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Date:         Thu, 1 Apr 2004 22:40:55 -0600
Reply-To:     Paul & Becky Oliver <oliver8@TDS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Paul & Becky Oliver <oliver8@TDS.NET>
Subject:      Re: battery questions
Comments: To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

A battery load test takes about 30 or 40 seconds much more and you will damage something (including the test equipment). However, the battery being tested must not have been charged for at least 24 hours. Not by the vehicles charging system or any other charging method.

The only way to do a true load test is to let a battery "rest" at least 24 hours after being fully charged.

That means you can not just drive in and say, "check my battery" and expect to get a truthful answer. Because your battery has not had a rest period and even if it is "junk" it could pass the test.

When you do the load test, you pull down the battery (1)noting how much power you started with (2) how long it took to drop (3) to what level it dropped to.(4) Then you need to check voltage in 15 minutes (no more) (5) recheck voltage in about an hour from the first test. (6) Then hit again, wait 15 minutes (no more) and see if it still can regain at least a 12 volt charge.

If it passed the test it a good battery, otherwise get a new one.

What I understanding from your Sears experience, is that you got ripped!

If your telling me that you took them a dead battery and they tested it. They would have had to first charge it, then test it, this would have taken a couple days to include proper rest before testing. But in your case, they must have charge it and instantly tested it, only the "truly dead" WOULD NOT pass this kind of a test.

Paul

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Oxroad" <Oxroad@AOL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 12:36 PM Subject: Re: battery questions

> In a message dated 3/31/2004 4:39:32 PM Pacific Standard Time, > dkahler@UPS.EDU writes: > > > > I've > > replaced the battery twice now in 3 months (on warranty luckily). I > > checked the alternator and it's giving the right voltage, and nothing > > else seems to be draining down the battery. > > I had used Sears Die Hard batteries in all my cars for years and years. I > don't any more because I hate dealing with Sears anymore and I haven't like the > performance of the last two Die Hards I bought. I went with an Interstate this > time and have had no problems. > > Walk in a Sears store and you'll see it ain't the old Sear's selling > craftsman tools and quality. Yeah, I know you can still get Craftmen tools--and so far > they still seem pretty good. But somewhere along the line, Sears made a plan > to increase profits and compete in the current market by changing it up and > becoming "brand central." So they're doing WalMart, but not as well. And Don't > think I'm a fan of WalMart, I didn't mean that. What I meant is that our > standards are being lowered by WalMart and Sears, and then don't get me started on > the myth that Americans don't want to work ,and finding the cheapest labor > worldwide and selling sub-standard products.... > > Oh, back to Vanagons! Sorry. In my opinion Sears is barely hanging on from > the looks of the Sears stores in my area. And however they've done it they've > lowered their standards and quality of batteries. I brought my DieHard in to > Sears for testing when it stopped working--and I've gotta say I got three years > out of it, although with dubious results. In the past when I brought in the Die > Hard they would do a cursary 5 minute test and sell me a new battery with the > pro-rated discount depending on the warranty of the battery--usually 72 > months, I think. Now they did an hour or an hour and a half test, keeping me there, > wasting my time. Then told me that the battery was fine, even though it only > held a 12.4 volt charge after being fully charged and sitting for an hour on > their bench. Let's assume the battery was charged to at least 13 volts and it > lost over half a volt sitting on the bench in an hour. The guy hinted around > this voltage drop complied with their "new standards" for a battery's health. > I'm guessing that meant lowered standards. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but a > 12.4 volt battery, while yes is above 12 volts, is about a half a volt short of > what I would want in a car especially a Westfalia where the fan for the > fridge is gonna cycle when the temp inside gets about 75 degrees and the power has > to pass through about 10 or 20 feet of 20 year old wire to get to the starter > and all. > > And don't blame the age of the car. This is the battery they have > manufactured for specifically for the Vanagon and Westfalia. Also I seem to remember > their CCA have dropped for the same name battery over the years with the same > International name or whatever they call it. It used to be the 700 CCA and dropped > to about 600 or maybe 650. The website and literature won't exactly tell you > this because Sears is deceptive. > > Also the last die hard I had, this one of which I speak, never held voltage > above 12.5 after being fully charged from the day it was new for more than > about a minute. Then it cranked slow for years when starting the car unless the > bus had been running and charging the battery in the last few hours. > > Interstate makes a Vanagon specific battery called MT-41 for somewhere > between $80 and $100 with Cranking amps of 815 and CCA of 650. I bought it an like > it, and barring the return of Roebuck who was the real brains of the operation > I won't go back to Sears for a battery and be talked down to by a 17 year old > kid in a mechnics uniform. (Don't tell the kid, but quite frankly I don't know > what cranking amps means as I've always heard reference to cold cranking amps) > > Oh, and by the way, Sears even gets you on the web site sayin the Vanagon > Battery has up to 750 CCA. Yes it has "up to" that. In the same way I have "up > to" 200 years to live. The actual CCA amps of their inferior battery installed > by inferior mechanics is, I'm guessing, about 600 or 650 CCA according to > sticker on the battery which technically falls into the "up to 750 CCA." The snot > nosed "mechanic" at Sears will explain to you, in the requisite condescending > tone, that some batteries in this "series" do have as much as 750 CCA but they > do not fit in the Vanagon, and in my estimation don't exist at all. > > I loved Sears for years. It was the store. But it ain't what it used to be. > > Oh, wait. Was this about Batteries. I recommend the Interstate Batteries, > specifically the MT-41. > > Thanks for listening. > Best > Jeff > 83.5 Westy > LA,CA


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