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Technical Stupid Napa Battery

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by seb fontana, Apr 19, 2021.

  1. 55blacktie
    Joined: Aug 21, 2020
    Posts: 793

    55blacktie

    I recently read that way back when, light bulb manufacturers agreed to limit the life of light bulbs to 1,000 hours. The average appliance has a lifespan of 10 years. Batteries? If they were made to last forever, how long do you think manufacturers would remain in business? Even if they cost 10 times as much, with no demand, workers would have to pack it in and go home. Buy a battery with a real warranty, no pro-rated crap.
     
    reagen and chryslerfan55 like this.
  2. If you look at how a battery works, it’s impossible for them to last forever, due to the reaction inside of the battery, especially when it’s discharged heavily, the lead peroxide and sponge lead the plates are coated with turns to lead sulphate and is shed from the plates. When a battery is sulphate that shed material has built up in the bottom of the case up to the plates. The battery is history then.

    This is just how they work.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  3. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,215

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    Or like some of us , buy a $50 one & change it every 3-4 years
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  4. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    I'm not sure I'd warranty a battery for years and years, were I a manufacturer for a couple reasons. One, I have no control over what it gets installed in. A defective charging system can ruin or damage a battery quickly. That ain't a battery defect. But EVERYBODY wants a new battery when it goes dead, and just needs a charge. Or a new alternator.

    A lot of people seem to think a car battery is a "one time" purchase, or near enough, and are always trying to get something for nothing. The overall cost of warranty service is rolled right into the price. That's one reason batteries $200 or $300 a piece for the big high capacity jobs.

    I've never warrantied a battery in my life. I buy them and use them, and when they die, I go buy another one. If it horked at 6 months or something that would be different. Never had that happen.
     

  5. kaspar - My brand new F-150 truck battery lasted exactly 203 mikes/3 weeks from the day I drove it off the dealer's lot........dead cell. So.......no, OEM batteries are no better than any others.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  6. If I get 4 years out of a battery in the daily driver, I'm thrilled.
     
  7. nickleone
    Joined: Jun 14, 2007
    Posts: 463

    nickleone
    Member

    I had a O/T pro rally car with batteries from Montgomery Ward . They lasted one year, usually had shorted cells from rough driving conditions. Replaced under warranty. Then I got Optima red top SECONDS from a local dealer. Five years of use, I pulled them and used them in my daily driver.
    Lasted another 4 years. Can't buy seconds any more. The seconds were $55 each.

    Nick
     
    chryslerfan55 and Desoto291Hemi like this.
  8. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    I put tenders on EVERY battery I have. Even found some nice solar jobs that I can plug into my daily drivers when they are being ignored. Ive gotten a LOT more life out of cheap batteries, and I feel good knowing that every time I leave my house its fully charged and ready to rock
     
    Truck64 and Truckdoctor Andy like this.
  9. Yes they can.;) I yell at them all of the time when they pi$$ me off.:mad: Sometimes they answer back.:confused: How you ask?:oops: Usually by busting my knuckles when I pick them back up to use them.:eek: They usually win the argument.:(
     
  10. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    The battery I had in my sunliner was two months short of 10 years old and it sat all winter and would fire up in the spring but it was starting slow so it got replaced,could not figure out where I got it as I wanted another so I grabbed one from Rural King. The battery that was in my 37 Chevy p/u was almost 8 years old.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  11. I have been running an Oddesy PC 680 in my roadster for nine years. I just replaced it with the same thing and now using the old pc680 in my tractor. Nothing wrong with it , just figured it was time. Bought them both from Tony at West Coast Batteries. My coupe has one I put in it over fivers ago. It had been sitting and now I am finishing it up. Battery still strong. 001.JPG 006.JPG
     
  12. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,442

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    Still Snarky? You ain't me Dork:p:p [AG] Stupid me could have checked the car out the day before? Even just flipping the lights on an off. I am accepting the fact that I may have left something "on" but for the life of me I don't know what or how I didn't notice it. Many that posted do the same as I with the same results. I know short term memory can be an issue but but I ought to remember something from five months ago! I got it, Alien Battery Suckerso_O
     
    chryslerfan55 and warhorseracing like this.
  13. Snarky or not, squirrel is correct batteries like to be cycled.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  14. Lil32
    Joined: Apr 4, 2012
    Posts: 2,598

    Lil32
    Member

    x 2
    I run an Odyssey battery in coupe,placed up under dash
    car is not driven daily ,two batteries so far have lasted 10 years each,
    recently place my 3rd one in
    have bought mine at Pomona Sway when we have visited
     
    ct1932ford and chryslerfan55 like this.
  15. Rramjet1
    Joined: Mar 13, 2018
    Posts: 226

    Rramjet1

    I had a remote battery cut off put in our 50 Chevy. Button on the key chain shuts off all power.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    loudbang likes this.
  16. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,707

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    I think there are only two or three lead acid battery manufacturers left in the US, so the label doesn’t mean much. I just had to buy two, one for my 99 pickup to replace a 5 year old one, and one for the wife’s F bird that was a year old and went bad. Oh, I also bought a 24F battery to swap between my tractor and the Lincoln when I get it going again. Bought all of them at Walmart, 3 year replacement, their prices were comparable to Tractor Supply who is usually a few dollars cheaper. Been buying all my semi truck batteries at Tractor Supply the last couple of years, exact same battery as the parts house sells just a different label, and half the price!
     
