Why is my battery out at 40K

[Diver Deuce]

You need to swing with the wing in Camp P dude. The weather is much better or Fighter Town USA for that matter. F Yuma bro. So glad I was not there or in the Stumps. I liked "Training" at the beach. You know you have to practice your ability to swim in the ocean in a boat company and all,lol....

I'm a Tactical Air Defense Controller... So it's Yuma, Miramar, Oki, or East coast for this guy. I did a 4yr tour in Key West, good times. Unfortunately I'm stuck here for who knows how long, sequestration...

Back to the topic at hand, I had an Optima redtop in my 2000 T4R, no issues there, I did have issues with a Sears Die Hard.

 

[Diver Deuce]

Alternator?

 

[PGRunner]

Although Costco batteries have the "Kirkland" label on them, they are actually Interstate Batteries. They come directly from Interstate on an Interstate Battery truck.

I know this because I was the Receiving Manager at Costco for many years.

I run them in my boat and haven't had any problems! No way you can beat the prices either.

Great info...always learning new things on here

 

[DannyLlama]

Can someone check their battery gauge and share where the meter is most of the time when the car is on? Mine is just below half, I can't remember historically where it idled ... Thanks in advance

 

[Diver Deuce]

Can someone check their battery gauge and share where the meter is most of the time when the car is on? Mine is just below half, I can't remember historically where it idled ... Thanks in advance

Mine is just under half able running as well

 

[lilsid112]

I currently am running DieHard Platinum in every vehicle other then my 13 4runner and cant complain at all. Cant beat their four year free replacement.

 

[NHinAK]

I believe the DieHard Platinums are rebranded Odysseys.

 

[Stifler]

I believe the DieHard Platinums are rebranded Odysseys.

correct

 

[eddiebx]

Thanks I guess i will just go with Costco for now. Die hard sounds good, but don't have the time to shop around. Not sure how much life is left on the OEM battery after yesterday's incident. Anyone have a clue? If i dont leave anything on in the car, how much dwindled life is lef?

Have you tried taking it to an auto parts store or mechanic and having it load tested? If not, I suggest you do so to see how many CCAs it has currently vs how much they are rated for. It's the only reliable way to have a good guesstimate on how much longer you can stretch it.

Have you run down this current battery many times in the past? I think that's one way to kill a standard automotive battery in a hurry, if you deeply discharge it too many times...I read that the stock Panasonic batteries are pretty good and durable, my last one lasted me ~6 years and it was still going when I traded in the car

Oh yeah, if you suspect there is some parasitic drain, I would try to resolve that first before getting a new battery, since you'd just end up draining out the new one too. Might as well only kill the battery you plan to replace lol.

 

[1engineer]

Here in Las Vegas where it's hotter than sin in the summer it's normal for batteries to only last 40 to 50k miles.....dunno why.:noidea:

Battery life depends more on time and conditions than mileage. However, 4 years is about the average lifespan of a car battery.

Instead of recommending my favorite battery without any data to back it up (other than it still works after X months) like many other posters I will answer your question. [MENTION=90148]flyrv9[/MENTION] is correct but I would like to expand on that a bit:

Excessive heat and overcharging are the two main reasons for shortened battery life. Heat causes battery fluid (actually the water out of the fluid) to evaporate which will damage the internal structure of the battery. A malfunctioning component in the charging system, usually the voltage regulator, allows too high a charging rate. That’s slow death for a battery.

Cold weather causes more starting problems but does not really effect the battery life. That’s when a battery’s output is diminished because of sluggish electro-chemical action that gives the battery its power. When batteries get cold, the internal resistance of the battery increases which decreases the amount of energy that you can get out of the pack. Actually cold-ish weather will lengthen the battery life as long as it is not too cold .

For all those who have a favorite battery, here is a list of who manufactured it and comparisons:
Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List 2013

 

[Antman]

Cold weather causes more starting problems but does not really effect the battery life. That’s when a battery’s output is diminished because of sluggish electro-chemical action that gives the battery its power. When batteries get cold, the internal resistance of the battery increases which decreases the amount of energy that you can get out of the pack. Actually cold-ish weather will lengthen the battery life as long as it is not too cold .

^^^This reminded me of a time back in 1987. I just started driving Dad's car and he let me use it on a date. I remember it was really cold out with leftover snow from a recent storm. After the movie, the car wouldn't start/crank over (I know what you guys are thinking, but I'm not going there lol). Anyways...

I called my Dad from a pay phone. 20 minutes later he showed up in the neighbor's car with... jumper cables? Nope. Couldn't find them. He had a thermos full of hot water. He popped the hood, poured the thermos over the battery and that car started right up. True story.

Old School! Can't beat experience.

Just thought I'd share that. Sorry for the minihijack OP!

 

[DannyLlama]

^^^This reminded me of a time back in 1987. I just started driving Dad's car and he let me use it on a date. I remember it was really cold out with leftover snow from a recent storm. After the movie, the car wouldn't start/crank over (I know what you guys are thinking, but I'm not going there lol). Anyways...

I called my Dad from a pay phone. 20 minutes later he showed up in the neighbor's car with... jumper cables? Nope. Couldn't find them. He had a thermos full of hot water. He popped the hood, poured the thermos over the battery and that car started right up. True story.

Old School! Can't beat experience.

Just thought I'd share that. Sorry for the minihijack OP!

That is a neat story and something to keep in mind if that ever happens in my life time. I'm 'shocked' (ha! get it) that the hot water didn't f up the battery? Or cause a spark > fire.

 

[1engineer]

^^^This reminded me of a time back in 1987. I just started driving Dad's car and he let me use it on a date. I remember it was really cold out with leftover snow from a recent storm. After the movie, the car wouldn't start/crank over (I know what you guys are thinking, but I'm not going there lol). Anyways...

