Date:         Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:05:56 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Battery dead AGAIN!!!!
Comments: To: pbrattan@GMAIL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

There are many things that can unexpectedly drain a battery. Power locks on
these vans is a favorite. get a bad contact in a lock actuator or a shorted
or broken wire in a door and an actuator can stay on continuously and it one
will polish a battery off over a day or two. The Delco batteries are
normally excellent batteries, but like most starting batteries, once they
are deeply discharged, they get some damage. Also,to bring them back
requires an intelligent charger to get them stirred and desulphated. If both
batteries are discharged, you need to determine how they are connected and
controlled, and then which loads are connected to which battery. They are
many ways in which a 2nd battery can be added and i have seen them simply
connected to the main battery in parallel. This only gives more time until
both batteries are dead. Based on your questions, it may be time to get an
electrical guru to figure this out, then determine your needs and have the
auxiliary battery controls and wiring upgraded to suit your needs.

Dennis



>From: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Battery dead AGAIN!!!!
>Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:46:31 -0700
>
>There are no stickers at all, other than the warning sticker.  No stickers
>have fallen into the battery compartment.  There are 2 different etchings
>on
>the battery:  6KFD29 and 6FD291.  One is factory branded into the plastic,
>the other is hand engraved.  On the battery handle is AR35H02/0409-2.
>Patti
>***************************************
>On 4/28/07, Mark Drillock <drillock@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>The will be a stamp or sticker on the battery that will tell when it was
>>made. Example - A03  would be Jan 2003, C99 would be Mar 1999
>>
>>Mark
>>
>>PB wrote:
>>
>> > Charged it last night.  It started 3 different times just fine.  I even
>> > went
>> > out to start it before going to bed last night.  No problem.  This
>>morning
>> > it was weak and didn't start!  I removed the battery to see how old it
>>is,
>> > but there are no markings that I can understand.  It's a delco with a
>> > handle
>> > on it.  It was very easy to lift out with that handle.  I don't know
>>how
>> > old
>> > that battery is. My husband said the aux battery was also discharged.
>> >
>> > I made sure the ceiling light and stereo were off.   I don't know what
>>else
>> > to check.   It started perfectly fine for the first 2 weeks that I had
>>it.
>> > What could I have possibly left on that would be draining the battery?
>> >
>> > Thanks again.
>> > Patti
>> >
>> > 1990 automatic Westy (power everything)
>> > North Hollywood CA
>> >
>>