Tracking an aging battery

[Snagglefoot]

Spring is on the way and tested the battery at about freezing temp. Made it through another winter. I’m consisting getting below 12 v if the battery sits at freezing temps. Also the CCA is below 600. I’ll see if it gets better when it warms up. The battery is now 6 years old. I plan to drive it this summer, but I probably will replace it this fall.

 

[bonjo]

I recently went through similar situation. The car battery was very sluggish in cold weather (around freezing).
CCA was rated @ 460A. when tested, it produced 360 wich was very good compare to OEM but the key problem was that is was @ 60% capacity. This + cold temperature, gave me starting problems.
I changed the battery to solve the problem.
Anything below 12.1 can cause problem in my experience; with reduced capacity, CCA becomes meaninless & like in my case gave me false sense of comfort

 

[Snagglefoot]

With the temps above freezing the battery is once again testing above 12 volts and just under 600 CCA. The CCA is definitely lower than two years ago when it often tested above 700. All tests have been done with the exact same Schumacher tester.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It’s now September and the battery is 6-1/2 years old. Here are the readings at about 70 F. The 12.15 V reading would almost most certainly be at less than 12 V at freezing temps.

 

[f355spider]

This is an interesting thread. Do you ever put this on a battery maintainer? Never mind, I reviewed the thread again and see no, just a once a week 40 mile drive.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It was 20 F this morning and the battery was at 11.8 volts. Surprisingly the CCA was 770. I think I’ll stick to my guns and replace it. If I was a young college student I’d push it another year.

 

[f355spider]

Stick it out until Jan 10, 2024. That will be three years on this thread.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Threw in the towel and purchased another Everstart Max 36 R. It was made in the USA and had a 09/23 sticker. I threw on the battery tester and it was pretty much fully charged. The 36R came with caps. There was also a 35 that was maintenance free. I have no idea how they decide which one come with caps and which are maintenance free.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Thanks to anyone who checked out this posting over the last 3 years. The battery I had slowing deteriated from from a sitting voltage of 12.24 V and a indicted CCA of 692 to a sitting voltage of 12.15 and 687. With temperature drops to freezing it was showing a voltage of 11.8. So, in the in the type of weather here, with summer temp in the 90’s and winter temps in the -20’s with the odd drop to -30 F, I can say that a sitting voltage of 12.0 volts with a CCA of over 600 (with my particular tester) is not a fail, but at that point it becomes an issue of risk tolerance. I decided to retire the battery just two months short of 7 years. Also, sudden death battery failures in hot climates are different matter. Power on. Now I need to install the new battery.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here was the last check of the old battery and a shot of the new battery just before I put it in. The start with the new battery was almost instantaneous and definitely better than the old one. Yup, it was time. Walmart up here charges a $20 core charge so I’ll be taking the old one back to the store to get my $20 back.

 

[eljefino]

The 36R came with caps. There was also a 35 that was maintenance free. I have no idea how they decide which one come with caps and which are maintenance free.

There are two different battery chemistries. GM "invented" the maintenance free battery (without caps) for the Vega so it could be shipped upright. But it needs a few 1/10s of a volt more charging voltage. "Everybody else" uses caps and charges at a traditional lower voltage.

Perhaps the sizes you see without caps are ones that typically fit GM.