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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,148 Likes: 36
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,148 Likes: 36 |
I have a load tester and dc amp clamp that do a great job of telling me what's going on. Thelma tester is great for diagnosing battery health. What is a Thelma tester? Load tester?
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 13,855 Likes: 5
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 13,855 Likes: 5 |
My girlfriend goes through a lot of batteries.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17,237 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17,237 Likes: 2 |
first, I'm not a mechanic. I do buy trucks and drive them a long time. If you are running down a battery, it could be: - battery
- bad cables (corrosion all the way through)
- bad alternator (brushes, VR, whatever)
- starter going out (electrical or mechanical)
- short somewhere
there may be a way to figure out each of these on your own. (I don't know it) my best luck has been with a good auto electric place. they can put clamps on your ground and positive wires while you start it and tell you what the problem is.
...Actually Sycamore, you are sort of right....
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24,423 Likes: 5
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24,423 Likes: 5 |
Walmart batteries are highly rated. Unless you get into some of the high priced specialty batteries, they're near the top. WM batteries have worked well for us in several vehicles.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,423 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,423 Likes: 6 |
Turns out the battery was indeed bad. Took it to Les Schwab for their free battery test and their little computer said it was "bad". The guy didn't give any detailed explanation of what exactly was wrong with it, just "sometimes it happens". Anyway, they gave me a new one under warranty, in and out in 25 minutes.
I'll monitor the engine starting response for a while but it seems that all's well that ends well, plus I learned a couple of new things about car batteries from this thread so thanks for everybody's contributions.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,891 Likes: 5
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,891 Likes: 5 |
Schwab has rapidly and seriously gone down hill since old man Schwab died a few years ago. The bean counters will have it run into the ground within a decade.
Sic Semper Tyrannis
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,986 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,986 Likes: 2 |
Has no one said to check the water in it?
When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are something to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honors are something to be ashamed of . Confucius
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,507 Likes: 21
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,507 Likes: 21 |
Turns out the battery was indeed bad. Took it to Les Schwab for their free battery test and their little computer said it was "bad". The guy didn't give any detailed explanation of what exactly was wrong with it, just "sometimes it happens". Anyway, they gave me a new one under warranty, in and out in 25 minutes.
I'll monitor the engine starting response for a while but it seems that all's well that ends well, plus I learned a couple of new things about car batteries from this thread so thanks for everybody's contributions. Still have your alternator checked. If the battery went bad it was for a reason. A bad alternator can kill a battery.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,777 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,777 Likes: 1 |
. . . A bad alternator can kill a battery.
And vice versa
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,507 Likes: 21
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,507 Likes: 21 |
Turns out the battery was indeed bad. Took it to Les Schwab for their free battery test and their little computer said it was "bad". The guy didn't give any detailed explanation of what exactly was wrong with it, just "sometimes it happens". Anyway, they gave me a new one under warranty, in and out in 25 minutes.
I'll monitor the engine starting response for a while but it seems that all's well that ends well, plus I learned a couple of new things about car batteries from this thread so thanks for everybody's contributions. Les Schwab's reputation is taking a beating but my partner bought a set of new E tires from them this spring. It's an off brand name but they said they're US made Coopers. Where he lives, they're still the best for service and warranty. The tires look pretty good and he says they're very quiet. He said he ended up spending about $100 more for them but figures it's worth it for the service.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 563
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 563 |
napa batteries have been made by exide for years.
btw interstate doesn't make batteries, johnson controls makes theirs.
Last edited by wahoo; 04/14/21.
If you're not having fun; you're not doing it right!
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,148 Likes: 36
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,148 Likes: 36 |
Iβve had good luck with the Duracell batteries from Sams club.
Made in USA. These used to be my go to marine batteries when we had a Sams.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,281 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,281 Likes: 3 |
I'm a big fan of getting tires and batteries from Walmart. They're located EVERYWHERE and open more hours than many other stores.
