think?

Gold Metal Flake  (1000+ posts)      Tue Aug-03-10 01:31 PM
Response to Original message

1. #1 Dirty battery clamps. Remove the cable clamps, clean and reinstall.

#2 Loose bolts/nuts at other ends of the cables. Negative cable will go to the engine block. Check that the bolt it tight. Positive end will go to the starter. Check that the nut is snug (but be careful as the stud is not steel but softer copper or brass).

#3 Faulty starter solenoid. Replace it if #s 1 & 2 do not remedy the sitch.

#4 Faulty ignition switch.

[Carl]

Get a new battery,a simple load test with a resistance coil will show a dead short reasonably well but will miss other things.
Do a cell test with a hydrometer or a real test with a carbon pile tester then move on from the battery.

[NHSparky]

Wait the **** up for a minute--a 2006 car that DOESN'T have a maintenance-free battery?

And no, an alternator will not charge a dying battery.  It was never meant to.  The battery is likely on it's way out.  If a load of more than a couple of hundred amps shows a serious drop in voltage, viola--time to get a new battery.  My guess is the one they have is 4-5 years old, and really isn't meant for more than 3-4 years, tops.

And with the water the DUmmie added, the already sulfated battery cell probably has an electrolyte specific gravity somewhere just barely above the water he dumped in.  Just because it started once doesn't mean that it's going to hold a charge if the gravity is hovering around 1.150.

[diesel driver]

The battery is about shot.  If it's 4 years old or so, you are running on borrowed time.  More than likely, it has a faulty plate inside it, and it's beginning to short itself out internally.

I had a friend of mine that had his battery short out after he started his truck.  We had to disconnect it so the engine would actually run.  He got it home like that, with nothing more than the alternator powering his electrical system.

I have seen extreme cases where the battery did this, and almost got hot enough to start a fire.

Believe it or not, summer heat will kill a weak battery faster than winter cold will.

[NHSparky]

The battery is about shot.  If it's 4 years old or so, you are running on borrowed time.  More than likely, it has a faulty plate inside it, and it's beginning to short itself out internally.

I had a friend of mine that had his battery short out after he started his truck.  We had to disconnect it so the engine would actually run.  He got it home like that, with nothing more than the alternator powering his electrical system.

I have seen extreme cases where the battery did this, and almost got hot enough to start a fire.

Believe it or not, summer heat will kill a weak battery faster than winter cold will.

Amen to that.  Electrical maintenance is responsible for battery maintenance, and it's amazing how little it takes to screw up a perfectly good battery. 

But seriously, I don't know of any cars manufactured in the last 10 years that DIDN'T come with a maintenance-free battery.  Diesels, maybe, but even then...

[diesel driver]

Amen to that.  Electrical maintenance is responsible for battery maintenance, and it's amazing how little it takes to screw up a perfectly good battery. 

But seriously, I don't know of any cars manufactured in the last 10 years that DIDN'T come with a maintenance-free battery.  Diesels, maybe, but even then...

More like the last 20 years.

My diesel's original batteries died a long time ago (it's an 1988), and the ones I've had in it since have the removable caps.

[BattleHymn]

The battery is about shot.  If it's 4 years old or so, you are running on borrowed time.  More than likely, it has a faulty plate inside it, and it's beginning to short itself out internally.

I had a friend of mine that had his battery short out after he started his truck.  We had to disconnect it so the engine would actually run.  He got it home like that, with nothing more than the alternator powering his electrical system.

I have seen extreme cases where the battery did this, and almost got hot enough to start a fire.

Believe it or not, summer heat will kill a weak battery faster than winter cold will.

I have an Interstate battery in one of my vehicles.  It is 9 years old now, and still going.  The Interstate in my father's 1964 Dodge is 11 years old, and still going.  I am around battery powered equipment up at my work, so when Interstate refurbished our batteries, we had the option of taking a free course on battery maintenance.  I learned a lot, and if I retain half of it, I should be able to keep the old devil going for another year or so! 

My luck with Wal-Mart and parts store brand batteries is to just avoid them.  In my experience, you won't get your money back out of them. 

Plus, Interstate had those cool commercials from a few years back.   




 

[NHSparky]

I know the deep-cycle marine batteries are all removable cap, but as far as automotive diesel, how hard do you have to look for one like that?

Call me lazy, but when it comes to my car, I'm just going to get a maintenance-free, make sure the terminals stay clean and tight, and not worry about it for 3-4 years, depending on the battery I've got.

[Chris_]

I think my current battery has a date stamp of 2003 on it.  It was in the car when I bought it; I think it's an Autocraft... "Silver" something.  I had to replace my battery cable earlier this year.  It had the same signs as a dead battery or bad starter -- the old cable was deteriorated and crispy.

I did help a co-worker that was having trouble starting his car.  His cable connections to the battery terminals were really loose.  I'm surprised they managed to stay in place.

[miskie]

Battery is shot. It has at least one torched cell. What is happening is the charge is 'leveling', where the healthier cells are partially recharging their dead neighbor, allowing enough current to crank the engine. Once the car is running, its pretty much running on alternator alone, as the dead cell will almost immediately drain, shorting the battery internally.

I wonder if this primitive realizes that a battery with a dead cell or two can build up explosive gasses (hydrogen and oxygen) in the dead cells, especially now that it has added straight water to them ?

Probably not...

