that is some good info.. I have reached 44k on my dak, and I am sure my batt
is about to go... I hear alot of guys only getting 25k-30k miles out of
there stockers.
one good thing is that I don't have any amplifiers or linears on this one.
I had several amps and a 400watt linear running in my old truck... new batt
every year or two =-)
good info, I am going to save this for others who might ask about it
X---------------------CrawdaddY--------------------------------------X
http://members.home.net/ggaskin
ICQ UIN# 2325710
New Orleans, La
http://www.twistedbits.net/WWWProfile/dakota/GgYMEmNMV9Dtw/profile.htm
see above profile for more info on my Dak =]
X--------------------------------------------------------------------X
----- Original Message -----
From: <ABeerCan@aol.com>
To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2001 12:34 AM
Subject: DML: All batteries created equal? Think not - kinda long - no
really - loooonnggg
> Ok, with all these issues going on about batteries, I decided to post an
> e-mail about batteries. First thing, don't get a maintenance free
battery!
> All batteries vent water vapor as a natural process. Even though they say
> maintenance free, they still have vent holes. yes, their vapor release is
> lower than other batteries, they still lose vapor. And if they fall low
> enough, they expose the active material in the battery which then dries,
> flakes off and falls into the cell. The result is a shorted cell within
the
> battery. My suggestion, even though it is a little more of a hassle (ok,
3
> minutes every month, during your oil change), get a non-sealed battery
> (Champion 4x4, etc...) and check the liquid level often. Be sure to only
> fill the battery with distilled water as any other type will contain
> chemicals and minerals that will react with the plates in the battery and
> cuase a loss of power. Also, those "battery quick jumps" in a bottle are
a
> joke. Don't waste your money on them as they con't perform their claimed
> job. The only thing they can do is change the ph and specific gravity of
the
> acid/water mix in the battery. This will harm the battery internally and
> could cuase a severe react that could lead to the battery exploding. And
yes
> I have had to deal with a battery that had done that, needless to say, it
was
> very bad. Now for the second subject of the lecture (Damn, I feel like a
> professor saying that, sheesh!). Have you ever noticed how two batteries
the
> same size can have a huge variance in power? First thing that will give
you
> and idea of why, pick the two up. You will notice the lower power battery
> weighs less. The reason for this is what is inside. In order to get more
> power from a battery that is the same size, you have to add more surface
area
> to the plates inside. The way battery manufacturers do this is to add
more
> lead and other metals to the plates. This gives you thicker plates, which
> look like a grid that has active material and a barrier sandwiched between
it
> another layer of active material and another plate. The thicker plates
give
> more power, but also displace more liquid inside the battery. To put it
> short, the more power a battery has, the heavier and thicker the plates
are
> and the less liquid there is inside. So that means that if you do have
the
> higher power batteries, you need to check the liquid more often than
usual.
> Now this idea doesn't include Gel batteries. There is a whole different
> science to them! Heck, when was the last time you tried to mount a liquid
> battery upside down? Didn't work to well did it? hehehe Anyway.......
I
> will say this, are the higher power batteries better? Depends upon you
> application. For your riding mower, not really. All you need for them is
> 100 cranking amps. So why would you spend mega bucks for a 1000 ca
battery
> for your mower? Unless you have a small block for your engine, there is
no
> point. But, in your standard truck, a 1000 cranking amp battery will be
> fine. It will make it easier on your battery in the winter and the
extreme
> heat under the hood during the summer (think it don't get hot under there?
> Take the temp after you get it to normal operating temp and then park it
for
> about 20 minutes. It is hot under that hood!) as well as give you the
extra
> reserve needed when jump starting someone. If you have a stereo, lights
or a
> perfromance motor, then I would definately recommend the biggest battery
you
> can fit and afford. Another thing, if you ever get confronted by an idiot
> who says you have to keep your reciept to return a battery, tell him he is
> stupid and show him this. On GNB batteries, the month and the last digit
of
> the year it was made imprinted on the side of the battery. For an AC
Delco (
> don't know why you would have one, but hey!) battery, you will find an
> imprint that has a letter a number and a letter. The first letter is the
> month ( a=1, b=2, c=3. d=4 e=5 f=6, g=7 h =8 j=9, etc.. skip i) and the
> digit is the last number of the year made. The last letter is the plant
at
> which it was made. I hope this helps in making a better decision about
> batteries in the future. I forgot to talk about pro-ration, it
essentially
> means that if in a certain amount of time the battery goes bad, you only
have
> to pay a percentage of the original value of the battery. Some even have
two
> years free replacement! Also remember that the average life of a battery
is
> 4 years. So if you have an expensive battery that has a good pro-rating,
in
> four years you could be paying only 30 - 40% of the original price. So
lets
> do the math, spen 50 bucks on a battery and four years later, spen only
~$30
> to replace it. Ok, buy the on sale $30 battery, proration is gone after
two
> years, in three years, spend more money. Batteries are a case of you get
> what you pay for. Like I said, get all the power your battery size and
> wallet will let you. My fingers are tired. More later....
hehehehe.....God
> I hope not!!!! d;o)
>
> Will
> 96 Paxton huffed NOS intercooled 408 Dakado
> 89 Shelby Dakota
> 69 Dodge Charger
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