The 240 Saga Continues. Dead Battery? Or...?

[Tim McNamara]

Thanks. I don't know if they did check the charging system, but
rather doubt it. Perhaps I can now take it to my regular mechanic
and ask them to do a check. Is the charging system something that
can be checked for problems when there isn't a problem actually
manifesting itself at the moment (i.e., dead battery)? Or will I
actually have to wait until there's a problem before anyone will be
able to spot the cause?

Yes, it can be readily checked.

Fingers crossed the battery was the beginning and ending of the
problem. I have a feeling the battery that was replaced was actually
the car's original battery. 14 years of service ain't bad!

If the battery was 14 years old, then that was most likely the problem.

 

[James Sweet]

Well, I found out that when the portable charger I bought over the
weekend says it needs 48 hours for the initial charge, it means 48
hours. I tried to use it this morning -- 8 hours shy of the 48 hour
mark -- and nothing. I ended up calling the auto club to have them
start the car for me. Charger's going back Home Depot tonight!

So the battery was replaced for $145 ($125 batter/$20 labor). I hope
that sounds about right (keeping in mind that I'm not the do-it-
yourself kind of girl when it comes to automobiles).

Yikes, last battery I bought was $47 at Costco, did you buy it at the dealer
or something?

 

[Peter Adler]

Yup. The battery I bought at Costco for maybe $45 has to be ten years old
now and still going strong. IIRC, Costco installed it for me and dumped the
old one free of charge.

Patricia, after 40 hours, there is no way a functioning automotive battery
charger wouldn't have put a usable charge in your battery. You should easily
have been able to start your car on that. Was there a meter on this thing?
Did it show what the rate of charge was? If no meter, did it at least hum
purposefully? Or even warm up a little? Something's wrong ...

Pete (fP)

 

[Michael Pardee]

Yup. The battery I bought at Costco for maybe $45 has to be ten years old
now and still going strong. IIRC, Costco installed it for me and dumped
the old one free of charge.

Patricia, after 40 hours, there is no way a functioning automotive battery
charger wouldn't have put a usable charge in your battery. You should
easily have been able to start your car on that. Was there a meter on this
thing? Did it show what the rate of charge was? If no meter, did it at
least hum purposefully? Or even warm up a little? Something's wrong ...

I bought two portable jump starters at a local chain stores when they were
on sale. One refused to charge at all and the other was very low capacity.
Portable jump starters apparently come with gel cell batteries - I shouldn't
have been surprised. I replaced the dead one with an AGM battery of the same
size from the local Batteries Plus; the AGM was twice the price of the whole
unit originally, but I now have one unit that works reliably for $100 US!

It's worth noting that these should be charged monthly.

Mike

 

[James Sweet]

I bought two portable jump starters at a local chain stores when they were
on sale. One refused to charge at all and the other was very low capacity.
Portable jump starters apparently come with gel cell batteries - I
shouldn't have been surprised. I replaced the dead one with an AGM battery
of the same size from the local Batteries Plus; the AGM was twice the
price of the whole unit originally, but I now have one unit that works
reliably for $100 US!

It's worth noting that these should be charged monthly.

Mike

The problem comes from these things sitting on store shelves for long
periods of time, they really do need an expiration date on them for the
batteries.

 

[Michael Pardee]

The problem comes from these things sitting on store shelves for long
periods of time, they really do need an expiration date on them for the
batteries.

I think you're right. even gel-cells should last two years if charged
periodically.

Mike

 

[z]

I bought two portable jump starters at a local chain stores when they were
on sale. One refused to charge at all and the other was very low capacity.
Portable jump starters apparently come with gel cell batteries - I shouldn't
have been surprised. I replaced the dead one with an AGM battery of the same
size from the local Batteries Plus; the AGM was twice the price of the whole
unit originally, but I now have one unit that works reliably for $100 US!

It's worth noting that these should be charged monthly.

Mike

I wonder if it wouldn't be worth just getting a big gel cel to go with
the preexisting jumper cables and battery charger I'm sure
**everybody** already has?