I travel for work so knowing I can get what I need in any podunk town has a lot of utility. Right on
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,122 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,122 Likes: 4 |
napa batteries have been made by exide for years.
btw interstate doesn't make batteries, johnson controls makes theirs. Johnson Controls no longer makes batteries either.
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,789 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,789 Likes: 2 |
Iβve had good luck with the Duracell batteries from Sams club.
Made in USA. These used to be my go to marine batteries when we had a Sams. Made by East Penn. As are these I Bought from NAPA. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBP8301
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,423 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,423 Likes: 6 |
Turns out the starter was the problem all along. The original battery was also bad as well but that was a red herring in this case. It died on me Monday afternoon, just wouldn't turn over at all. As luck would have it I was parked at a convenience store literally 150 yards from the car repair shop I've patronized for many years. Walked over there and the guy walked back with me with a portable jump starter. He verified that the new battery was fully charged so we figured it had to be the starter. Felt kind of silly loading it up on the tow truck just to haul it across the street and down one block but it would have been awfully dangerous to push it along that busy street. Anyway, they ordered the part Monday afternoon and installed it Tuesday morning. Even though it was listed as a three hour job they had it in before lunch and changed my oil as well. When I turned the key it gave that familiar energetic cranking and started right up. Big shout out to Pro Auto Care on Broadway Ave, Boise. They've taken good care of this vehicle for the last 17 years. This job wasn't cheap but I'm confident it was done well and at a reasonable price - guaran-damn-teed it would have been a hell of a lot more at a Honda dealer.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 563
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 563 |
i stand corrected, sort of. the same plants make them but jci sold the battery div in 2019. the retirement checks don't bounce, though.
If you're not having fun; you're not doing it right!
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,516
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,516 |
I have found NAPA batteries made by Johnson Controls to be absolutely worthless. Johnson CAN make some good batteries, but I believe NAPA has set the contract parameters just to the point where the battery intentionally fails within the warranty period, hooking the customer into coming back to claim a few bucks credit on the warranty...to repeat the cycle over and over. I am not a casual user, my son and I have about 20 pieces of equipment and commercial vehicles, we use a lot of batteries. What I've found over the years is that vehicle battery life specs are optimistic, presumably best case scenario. I've had so many batteries go dead with less than a year left on their "warranty" that for the past several years I've just bought "5 year" batteries from reputable companies with the plan to replace them after 4 years, not bothering with the "warranty." Less stress that way.
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,420 Likes: 28
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,420 Likes: 28 |
Les Schwab batteries are terrible.
𦫠Interesting. I just checked the Tacoma. Installed 1-2017. So 4+ years already. Still starts the truck every time so far. And it sat a bunch this winter. Only put about 1K miles on the studs this year, due to health issues and not putting in for an AZ javelina tag, so it's not like it's getting charged frequently. Of course, once a year the lids get pulled and distilled water added as needed. And cable ends etc cleaned with baking soda water mixture. The Tacoma takes one relatively large for it's engine, or I switched to a larger one (old trick). This one is a 24F with 700CCA and 850 total for a 2.7L 4 cyl. Wife took off to town in the Matrix, again I think that has a 24F that's 5 or so years old already. We get a bit colder up here than where flintlocke is, down around zero every year and still freezing at night. But, maybe more importantly, we rarely get over 100F. Used to use the old Sears Die Hard. I'm like the poster that mentioned Wal Marts being everywhere. Used to be that way with sears. Got a lot of tires and batteries from them. Now I do Schwabies because they're local here and an awful lot of places we go. Nearest Wally's is 100 miles away.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,561
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,561 |
Just buy a Deka and be done with it.
Napa used to be good but lately, they would only make good boat anchors. I bought them in a rush a couple years ago for one of my excavators and since then they have been replaced twice each (2 batteries in the excavator) under warranty. When the warranty finally ends, those will be replaced with Deka's
I sure could go for some $2.50/gal gas and a mean tweet!
NRA Benefactor member, disgruntled. Life member: Firearms Owners Against Crime. Life member: GOA Member: RMEF
TRUMP 2020
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