Car Problem

[Konaguy]

I check under the hood of my 2005 Ford Ranger, which I got in March of 2005,
every couple days. Luckily I did today, as I noticed my maintenance free battery
was having issues. The "eye" which supposed to be green, was stuck between
green and another color. I'm curious if anyone has noticed this before. Batteries
should last more than year and few months ? I took the truck down to the dealership to have the charging system checked today.

(Note: Please no Ford bashing )

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Car Problem

My portable jump starter has been in such high demand lately and the problem? Excessive heat. It's been really hot lately and batteries don't like heat at all. You could have fried your battery but because it's still under warranty I'd replace it.

First On Race Day!!!

[blueyecicle]

Re: Car Problem

I have had new batteries last 3 years and only 6 months, when it was too cold or hot it fried my battery after 6 months. 2 of them no less! One for heat (103 1 week straight!) and one for cold (only lasted 3 months) but it had been -40!
It had nasty corrosions both times.

[pzarquon]

Re: Car Problem

I just bought a new battery for my van last weekend. Of course, I killed it by not driving that van enough. (Though it does spend its life out in the sun...) I'll take a dead battery over a dead alternator, though!

Really gotta make sure to keep those battery receipts... took Sears 10 minutes to replace it (the thing was swapped with a new one before I'd gotten to the front of the line at the express battery register), and they could tell the old one came from them, but couldn't give me the new one without the paperwork. D'oh!

[Konaguy]

Re: Car Problem

I had a Ford Escort, that I purchased new in 1999. Its alternator gave out
2 years after I got it. Hence why I didn't want to take any chances with
the battery dying on me now in my truck. Especially since its under warranty.
The battery came with the trck was one of those Ford Motorcraft batteries.
It was only year and couple months old (from March 2005).

The good news is the Ford dealership is hopefully going to take a look at it today.

[lurkah]

Re: Car Problem

I have had new batteries last 3 years and only 6 months, when it was too cold or hot it fried my battery after 6 months. 2 of them no less! One for heat (103 1 week straight!) and one for cold (only lasted 3 months) but it had been -40!
It had nasty corrosions both times.

After making sure that they're nice and clean (wire-brushed and rinsed off with a water-baking soda solution), coating the battery terminals — especially the ground terminal — with a liberal amount of vaseline petroleum jelly will help to keep that nasty corrosion at bay, and also from contaminating any of the battery acid cells, which if allowed to happen will dramatically shorten the life of your battery.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Car Problem

After making sure that they're nice and clean (wire-brushed and rinsed off with a water-baking soda solution), coating the battery terminals — especially the ground terminal — with a liberal amount of vaseline petroleum jelly will help to keep that nasty corrosion at bay, and also from contaminating any of the battery acid cells, which if allowed to happen will dramatically shorten the life of your battery.

Even though I am a chick I do keep my terminals clean...hmm...that sounded bad huh!

I think the corrosion was from the battery frying. Because every 3 months I take the conductors off and clean the battery. I am really pretty religous with that and keeping my tire pressure accurate.

This summer I cleaned it every 4 weeks though just in case (100 again). Broke a nail too! Darn it!

[lurkah]

Re: Car Problem

Even though I am a chick I do keep my terminals clean...hmm...that sounded bad huh!

I think the corrosion was from the battery frying. Because every 3 months I take the conductors off and clean the battery. I am really pretty religous with that and keeping my tire pressure accurate.

This summer I cleaned it every 4 weeks though just in case (100 again). Broke a nail too! Darn it!

Sounds like you must be living in the eastern part of Oregon somewhere. Being in the southeastern desert area of Washington state myself, I know of what you're saying as we've also had temps of up to 116 degrees this and past summers, but I've never had any battery problems of the kind you described. So it must be the vaseline petroleum jelly...

Also, if you ever have electrical charging problems and aren't sure whether the problem lies with the battery or the alternator, you can take your car to any NAPA or most any other reputable auto parts stores and they'll test your system for free, in the hopes that should you need to replace either one, that you'll be buying it from them. This especially comes in handy for vehicles that are out of warranty.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Car Problem

Even though I am a chick I do keep my terminals clean...hmm...that sounded bad huh!

Ha ha that's funny...there's nothing better than a chick with clean terminals... But those wire brushes must be horrifically painful

I think your statement qualifies as THE QUOTE OF THE MONTH on HT.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Car Problem

I know when my alternator goes bad, it did last year...I blame Les Schwab and the batteries I bought! At least they replaced them for free

The mechanic told me it was the heat and the cold....the cold one I live in Eastern Oregon....The hot one I lived in Eugene, Oregon. Not known for heat until NOW!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Car Problem

I know when my alternator goes bad, it did last year...I blame Les Schwab and the batteries I bought! At least they replaced them for free

The mechanic told me it was the heat and the cold....the cold one I live in Eastern Oregon....The hot one I lived in Eugene, Oregon. Not known for heat until NOW!

Hmmm clean terminals and a bad alternator...sounds a bit Bi-polar to me