Battery test?

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
The proper grade synthetic oil puts a smaller load on the starter motor. I'd use that

He's already running M1 0w-20, as per his sig.

 

[weebl]

It sounds like the end of the life for the battery. I seriously think it is replacement time. Think in terms of what your time is worth, dealing with a dead battery when you need to be somewhere, versus the $100 +/- for a replacement. If you got 7-8 years out of it, you've done well.

My van's OE battery went at only 3 years. My '03 Golf's went in '08, so 5 years. I think the most of any battery I've had was about 6 to 7 years.

 

[cjcride]

8 years old for Canadian Winter is too old. Replace and clean the connecters too.
Happy Motoring.

 

[Chris142]

Ya no brainer.do it today or in a parking lot in the snow.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Again, how old is the battery?


Original battery. so Id say 7-8 years.


Replace it. Even a battery that passes a load test can develop an intermittent internal problem. New lead pile for you.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Again, how old is the battery?


Original battery. so Id say 7-8 years.


If its that old just scrap it. I think you got your moneys worth. I assume you have cleaned the terminals and checked the solenoid?

 

[Koz1]

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/search-res...+PAL1100BPzzLTF
650 CCA but its 169.99
585 CCA 120.00 call it a day.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
So over the weekend I had AAP run a test on my battery. The result was the following:
Voltage: 12.93 volts
Measured: 436 CCA
Rated: 550 CCA
Temperature: 63 F

Based on their testing they recommend replacing it. Now if the battery still has 436 CCA, it should still work fine shouldn't it? I didn't drive the car for a couple days last week and it was about -5 degrees celsius and it wouldn't start. If it does need replacing as they indicate, would that mean my car uses more than 436 CCA to start up? The reason I wonder, is because some batteries group 35 or others that they say will work have only 500 CCA, so it makes me wonder if I should find the highest CCA available and replace it? What are your thoughts? Would you replace it? The last time I tested it was last year same time, and it tested good. Advice, suggestions and feedback on the results is appreciated!


Assuming the test was done right, that battery is getting weak.

Most good batteries will test at or above their CCA rating easily.

Your battery is at the point where it can cut it most of the time, but you are constantly at risk of it being too weak to start the car.

I used a Midtronics tester/charger on the Wal-Mart battery I had in my truck a week ago. The tester just showed three dashes for the CCA rating...wouldn't even tell me what it tested at. It just said replace battery. My truck was cranking slowly sometimes at that point, but at least 80% of the time it didn't seem to have a problem. Never did have to jump it. I went ahead and put a new Napa Legend (JC) battery in...no slow cranks since.

If your battery is giving any signs of being weak, go ahead and replace it. I'd rather replace the battery before it's totally done for in some parking lot, and making the alternator work harder before it conks out.

 

[kb27]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Rand, how does that analyzer know what the rated CCA is for a given battery? Or do you have to program that in?

For every tester I have (Solar, Argus, Midtronics), you have to input the rated CCA.

The tester will then measure and provide a result based on the % of rated CCA.

I think the condemnation point is the %, which gauge the condition of the battery.
Not so much, how much current it can produced for what a fixed starter load needs.

 

[JimPghPA]

If it were my car I would replace the battery, and get the starter and alternator rebuilt.

For the alternator new bearings and brushes.

For the starter new bendix, and brushes, and also clean the groves between conductive sections on the commutator on the armature, and clean and grease the hole that the armature shaft goes into.

This thread is a good example of how temperature effects the life of a battery. OP lives in Canada where the average temperature is much colder than Phoenix AZ where Nick1994 post a life expectancy of only 1.5 to 2 years.

Most chemical reactions will double or half with each increase or decrease of 10 degree Celsius (18 degree Fahrenheit). Battery A kept in a hot climate such as AZ will not last as long as battery B kept in a colder climate such as Canada.

But even with a colder climate, 6 or 7 years is a long life for any battery. Replace it and be happy that you can expect the replacement to also have a long life in Canada.

 

[Koz1]

I bought a battery a few months ago it was a Eliminator from Canadian Tire. I went to Wal-Mart they had no fresh batteries the Eliminator was 6 weeks old.
I honestly dont know anyone that has been let down by a Eliminator, yet.
Wal-Mart make awesome batteries, I was told by a few Mech friends buy as new a battery as you can so that's what I do.
Anyone have any comments on that.
Whether its better to buy a 7 month old battery or one thats a few weeks old?

 

[Rolla07]

They always say fresher is best but i have only seen new ones acouple months old.. the walmart ones are made by johnson controls..CT is made by exide. My OEM was johnson controls. If my dealer test fails, I will consider the OEM Toyota unit at 144$ tax incl. If I decide not to get the oem, i will get the costco unit.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
They always say fresher is best but i have only seen new ones acouple months old.. the walmart ones are made by johnson controls..CT is made by exide. My OEM was johnson controls. If my dealer test fails, I will consider the OEM Toyota unit at 144$ tax incl. If I decide not to get the oem, i will get the costco unit.


So, you had CCA test this battery and they told you it was bad, and they gave you a discount on their (East Penn) battery. You then drove to the US and had AAP test the battery and was told it was bad. You did not buy a battery from them, but drove home with the bad battery. Now you are getting a dealer to test the battery as well. Guess what he is going to say???? The battery is old and is junk! You are way over analyzing this battery situation. Johnson Controls? East Penn? Exide? Just buy a battery and move on.