Listen primitive, what happens to old batteries is called sulfation - over time batteries produce lead sulfate - a combination of chemicals that make your battery a battery, (sulphuric acid and the lead and lead oxides that make the plates) and the lead sulfate has become resistant to separating back out into sulfuric acid.. this essentially leaves behind water in the cell that through electrolysis ( it is a battery after all ) gets broken down into hydrogen and oxygen.

Dumping water into your battery was essentially treating the symptom, and not the cause -- AND -- you managed to reset the possibility of detonation.

Well, thats okay.. Wires, rubber, and most metals love to be hosed down with sulfuric acid..

[JohnnyReb]

He probably needs a new starter....sounds like "starter drag" to me caused by a worn out starter. The bushings and brushes are going bad. Mechanic checked charging system, battery load tested and it won't restart hot after a short time but will crank after cooling off awhile..."starter drag"...I've seen this numerous times in my heavy equipment.

[diesel driver]

I have an Interstate battery in one of my vehicles.  It is 9 years old now, and still going.  The Interstate in my father's 1964 Dodge is 11 years old, and still going.  I am around battery powered equipment up at my work, so when Interstate refurbished our batteries, we had the option of taking a free course on battery maintenance.  I learned a lot, and if I retain half of it, I should be able to keep the old devil going for another year or so! 

My luck with Wal-Mart and parts store brand batteries is to just avoid them.  In my experience, you won't get your money back out of them. 

Plus, Interstate had those cool commercials from a few years back.   





 

I don't know who supplies NAPA's batteries, but I have had great luck with them.  I pulled one out of a vehicle that had been sitting for 3 years, dead as can be, charged it, put it in my car, and used it for another 4 years before it finally died for good.  The battery was almost 9 years old when it died.

PLUS, my son works at the local NAPA store, and I get everything at cost+5%.   

[NHSparky]

He probably needs a new starter....sounds like "starter drag" to me caused by a worn out starter. The bushings and brushes are going bad. Mechanic checked charging system, battery load tested and it won't restart hot after a short time but will crank after cooling off awhile..."starter drag"...I've seen this numerous times in my heavy equipment.

In 4 years?  What does he drive, 10 feet at a time?

And I priced an Interstate battery, just for shits and giggles, even though I won't need one for a couple of years...$120.  Not a horrible price, if it's as good as advertised.

[JohnnyReb]

In 4 years?  What does he drive, 10 feet at a time?

And I priced an Interstate battery, just for shits and giggles, even though I won't need one for a couple of years...$120.  Not a horrible price, if it's as good as advertised.

Being a DUmmie...probably so. People that don't work have to make a lot of short trips everyday...pot run...beer run...back to the drug dealer...social services office....charity give aways....late night party run...start, start, and start the car again.. because now they have to do all that again for their sister....and their brother...and their mother....not to mention a few trips to the jailhouse every week to visit family and friends.

[true_blood]

The DUmmie is too cheap to pay for a new battery or a diagnostic test.
Maybe he can ask the commie in the White House for some of that "redistributive wealth" to buy him a new battery?!?

[miskie]

He probably needs a new starter....sounds like "starter drag" to me caused by a worn out starter. The bushings and brushes are going bad. Mechanic checked charging system, battery load tested and it won't restart hot after a short time but will crank after cooling off awhile..."starter drag"...I've seen this numerous times in my heavy equipment.

Id say the easiest way to test that is to connect the vehicle to a battery charger with a jump setting. if it starts right up, then its probably the battery, if not it might be an iffy starter.

[I_B_Perky]

I don't know who supplies NAPA's batteries, but I have had great luck with them.  I pulled one out of a vehicle that had been sitting for 3 years, dead as can be, charged it, put it in my car, and used it for another 4 years before it finally died for good.  The battery was almost 9 years old when it died.

I agree. You get what you pay for. Batteries, like brakes, are something I don't skimp on. I replace my battery as soon as it expires and I buy the best. You are living on borrowed time if you don't. Just like oil, radiator fluid and belts. Change it when it is due and you won't have a problem. It is called scheduled maintenance.

I learned a looong time ago, on a lonely road in the hills of WV, on the coldest winter night back in 83, that lesson.

[RobJohnson]

In 4 years?  What does he drive, 10 feet at a time?

And I priced an Interstate battery, just for shits and giggles, even though I won't need one for a couple of years...$120.  Not a horrible price, if it's as good as advertised.

Interstate is a very good battery.

I thought the same thing when I read that the DUmmie "pulled off the cap and added water" I thought to myself "what cap?"

I drove a new '03 Taurus for about a year as a company car and the battery had no caps...that does not mean that for some reason the battery was not replaced in his with some off brand of battery that had caps....

[PatriotGame]

OmahaBlueDog  (1000+ posts)        Mon Aug-02-10 11:14 PM
Original message
 
I'm X-posting this from the Lounge

My wife was at a shopping plaza, and the 2006 Taurus would not start. I opened the hood, pulled the caps off the battery cells, saw that they were low(but I've seen lower) poured bottled water into the battery cells, and the darn thing starts right up. So we figure the battery is on its way out. We go to the mechanic, who says that they load tested the bat and checked the charging system and no problem was found. Then, Mrs. OBD drove around, did some shopping, got home, and then went to start it again -- no start.

What do you think?

Douse your "lack of scheduled maintenance" DUmmy-Mobile with gasoline, toss a lit match at it, and walk away.
You poison the environment enough just by existing. You don't deserve to own let alone drive a car. Be a good DUmmy and depend solely on public transportation, hypocrite.