Re: [DML] Re: question about battery life

[DMCVIN6683 <dmcvin6683@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have a battery cut-off switch installed in my car. I just turn the 
switch on after a month and the car fires right up like i just put it 
in storage the day before.

I have never removed the battery out of any of my cars through out the 
years that i have stored them over the winter and never had any 
problems starting the car in the spring, except for one car because the 
battery needed replacement before i stored it.

All of my cars were stored in a non-heated garage.

Throw a battery cut-off switch on your car and call it a day.

Mark V



On Tuesday, March 16, 2004, at 10:31 AM, Rod Dillman wrote:

> David,  Is there any downside (to the car) in removing the battery 
> from the DMC and storing the battery as you suggest during the winter 
> months?
>
> David Teitelbaum <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Doing a cranking test (using the starter as a load test) is a quick
> and "dirty" test. It is dependant on too many variables though like a
> bad starter, dirty or loose connections, low compression, to name a
> few. The light test is a little better but can be meaningless if you
> take the results from another kind of car and compare them to the
> Delorean. It is not difficult to have a battery load tested. First
> charge it up slowly ( 2-5 amps for 2 days). Next take it to Sears or
> any large chain and they will test it on a load tester for free. They
> do this to try to sell you a new battery. In most cases if you bring
> an old battery in and suspect it to be bad it probably is. Don't waste
> testing anything over 5 years old. The "dirty little secret" in
> batteries is that although you can still use a battery after it is 5
> years old it generally has less than 50% of it's life left. This means
> there is no reserve and should be replaced. A battery cannot be
> properly load tested if it is less than 1/2 charged or has less than
> 50% capacity. Batteries in cars that are not used regularly age even
> faster because of the deeper discharge cycles they see by usually
> being allowed to go dead over the winter for extended periods of time.
> I keep batteries on my cars healthy by removing them from the cars,
> placing on a wooden surface, and charging them with a trickle (float)
> charger 1 day every month when the car is not in use. Even with that
> care 5-6 years is pushing it. An alternator that either doesn't keep a
> battery fully charged or one that overcharges a battery will kill the
> battery faster. A little known fact is that you can have an alternator
> with a blown diode or 2 that still charges the battery. This is very
> bad though because not only is the alternator not able to fully charge
> the battery but it is now impressing an A/C voltage on the battery and
> that will kill the battery quicker than sh-t. It is just good practice
> to check the ENTIRE charging system when you change a battery so you
> know the new battery will get to live a long time.
> David Teitelbaum
> vin 10757
>
>
>
> -- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "John Hervey" wrote:
>> Dave, Using the starter as a load is smart way of checking the
> battery. Here
>> is some additional information from a local GM expert that writes
> the books
>> on battery and charging systems and teaches around the country.
>> I took his 1/2 day course and it was wonderful.
>>
>
>
>
>
>
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