  17. When I replaced the old battery in my wife's DD it was 13 years old with minimal maintenance like cleaning connections. I don't expect to get that much from the new one.
     
  18. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    No, this is an old saw that gets repeated. There are many battery manufacturers here in America.

    What is true, there are 3 that dominate the market - Johnson Controls, East Penn, and Exide. They are sold under many different brand names.

    Here's a listing of battery manufacturers here and abroad, as well as the "code" to see who really made your battery. There are a gazillion manufacturers.

    http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm
     
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  19. Fabulous50's
    Joined: Nov 18, 2017
    Posts: 513

    Fabulous50's
    Member
    from Maine

    Also when you buy a battery with the highest cranking amps for its size it wont last as long as a lower cranking amp model.

    Higher cranking amps in a battery are accomplished by more plates which are closer together, which means there is less room for sulfate.

    So but the 650 or 750 cranking amp battery instead of the 1000 amp unit. It will be cheaper and you will likely get an extra year or two out of it.

    I routinely get 7 or more years out of batteries. Keep them charged in the off season with a fully automatic battery charger and disconnect them from the car.
     
  20. dmikulec
    Joined: Nov 8, 2009
    Posts: 590

    dmikulec
    Member

    I have a 7 year old bottom shelf AutoZone battery on my 57 right now as I work on the ignition tho I always unhook the positive side when I'm not using it and I keep a vacation charger (a little low power brick) on it. The battery is happy and has good cranking reserve (the car sat for a few decades and had to be coaxed back to life).
     
  21. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,717

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    Used to buy Exide 7 yr. batteries and occasionally didn't get 7 yrs. from them. But sometimes I got more than 7 yrs. too. I always use a battery tender in the winter as I've lost batteries close to their warranty date by not using tenders. But using them each winter has made some go far beyond their warranty.
    I just replaced the battery in my Austin that's a 3 yr. Exide and was a full year past warranty. I just figured I didn't want to wait for it to fail in the wrong place, so bought a new one.
     
  22. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,045

    KenC
    Member

    Me too,, but, I just realized that the battery in my '13 Tundra is the original. New in Oct 2012 I think. So, 8 yrs old and counting. I think I'll wait 'til it drops, just to see how long it lasts. I wonder where one could find another that good.
     
  23. brg404
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 159

    brg404
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Bruce's law of lead-acid batteries: they last 3 years, regardless of how much you spend. Maybe 4 if you use a battery tender. Anything more than that is a blessing.
     
  24. RmK57
    Joined: Dec 31, 2008
    Posts: 2,659

    RmK57
    Member

    I just bought two Motorcraft batteries for my 99 F-350 diesel. Maybe it's just me but I've had really good luck with them. They used to have a five year warranty but since last year has been cut back to three. The parts man said it was to be more aligned with the rest of the industry. Sure buddy.
     
    Truck64 likes this.
  25. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,215

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    Got 11 years out of my OEM battery in my 09 DD ..
     
  26. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    You are in Texas - it seems batteries don't last so long in hot vs. cold climates, which makes sense since chemical reaction rates increase with increasing temperature. So the lead plates will sulphate up quicker in hot climates, regardless of the care the battery receives.

    I get about ten years out of batteries here, so long as I don't forget to disconnect them on vehicles that sit for a long time.
     
  27. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    "Batteries die in July, but they don't keel over till December."

    Yeah, heat (and shock/vibration) is the big enemy for batteries.
     
  28. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,212

    Elcohaulic

    I bought this capacitor for my old MSD6AL box. It was suppose to take away radio and tape player static.. It did help a little.

    I heard its still a good thing to have even without a stereo, it smooths the sudden hit a battery takes when the starter is engaged or some other electrical load... I have it on the main line to the fuse box, not sure if it's doing anything...

    MSD 8830 Noise Filter Capacitor | CJ Pony Parts
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2021
  29. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,717

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    So is extremely cold weather.
     
  30. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,442

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    My DD [2014] ot car just had the battery replaced at just over 7 years, so about right for me.
     

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