 

[Michael Pardee]

I wonder if it wouldn't be worth just getting a big gel cel to go with
the preexisting jumper cables and battery charger I'm sure
**everybody** already has?

It makes sense.

Mike

 

[James Sweet]

I wonder if it wouldn't be worth just getting a big gel cel to go with
the preexisting jumper cables and battery charger I'm sure
**everybody** already has?

Heck even I didn't have a battery charger until recently, I don't think most
folks own them. The portable jump starters are a lot more intuitive, and
they're clean, simple, anyone can figure out how to use them. I wouldn't
trust my mom to cart around a big gel cell and figure out how to hook it up
safely with jumper cables. Those things can deliver hundreds of amps if
shorted.

 

[Michael Pardee]

Heck even I didn't have a battery charger until recently, I don't think
most folks own them. The portable jump starters are a lot more intuitive,
and they're clean, simple, anyone can figure out how to use them. I
wouldn't trust my mom to cart around a big gel cell and figure out how to
hook it up safely with jumper cables. Those things can deliver hundreds of
amps if shorted.

RV stores can sell setups for mounting a standby battery, but I'm not sure
it's worth the cost to most of us.

Mike

 

[Patricia Butler]

Yup. The battery I bought at Costco for maybe $45 has to be ten years old
now and still going strong. IIRC, Costco installed it for me and dumped the
old one free of charge.

Patricia, after 40 hours, there is no way a functioning automotive battery
charger wouldn't have put a usable charge in your battery. You should easily
have been able to start your car on that. Was there a meter on this thing?
Did it show what the rate of charge was? If no meter, did it at least hum
purposefully? Or even warm up a little? Something's wrong ...

Pete (fP)









- Show quoted text -

Well, I shopped around for a battery at 1997 prices but, oddly, all I
found were those at 2007 prices. Go figure.

The charger said it takes a full 48 hours for its initial charge, so
it wasn't letting me down by not working after only 40 hours. Even
so, since I didn't need it after all (thanks to the auto club) I
simply returned it for a refund.

 

[Patricia Butler]

Heck even I didn't have a battery charger until recently, I don't think most
folks own them. The portable jump starters are a lot more intuitive, and
they're clean, simple, anyone can figure out how to use them. I wouldn't
trust my mom to cart around a big gel cell and figure out how to hook it up
safely with jumper cables. Those things can deliver hundreds of amps if
shorted.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If I decide to get one to carry around, I'll get the Black & Decker
charger that you use via the cigarette lighter rather than connecting
directly to the battery. Takes a little longer to charge the battery
(10 minutes as opposed to instantaneously), but it's a lot less
hassle, especially if you happen to be stranded by the side of the
road in the rain or something.

 

[James Sweet]

If I decide to get one to carry around, I'll get the Black & Decker
charger that you use via the cigarette lighter rather than connecting
directly to the battery. Takes a little longer to charge the battery
(10 minutes as opposed to instantaneously), but it's a lot less
hassle, especially if you happen to be stranded by the side of the
road in the rain or something.

I wouldn't buy one that plugs into a lighter. The lighter wiring on 240s is
pretty puny, and any oxidation in the socket will make it not work
effectively, that and you're also running through those failure prone fuses
and fuse panel. The jumper cable type is far more effective and versatile
since it connects directly to the battery. I once used one to bring home a
car with a dead battery and alternator by setting the whole jump starter
under the hood to keep the ignition powered up.

 

[Peter Adler]

Well, I shopped around for a battery at 1997 prices but, oddly, all I
found were those at 2007 prices. Go figure.

The charger said it takes a full 48 hours for its initial charge, so
it wasn't letting me down by not working after only 40 hours. Even
so, since I didn't need it after all (thanks to the auto club) I
simply returned it for a refund.

Sorry - it let you down. The only thing that would have happened during
those final eight hours is more of the same. The battery should have
achieved at least an 85% charge after 40 hours. More than enough to start
your engine.

I guess it's only old-timers like me that still buy at '97 prices. Old
habits die hard ...

Pete (fP)