Help me figure out why this battery failed

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Or
Originally Posted By: CT8
Bring the battery back to Costco and you should get some money back towards a new battery,


It was a year-old in the car when we got the car; I'm not the original purchaser so I don't think the warranty applies.

If you have receipt they may do.

 

[Koz1]

Did the vehicle sit for a long time with the brand new battery in it?
I have had One bad battery the parts person slammed it on the counter and I explained why that is bad, it eventually failed and I picked up a new one at no cost.

 

[SHOZ]

Usually dark material on the buss or in the acid is a sign of the positive plate material being shed for over charging. When you charge the battery with an external charger dose the dark cell gas more or sooner than the other cells? If so it is shorted internally somehow.

 

[andyd]

I'd say the battery is NG. Duds happen. A lead plate comes loose from its grid. If it touches another plate, it will short and a standing battery will rapidly discharge. A good alternator will run hard to overcome the short. Most prone to this are high CCA rated batteries. Lower CCA batteries aren't as densely packed and the plates are further apart.

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted By: andyd
. Lower CCA batteries aren't as densely packed and the plates are further apart.

That's what I've hears and it stands up well to physical reasonaing, and sure looks like what happened here. Since the alt. was a newly rebuilt unit, it limped it along a while I think. I followed the lower CCA advice last winter when I purchased my SUV's battery and got the lowest CCA rated one Interstate offered.

None of the LAPS had a lower grade (generally 600CCA) in stock for this car so I ended up with a 24F at 700CCA (AAP Autocraft Gold) so I hope that holds up for a reasonable length this time.