I reckon it is time to post about replacing my truck battery. That is the best way for me to remember the last time I did it (in case it shits the bed before the warranty expires). Seems the last one I bought only lasted a little over 3 years. This one just started getting sluggish on starting about a week ago. My guess is that if you need a 100 watt solar panel to get you going, it is probably time for a new battery. As long as I was at it - I added a new positive terminal to the mix along with a healthy dose of di-electric grease and battery terminal protector spray. I wonder how many suggestions I will get as to what battery I should have purchased and what I should have done to protect the terminals... 82,94,69, .03",B
23 comments:
Interstate are great batteries. But as I understand they are made by Johnson Controls that also builds the batteries that are pric d so well at Wal Mart. True story - I once kept batteries in a used car I owned for about 10 years from an initial purchase price of probably 50 bucks or less using the unstated "WalMart Battery for life plan" But there was the added labor and PITA factor of having to deal with the Wal Mart beauracrats to have it replaced probably 4-5 times during that ten year period.
I understand Interstate to use thicker plates in their batteries than the Wal Mart batteries. I speculate the cost to manufacture one vs the other is negligible, but that is pure speculation.
Please explain if this content of this comment has caused any duress at TFL. I can certainly understand how off grid life and a google of followers leads to curmudgeon like frustrations with those jerks who show up with their stinking ideas. Sometimes a guy just wants to be left alone, and I can certainly relate.
I am hardly a curmudgeon...just someone who has been around the block enough times to know what is what. I learned long ago that people just can't help themselves when it comes to offering suggestions - especially after the fact and more often when they have no clue about my actual real world situation. I post about what I have done as opposed to what I am going to do because I don't need a bunch of silly chatter to cloud my thinking. No matter what battery I use - I would be lucky to get 5 years out of one in such a hot climate.
Thank you for enriching my life with your experiences, and apologies for any shortcomings on my end. I have learned a great deal from your willingness to share your life, and for that I thank you in the truest sense. You are a one of a kind sir.
Good Lord. I won't even try to explain what I meant by that but I'm from the VA Appalachians. Nice gentleman and very polite he was though. I'm like that in some ways. You actually have to hit me over the head instead of hinting. Hope everything turned out well for ya.
Grin - "The top of your battery is dirty and that's part of the problem." That was always the first thing out of my father's mouth (God rest his soul.) when I called him because I couldn't get my car started. I never saw where that made a lot of difference but I always made a point of cleaning the top of the battery between the time I called him and he got to wherever I was living.
5 years is pretty good no matter what the climate is for any of the batteries I have used.
First of all i agree with Todd's coment.i think most of us check in with you for that reason, at least i do. As for the battery I've never gotten more than 3 years out of one ,but i live in Houston with the heat and humidity.today was 95 degrees and the news will tell you the feels like temperature ,witch i hate is 106 degrees.
New battery looks good. That dusty sand is something else out there.
An engine can be cleaned. Would that help anything. I forgot how it is done.
I've tried fancy Optima battles, Interstate, Sears, & Wal-Mart. They are all about the same.
The only dud battery I've ever bought was from Autozone. The Battery swelled up so much I couldn't get it out of the car.
AutoZone Manager insisted it was something I did because his batteries were always tested before being sold.
John - You're sharing your life with others through your blog and it's a natural human tendency to give "feedback' although it's also quite human to not feel like everyone is looking over your shoulders.. with forty million suggestions about how to do something.
Like the proverbial sign at the auto garage "Customers stay out of the shop so we can do our work"! ;-)
Now.. you COULD fix this by just not allowing comments ...and maybe you HAVE considered that , eh? But you gotta admit that would be a far less enjoyable experience - for both sides!
We all have different reasons and connections to you .. and I'm reminded of that show Green Acres where Oliver Wendell Douglas played by Eddie Albert had to endure all manner of inane chatter and "help" so much he was often in a state of exasperation... and while it was humorous as heck.. I'm sure in real life - it does get tedious. And no I'm not equating your life and your blog and us commenters as a west Texas version of Green Acres!
;-) but.. about that battery... ;-) keep on truckin..
John, I worked at Advance Auto for awhile and when changing batteries I always used that red spray. Good stuff.
I wonder why you worry about criticism?
No suggestions here unless you ask for it. I look to your for your knowledge from experience. :)
2 CENTS worth seems now days 3 yrs about the life of a battery.would sprinkle liberally baking soda top of battery, rinse and repeat without rinsing......red spray etc not impressed me..oh and spray terminals with the old standby, WD-40
I got no battery advice for you John,,,,,,,,,,
I stop by everyday cause I like to see what you've been up to.
Thanks,
-Moe
Todd is right about Johnson Controls, they make a lot of the brand name batteries out there. My only suggestion is to buy the biggest most powerful battery that will fit. Other batteries like gel cell (Optima is popular) are used widly in classic cars that don't get a lot of use, and you don't want acid spilling out of. Also who ever said to keep it clean was right, whick I know is hard to do where you are.
I've been told that vibration kills car batts...
but I've also heard that the wrong kind of charging can
kill them.. and that there are trickle chargers called "battery tenders".
I bet John knows a thing or two about this...
;-)
John needs us to stay sane out there all alone. :-)
Is that what I think? Yes. And similarly, I enjoy everyone's comments and John's wisdom.
I saw the most beautiful thing this morning. I was bringing a dog in the house this morning and there was a private plane that circled over my house. It was beautiful bright cobalt blue with silver wings and it flew in a bigger circle and tipped its wings first to the rilght and then to the left in big tips. It was so good.
I used to leave a Ford Bronco II 4 x 4 at our Hunt Cabin just for ranch use only. Which resulted in this truck only being used about one month total per year. I suspect these long periods of inactivity are very hard on batteries - as none of the batteries lasted more than three years.
…I must be doing something wrong – only get about 3 months out of these batteries, but they are clean…
and yes, I do spray them with pixie dust & essence of Dodo oil… got the layout/setup off some rabbit's site…
under the hood
No advice from me, the producers of the world have brought "planned obsolescence" to a fine art. So unless you are buying a box of rocks don't expect them to last beyond the implied warranty.
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