I called my Dad from a pay phone. 20 minutes later he showed up in the neighbor's car with... jumper cables? Nope. Couldn't find them. He had a thermos full of hot water. He popped the hood, poured the thermos over the battery and that car started right up. True story.

Old School! Can't beat experience.

Just thought I'd share that. Sorry for the minihijack OP!

Yep. Used that method before too. As long as we are going down that path - A few years ago I went to pick my wife up from work in a terrible cold snowstorm. A lady from her floor was trying to get her vehicle's hood up and I stopped and asked what the problem was. She told me the battery died. I got out and looked at it and asked her if she happened to have a Coke or Pepsi handy. She looked at me like I was crazy but went back into the hospital to get me one. She came back and I took it and poured it on both terminals. I told her to crank it up and it started right away. The positive terminal was badly corroded and would not make good contact. Coke or Pepsi is a great way to quickly clean the corrosion.

Hot water and Coca Cola. Two great liquids to fix a battery lol.

 

[Bay33saw]

Yep. Used that method before too. As long as we are going down that path - A few years ago I went to pick my wife up from work in a terrible cold snowstorm. A lady from her floor was trying to get her vehicle's hood up and I stopped and asked what the problem was. She told me the battery died. I got out and looked at it and asked her if she happened to have a Coke or Pepsi handy. She looked at me like I was crazy but went back into the hospital to get me one. She came back and I took it and poured it on both terminals. I told her to crank it up and it started right away. The positive terminal was badly corroded and would not make good contact. Coke or Pepsi is a great way to quickly clean the corrosion.

Hot water and Coca Cola. Two great liquids to fix a battery lol.

She must have looked at you like a God or something after she started it up....LOL

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Yep. Used that method before too. As long as we are going down that path - A few years ago I went to pick my wife up from work in a terrible cold snowstorm. A lady from her floor was trying to get her vehicle's hood up and I stopped and asked what the problem was. She told me the battery died. I got out and looked at it and asked her if she happened to have a Coke or Pepsi handy. She looked at me like I was crazy but went back into the hospital to get me one. She came back and I took it and poured it on both terminals. I told her to crank it up and it started right away. The positive terminal was badly corroded and would not make good contact. Coke or Pepsi is a great way to quickly clean the corrosion.

Hot water and Coca Cola. Two great liquids to fix a battery lol.

Minihijack coming; but its scary to think what coke can do like cleaning corrosion off of a battery and yet we still drink it. But still, :cheers:

 

[harper7]

Thanks for the info..



I did that and they said the battery is fine, it just needs to be charged (driven for a few hours). Odd still that it lost charge after only an hour of usage.

Anyway, purchased a Duralast Jump Starter but seems to not have good reviews on auto zone. Anyone can attest to a better brand of Jump Starters?

Not odd at all for a 650 watt amp that the JBL has to drain a oem starting battery after an hour that was not made to have a big reserve capacity.My stock one,when I had it, did about the same thing. Non JBL systems don't have near as big of amp since it's built into the HU and will last much longer.

Basic electricity (P)Watts divided by (E) Voltage equals (I) amperage draw.
650/12=21 amps
A battery's reserve capacity is a standard and is based on how long it will draw 25 amps til it gets to 10.5V so you have about 60 minutes of reserve capacity.IMO reserve capacity is more important than the CCA and why the Platinum and Oddysey Group 31's are kings with a reserve capacity of 205 minutes not to mention the 1150CCA and that they are both starting and deep cycle batteries.

I believe the DieHard Platinums are rebranded Odysseys.

Probably very close if not exactly the same. EnerSys makes the Platinums and also makes the batteries for Odyssey as they are just a branded distributor and not a manufacturer. EnerSys , Johnson Controls and Exide,I believe are the three big battery manufacturers of auto lead acid batteries in the states and make make most of the batteries and just put other peoples names on them.

News Release

EnerSys Home

 

[Whiplash Willy]

Minihijack coming; but its scary to think what coke can do like cleaning corrosion off of a battery and yet we still drink it. But still, :cheers:

What is even worse is that Coke is used to clean blood from the streets. Also if you put a tooth in a glass of Coke, the tooth gets completely dissolved in 24-hours.

 

[eddiebx]

Yep. Used that method before too. As long as we are going down that path - A few years ago I went to pick my wife up from work in a terrible cold snowstorm. A lady from her floor was trying to get her vehicle's hood up and I stopped and asked what the problem was. She told me the battery died. I got out and looked at it and asked her if she happened to have a Coke or Pepsi handy. She looked at me like I was crazy but went back into the hospital to get me one. She came back and I took it and poured it on both terminals. I told her to crank it up and it started right away. The positive terminal was badly corroded and would not make good contact. Coke or Pepsi is a great way to quickly clean the corrosion.

Hot water and Coca Cola. Two great liquids to fix a battery lol.

Going to be cursing you out in the summer time when she finds a sticky mess all over her battery :lmao:

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Going to be cursing you out in the summer time when she finds a sticky mess all over her battery :lmao:

You really thing she is going to go under her hood? :biggrin2::lol:

 

[DannyLlama]

So..... Over a week and my battery is not fully charging. I don't know if I need to drive it for 4 hours straight or what..

I would like to have a stable battery before our upcoming trip.

Has anyone (other than intruder) heard of this battery and can attest to it's integrity?

Hah, thanks for the kind words everyone.

Latest mod is in, a North Star deep cycle battery to handle the power draw from the winch. The extra wires are for the winch and the wiring harness for the X-Ray lights.

I did not want to hijack intruder's build thread.. So I'm posting here.