Date:         Fri, 14 Feb 2003 08:22:08 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Need battery advice
Comments: To: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <F40m8grRfZKpn77J3vO00000f49@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 01:29 AM 2/14/2003, Mark Dorm wrote:
>Someone told me that Optima starter batteries always keep a residual charge
>so that if you leave your headlights on it'll still turn over...

Any lead-acid battery will do this -- if you run it down to where the
lights are yellow and the engine won't crank, then shut off the lights and
wait an hour or so there's a fair chance that you'll get a brief crank out
if it.  The more quickly you run it down the more likely that you'll get
enough back to crank with.  If you run it down with the map light or some
such, no such luck -- and if you go until the headlights actually go out
that'll likely be too far gone as well.

There are some batteries with a separate section -- if you run the main
part down you can flip a switch on the battery and use the other section to
start with.

david


--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"