Originally Posted By: andyd
I float the batteries once a month with a.5 A Centech. I want to see if this will extend battery life. Also, battery guys. I have heard that a lower priced battery in a larger case size will have less (wider spaced) plates. The advantage to this is that there is more room for debris that would normally short a denser battery. Any truth to this? TIA.
the plates in ALL flooded batteries do not extend to the bottom of the casing in order to allow room for shed material. Cheaper batteries may have less plates, but they can also have cheaper construction and lower quality cell seperators (which is what really makes the most impact on shorting plates). Plate material is generally shed as small particles. If chunks of material are falling off of the plates, than the battery is pretty much toast.
without getting into too many specifics of construction and effects of lifespan that I don't know enough about, I can tell you that a battery with higher CCA may not see any benefit in a hot climate. In a hot/dry climate the water can evaporate from the electrolyte leading to faster corrosion, sulfation, and breakdown (along with higher heat already accelerating the breakdown process). Having more electrolyte (and possibly slightly lower specific gravity/acid concentration) and preventing evaporation seem to be the key to achieving reasonable service life in these climates.
topping off your batteries monthly can definitely extend the lifespan in some situations, but modern vehicles are lead acid batteries' worst enemy with higher drains, "smart" charging systems, and start-stop technology. They're being short-cycled to death. It's not uncommon for modern vehicles to NEVER exhibit slow-cranking symptoms of a dying battery - they either just work or they don't. The constant shallow cycling depletes the battery's capacity while it's conductance remains adequate.
Part of the problem is with manufacturers not working hard enough to incorporate the right battery for their needs and bowing to pressure to make cars as efficient as possible. Most modern vehicles would strongly benefit from an AGM battery (and a proper charging system to match), but that would add cost to every vehicle sold (and cost to replace) without an immediate benefit to them or the consumer. Can the battery outlast the warranty period until it's the consumers' problem? Good enough. Now more than ever, it's become hard to extrapolate your experience with one particular brand or battery between different vehicles.
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I think, and correct me if I am wrong with my logic, that regardless of battery brand you shouldn't go for really high CCA models. The higher the CCA, the thinner the plates and durability goes down.
Back in the day I was going thru a battery a year in my Jeep CJ7 (still have it!). I was using 1000cca batteries. After the 3rd one my dad told me that the Jeep didn't require a lot of CCA and to try the original rating. The OEM battery fitted in 1978 was 525CCA. I got a 650CCA battery and it lasted a full 4 years!. That Jeep was off road a lot and bounced a lot.
Even today, I won't buy a battery with more than, say, 700CCA and I don't know of any car maker installing any batteries higher than that.
my point exactly - higher plate count just means more surface area to corrode at the same rate and less electrolyte to evaporate. In this case, YOU shouldn't buy a higher CCA battery being in TX.
