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Get your starting battery cca load tested
#1
Last July I replaced the 6 year old starting battery in the Edge.  While it wasn't showing any issues and passed the load test, I thought with that indicated age, it was due. So I Walmarted a 3yr full replacement 800 CCA Battery and felt ok.

Fast forward to today, a free battery check while getting an oil change, Firestone said it failed the load test, almost 300 CCA below specs. I took it to O’Reilley’s and they said the same thing.  Voltage fine but not holding up under load.  Well in 2 days the morning low will be 22 degrees F so off I went to WM.  Sure enough, it tested bad and was replaced.   

So get yours checked no matter the age!
"Life is short, smile while you still have teeth."
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#2
Was it a maintenance free battery fhat failed?

I consider each and every cold engine start to be a load test. I watch to.see.how low the voltmeter falls during engine cranking.

I bet mine would.have failed one.of.those impedence battery testers a year ago but i have 200+ more.deep.cycles.accumulated since.

But im not expecfing 22f either. And have a jumper battery just in case.
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#3
(11-11-2019, 08:01 PM)sternwake Wrote: Was it a maintenance free battery fhat failed?

I consider each and every cold engine start to be a load test.  I watch to.see.how low the voltmeter falls during engine cranking.

I bet mine would.have failed one.of.those impedence battery testers a year ago but i have 200+ more.deep.cycles.accumulated since.

But im not expecfing 22f either. And have a jumper battery just in case.
Yes, sealed but not agm.  By failing they didn't say it would not crank, just that it was well below its specs.  In warm weather it likely would have gone unnoticed.
"Life is short, smile while you still have teeth."
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#4
Battery load testers used to be big and heavy and take large currents for a significant period of time.  The new hand held units that use a computer chip to announce the cold cranking amps.  They do not chill the battery or take large currents yet they claim to know how many hundreds of amps your battery can deliver at 0 degrees F.

Many years ago the school bus shop got one of those meters.  I studied the instruction booklet that came with it.  It was full of tips on how your shop can sell more batteries using this instrument.  The last time I looked, all the folks selling meters like that claim that the inner workings are a trade secret.

I remain spectacled.
Say good night, Dick.
[-] The following 1 user says Thank You to Trebor English for this post:
  • rvpopeye (11-12-2019)
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#5
Goodnight Dick
stay tuned 
popeye


 Weirdo Overlord : FMS Fleet Ops , Awards , Badges ,  aka Tamerlane the Impaler Mod.
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#6
Maintenance free flooded batteries in general need higher charging voltges to reach full charge. But its more. Important when well depleted.

Was the oem longer lived battery maintenance free.too.?

The voltage regulation on some more.modern vehicles trades battery life for.tiny improvements in mpg.

Reports.of.oem batteries lasting 5 and 6 years then their replacements lasting only 2 are widespread. I think there is more going on than oem batteries being better quality. Perhps oem charge faster at lower voltage. Perhaps the connections in charging circuits increase resistance enough to account for poorer charging.

Ive seen a few newer.smart chargers have a 'maintenance free' setting. Which likely goes to 15 volts and holds it a bit longer.

Im also.suspicious of impedence testers vs a true carbon pile load tester. Impedence testers calculate resistance then infer a cca from that,where a true load test puts 1/2 the cca rating of the bttery for 30 seconds and the bttery must maintain 7.5v or more.

A true load test can cause a failing battery to fail completely.

Ive actually no experience with either impedence or carbon pile,and judge battery health by other observations
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#7
I have had good luck with replacement batteries but I don't buy the cheapest on the shelf either. I buy the ones with the longest warranty and these seem to hold up well.

Edit to add: I generally go by what it sounds like when cranking to gauge when replacement is needed.
Brian

2000 Roadtrek 200 Versatile "The Beast" (it has been tamed hopefully)  I feed it and it doesn't bite me.   Angel
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#8
The battery in it was a sealed lead acid but the smaller series 59 vs this series 65. I had seen on the Edge forums that there were two different battery sizes from the factory, the bigger one was for remote start equipped vehicles. I put the bigger one in cause’ I could.

I did notice the replacement cranked faster than the 3 month old one did... In over 45 years of driving Ive never had a battery fail so maybe it was the law of averages and ol’ Murphy trying to sneak up on me.
"Life is short, smile while you still have teeth."
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#9
Update: From 11-19' till 1-21' that's 2+ years and no issues with the WM sealed vrla starting battery, course' it gets periodic 4 amp trickle charges overnight (maybe once/2 weeks) and I have (currently) a 62 mile 1 way commute so... even the Ferd battery management system must be happy. I'd never do that if in my wished for van, even at <2.50 a gallon gas.
"Life is short, smile while you still have teeth."
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