Car battery Drain
#11
wouldn't an optima yellow top be a better choice? the red is a starting battery more CCA but still doesn't like being deep cycled. The yellow's have a lower internal resistance and are more resistant to the damage caused by deep cycling(killing your battery)
#12
I gotta get something quick cuase I got a boost and let the car run for half hour. I turned off and it wouldnt restart. Then I got a boost and let it sit for an hour and again it wouldnt turn on. I am gonna got to CT tomorrow and get the battery test just to be sure it is the battery that has gone bad.
#13
Optima Blue Top Batteries NEW now available at Wholesale prices! - Toronto Car Parts For Sale - Kijiji Toronto
his is the blue top any good since the price seems to be good.
thanks
his is the blue top any good since the price seems to be good.
thanks
#14
Never had any issues with a redtop as a primary battery, If he's using the battery a lot when the car off then a yellowtop would be better but I find they only last 3 years max as a primary battery
#15
By the way the blue top is a marine unit. It's not really suitable for the car. CT may have some AGM batteries that will give you half decent performace for a half decent price. However I would only resort to that if you don't have the time to shop for a better one.
#17
I'd definately grab a Red Top if you need a new battery. They have an awesome warranty and the best reputation. I recently got mine from Wal-Mart for $200, you can't beat a price like that, especially considering the price of a decent stock battery.
But don't just change it, do a charging/load test on your alternator and battery first just to be sure. You can do it yourself with cheap digital multimeter that can measure current, I just bought one for like $12 bucks from Partsource that can measure up to 10 amps. This is fine, you don't need an $800 Fluke.
First thing, find out what kind of current your car is pulling when turned off with nothing on (including any interiour/exterior lights). Do this by disconnecting your battery ground and with the multimeter set to measure current in 10 amp range. Attach one lead to the negative battery connection (post) and the other to ground (a good distance from the battery, it will spark a little). If it's pulling more than 0.1 amps you probably have some kind of phantom battery drain that is causing your battery to be drained prematurely. Obviously this will get worse as your battery ages. If this is the case you can usually narrow down the source by pulling fuses one by one, until the current drops off.
To test your alternator, with your car running and your battery connected normally. Using the multimeter to measure voltage, place the positive meter lead on the positive battery terminal and the negative to ground. It should read around 14-15 volts at idle. Now while measuring, have some one turn on the headlights and A/C (not the stereo, it doesn't give a consistant draw). When you do this the voltage should only drop by about 0.1-0.2 volts or so when the load is applied. Keep watching for a while and see if it persistantly drops, if it does, you may have a bad alternator and should get your charging system/battery checked by a pro.
Hope this helps.
Lyle
But don't just change it, do a charging/load test on your alternator and battery first just to be sure. You can do it yourself with cheap digital multimeter that can measure current, I just bought one for like $12 bucks from Partsource that can measure up to 10 amps. This is fine, you don't need an $800 Fluke.
First thing, find out what kind of current your car is pulling when turned off with nothing on (including any interiour/exterior lights). Do this by disconnecting your battery ground and with the multimeter set to measure current in 10 amp range. Attach one lead to the negative battery connection (post) and the other to ground (a good distance from the battery, it will spark a little). If it's pulling more than 0.1 amps you probably have some kind of phantom battery drain that is causing your battery to be drained prematurely. Obviously this will get worse as your battery ages. If this is the case you can usually narrow down the source by pulling fuses one by one, until the current drops off.
To test your alternator, with your car running and your battery connected normally. Using the multimeter to measure voltage, place the positive meter lead on the positive battery terminal and the negative to ground. It should read around 14-15 volts at idle. Now while measuring, have some one turn on the headlights and A/C (not the stereo, it doesn't give a consistant draw). When you do this the voltage should only drop by about 0.1-0.2 volts or so when the load is applied. Keep watching for a while and see if it persistantly drops, if it does, you may have a bad alternator and should get your charging system/battery checked by a pro.
Hope this helps.
Lyle
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