Batteries-Just my imagination?

[Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL)]

Is it just my imagination, or do modern car batteries not give the warning they used to about going dead?

It seems that in my teenage years and early adulthood (1980's) that a car battery would give a few days prior notice that it was going bad. Slow starts, or maybe it would go dead, but take a charge or two before going completely bad. Nowadays, it seems like they work just fine until, all of a sudden, it won't do anything.

My latest was in my Model A. We trailered it out of town this weekend. We spent the weekend with the car club touring around. No problems. Sunday morning we went to breakfast, came back to the hotel, loaded the car, towed it home, drove it off the trailer, all with no problems. My son drove it from the trailer to the garage, but choked it down when trying to go in the garage. When he tried to start it back up it wouldn't turn the engine. I thought he had forgotten to retard the spark, but that wasn't it. I turned on the headlights. They dimmed right before my eyes. Checked the battery. Everything clean. No corrosion. Checked the electrolyte. DEAD CELL! I swear I don't rememeber this sort of thing happening until the last 10 years or so.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Hi, Hal...

From my experiences, not technical knowledge of today's batteries, they go dead within a New York Minute without any warning.

As some of you may know, I drive a fairly consistent 50,000 miles per year covering 6 States. Out of the 14 vehicles (company cars) in my 32 years in the Foundry Industry, I count 5 of them that simply died in the battery department without warning. All had a minimum of 2 years wear, however, considering the mileage, that's a lot of use on a battery, especially in the Northeast.

Regards, Peter J.

[Guest Skyking]

I've had batteries just short out without any warnings. No lights, no horn, no start......Dead. Reason given, plates shorted out.

[Jim Bollman]

I haven't had that many modern batteries just go bad, but the last one that did was rather costly. Came out from work and the battery was completely dead. Got a jump and made it about a block and the truck stopped. Turned out the battery had one or more shorted cells, jumping got it started but the alternator trying to charge a now maybe 10 volt battery quickly burned out and then I had no ignition. I now carry a small cheap digital voltmeter in the glove box so if it happens again I can check out the battery before I jump it.

Jim...

[Ron Green]

I have noticed that batteries in the past 5 years seem to fail without any warning. Work fine one day and then just go dead. I went to start my 72 Corvette this weekend and the battery was all but dead however this battery has been giving me signs lately that it is about shot. I installed it in 1991 when the car was restored for the 2nd time. This battery also seems heavier then today's batteries. The prior battery lasted 9 years, not bad.

[Guest wombvette]

New batteries are packed full of plates very close together and they do fail more quickly from shorting than batteries of old. The battery companies like to advertize the gigantic cranking amps, but say nothing of the old amp-hour ratings of old. Buy the cheapest thing that you can find that will crank the car, it has less plates, or a deep cycle battery that is closer to the old type.

[6219_Rules]

Do you all find that this is true with the gel type batteries, like the Optima? I have been using a 6 volt for the last 3 years, brutally as my electrical system was being restored. It has been drained and recharged countless times, and now that everything is working normally, the battery is preforming fine. What do you think?

[Guest BillP]

Had 2 batteries go just as you describe a month ago. One minute fine; next, nobody home. It faked me out out because I thought the second battery was good so I went on a wild goose chase, rebuilding the starter, checking wiring and everything else.