Date:         Thu, 7 Aug 2003 00:14:20 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: alternator Qs?- 8 volt battery syndrome!
In-Reply-To:  <96F632F2-C88B-11D7-8410-0030657C6ABA@mac.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The voltage drop to 8 volts indicates a bad cell. The Sears Batteries
are notorious for the cell connectors to open intermittently. You charge
and test and all looks OK and then you get stuck. Sometimes hitting the
battery will restore the connection and get you going again. Tell sears
you Know you have an open cell and you want a new battery under
warranty.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Kim Brennan
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 12:00 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: alternator Qs?

Alternator sounds fine. You might want to check either the battery
ground cable, or the positive wiring from the alternator to the battery
(I'm not authoritative on whether a 1/2 volt drop is to be expected on
that cable.)

On the other paw, you either have a live circuit draining your battery,
or a soon to be bad battery. The use of hygrometers to measure
batteries seems to be a dying fashion, what with sealed cells and all.
However, you may still be able to get one at your local FLAPS. Check
each cell with the hygrometer. Add distilled water if the cell fluid
level is low. If a cell is bad, you'll need to get a new battery.

On Wednesday, August 6, 2003, at 07:12 PM, Jeff Oxroad wrote:

> The battery after just being charged by sears this afternoon (who sold
> me the
> battery 3 years ago) reads 12.3 when I got it home. What they charged
> it to I
> don't know. But they said it was holding a charge fine so as not to
> have to
> replace it--we'll see.
>
> It was dead this a.m. at about 8 volts and would not crank the engine

Kim Brennan
86 Syncro. 91 Westy Syncro. 90 Tristar
Vienna VA. Sugar Grove WV.