Should I replace my battery before a long trip?

[jgue467]

My current battery seems to work just fine, starts easily and so forth But it is 34 months old living in nice and hot central Texas. I am planning on a long trip out to Cali, Utah and Colo, about 4000 miles beginning this coming weekend.

My concern is using a voltmeter I get 12.3-12.4 just after turning the engine off and if i wait overnight i get 11.9-12.0 volts. These readings are too low is that correct?

Should I just go ahead and replace it before the long trip or hold off (I could always find one on the road I suppose). thanks for the advice.

 

[Bob J]

My current battery seems to work just fine, starts easily and so forth But it is 34 months old living in nice and hot central Texas. I am planning on a long trip out to Cali, Utah and Colo, about 4000 miles beginning this coming weekend.

My concern is using a voltmeter I get 12.3-12.4 just after turning the engine off and if i wait overnight i get 11.9-12.0 volts. These readings are too low is that correct?

Should I just go ahead and replace it before the long trip or hold off (I could always find one on the road I suppose). thanks for the advice.

11.9 -12.0 resting is low.... You should be getting 12.4-12.6 volts fully charged.... Before you consider changing the battery I would do a couple of additional things..... When you have run the car long enough to be sure the battery is fully charged, remove the connection and let it sit overnight and check again.... This will confirm that any issue is the battery and not a parasitic draw somewhere in your electrical system.... Also worth mentioning that volage is not the most reliable indicator of battery performance.... Amp draw is much better.... Since this (amperage) is beyond the capabilities of most multimeters the easiest thing to do is have it tested at the shop where you normally have your car serviced..... Amp draw is most noticeable when you are starting the car, particularly in cold weather.... The old "shade tree" mechanic way of doing this was to start the car with the headlights on and notice how much they dim.... Hopefully this helps....:shrug:

 

[jgue467]

It was getting weak, so i decided to swing by walmart for a batt check, they said it rated 490cca's and s/b at least 550, then it got good. They said it was one of their 3 yr replacement batts and it was 34 months old, so they slapped a new one on, no charge - nice. It crank maybe a hair faster but about the same. Now i'm about to start my 4000+mile trek to cali, utah and colo over 17 days, woohoo! :banana: