Battery kaput all of sudden.

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Was doing my normal Friday running around this morning and while I cam out of OSH getting sprinkler parts my 2010 DD wouldn't turn over, just solenoid clicking. Checked lights and it was dim. I should have checked voltage as the ham radio does have a voltage feature. No earlier signs of slow cranking or anything. Terminals clean and tight as always maintained. In fact battery passed analyzer test just 10k miles ago, last May.
So I clipped the micro jump starter to it, cranked it up and stopped at AZ down the road and tossed in a new battery - at home now and have it on the CTEK charger/maintainer for the rest of the day just to top it off if needed. Checked voltage before shutting engine off at home and 14.2 volts at idle all accessories off.

Just like that, no slow cranking from the few earlier stops, just goes kaput that fast.
I was thinking of getting a new battery anyway before winter arrives (needed or not) since its the OEM battery from 2010 (Hyundai). I usually replace batteries in the vehicles mostly around the 4 year point, may go 5, but for no particular reason decided to push this one longer since my to/from work drive equals about 2 hours a day mostly highway, and I been carrying a micro jump starter that has never failed yet jumping others in need.

Just never had a battery go without some kind of sign like slower cranking or a hiccup of some sort.
 
That's how I lost a couple of batteries. Just one day it loses a cell and clicks. Happens more frequently as they get older, just one day a cell shorts out.
 
CT8 is right about saying a 6 year old battery is done. Even though he makes mistakes he's right about this
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Drove to Walmart, mine died when I came out. No clue it was going bad, except I knew it was the original and 5 years old. Took it out, back into Walmart, came out with new battery and on my way. Lucky it was Walmart it decided to die.
 
Last 2 I had fail did so in the same manner. A 2 year old Everstart on an 02 Ram 1500. All was fine, parked at home, came back 10 minutes later and all was dead. I was worried it was the truck. Lights wouldnt even come on. The 2nd was the factory on my ex wifes 12 Fusion at approx 6 months. Relays clicked that was it.

Ive heard that with all the electronic systems in cars now that really taxes the battery.
 
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I have had batteries die the same way before. A cell dies while driving and when you go to start it again... Nothing. Measuring voltage tells you almost nothing about the condition of a battery. 14 volts while idling only tells you that you charging system might be working. You need to have the battery load tested to know anything useful. Most auto parts stores will do this for free.
 
It's heat that kills batteries and it's been a hot summer.

Every time I've been in an auto store this summer, I've seen people bringing in dead batteries.

Out of my last 4 batteries I've replaced, 3 went very suddenly like yours did with no warning. 2 of them became totally unresponsive, another had just enough in it that it started.
 
Originally Posted By: DerbyDave
I have had batteries die the same way before. A cell dies while driving and when you go to start it again... Nothing. Measuring voltage tells you almost nothing about the condition of a battery. 14 volts while idling only tells you that you charging system might be working. You need to have the battery load tested to know anything useful. Most auto parts stores will do this for free.

Actually, Open Circuit Voltage can tell you the likelihood that there's a bad cell. Car batteries have 6 cells, each of which have a maximum potential of 2.1 volts. 6*2.1=12.6 volts. If one cell goes bad, subtract 2.1 volts (12.6-2.1) and your OCV will be around 10.5 volts.
Remember, batteries are like shoes, in that they will wear out. Batteries made by USA based manufacturers are among the best made products available to a consumer. Cars are putting an ever-increasing electrical load on the charging system and the battery. Consequently, they're not going to last as long as they did in the "good old days".
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
A 6 year old battery is done!


LOL

My Sabre and the Corolla..are on the original batteries for sure...Its all about how they are treated and maintained.
 
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Originally Posted By: CT8
A 6 year old battery is done!


LOL

My Sabre and the Corolla..are on the original batteries for sure...Its all about how they are treated and maintained.


It's also about where you're located and the weather.

Batteries last a lot longer where it's cold than where it's warm. Because heat is what kills batteries.

In the south like Texas, Cali, Florida, Mexico, or anywhere near the equator or between the tropics, batteries live a short life, and only last a few years, if that.

Up in Alaska, most of Canada, Russia, Sweden, anywhere near the Arctic (or Antarctic) circle, batteries last almost forever.
 
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Originally Posted By: CT8
A 6 year old battery is done!


LOL

My Sabre and the Corolla..are on the original batteries for sure...Its all about how they are treated and maintained.


No, it is all about the temperatures that the battery is exposed to. In Canada the temperatures are cooler so the batteries last longer.
 
Wonder what happened to those days when batteries used to last 8-10yrs..

Made in China is all that we can ask these days lasting no more than 3 yrs - as a nation we are definitely on the right path for killing the middle class over and over again
 
My 2yr old 7000 mile Picanto had a replacement battery.

My 11yr old Picanto also has a replacement battery.

The battery in the '14 had gone flat a couple of times since purchase when the wife sat in the car with the radio on.

Both battery's are the same size and rating.

One thing I noted was the later car had a weird negative terminal, you can't really tighten it up like traditional post battery terminals. I think the selling Garage had issues when fitting as it always was a little loose and it looked like somebody had hit the head of the post with a hammer to stop the terminal from coming off!

I tried using mole grips to get a better contact then tightened the bolt.

Last week things came to a head when the car wouldn't start in the AM after the first damp night for months.

So I swapped the batteries across, the contact on the later car is now perfect, car has had no issues since.

When I put the battery that had failed to start the newer car on the old one it started fine! It does have a good old fashioned negative terminal though.

Moral of the story if you think the earth connection is less than 100% do something about it.

And the selling dealers mechanics are idiots.

To get back to the OPs position after that rant!

I think Hyundais and Kias batteries are probably a bit too small in my experince.

The old Clio Dci was on the original battery at 9years old and had never had a single problem.

It can't be coincidence that two Kias almost a decade apart in age have both had to have battery replacements.

The fact the 05 has an RAC branded Battery makes me think it was fitted by the RAC when they were called out due to a flat battery.

The Berlingo is still on its original battery.

The only car I have had to replace a battery on was my 2012 XJL, and that was as a result of an alternator failure causing the battery to be completely discharged, it did limp along for a few more months before dying completely when the weather got a little colder.

NB

The above was relating to fairly new cars that I have bought.

I have obviously bought cheap cars (usually from Car Auctions) that have already had weak batteries at time of purchase and Inhave had to replace batteries on those.
 
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I just replaced a 10 1/2 year old AC Delco OEM battery. Quit exactly the same way. No warning except that last January I thought it seemed like it was cranking a little slower than normal. But that might have been my imagination.

Went to Walmart to get a new one for $120. Came home, put it in the car, drove it twice. Came out the next morning and too slow crank to start the car. Charged it for a few hours and it read the correct 12.6 volts. Let it sit overnight disconnected. Came out in the morning and it read 10.5 volts. Dead cell. Took it back to Walmart, they tested it, deemed it bad, and gave me a new one. (I wonder if it had anything to do with the checkout guy knocking it over on it's face with a resounding thud. I imagine those plates can break.)

Anyway, the new one is working.
 
I just replaced my original battery in my 04 Dodge Ram 1500 last week. It was telling me it was weak this past spring during cold snaps with hard starts and the green eye was out, but as it warmed up this summer it worked fine so I paid it no mind until last week when it stalled in a drive-thru. I took it home to check the battery on the multimeter since I didn't get a code. 6.5 static and 6.5 while the engine was running; I knew it was finally toast. Gets pretty hot and cold here; especially in my out building where I keep the truck. 120F in the summer in the shed due to no insulation and the sun beating down; gets pretty cold in the winter too. I don't drive it much; it has 78k on it. I always put a trickle charger on it in the winter during the week while I'm not driving it much. That Mopar battery definitely didn't owe me anything, but I replaced it with and Exide Extreme glass mat for $169 at Menards to see how that does.
 
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Wonder what happened to those days when batteries used to last 8-10yrs..

Made in China is all that we can ask these days lasting no more than 3 yrs - as a nation we are definitely on the right path for killing the middle class over and over again


I agree to some extent because I remember those days fondly too, but there is a lot more strain on batteries these days with all the "tech" and convenience extras in cars now, not to mention all the extras we plug in (GPS, phones, laptops, dvd players, converters, coolers, etc). I hope moving to LED's and other more efficient electrical components get's us back to those days; batteries are expensive.
 
Well I took the CTEK 4.3 MUS off after most of they day tending the new battery.
New: DuraLast 124-DL (CCA 700 / RC 120m). label made in Mexico
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2-year free warranty
Old was CCA 600 / RC 113m Hyundai Rocket (and said something else like So-Bang)
crazy.gif


I've heard of batteries going out with no signs of problems, but 1st time this has happened to me.
Weird how I had 3 normal cranking starts this morning, no sign of any problem, then on the 4th attempt it wouldn't even kick the starter at all.
The jump starter got me back on the road plus saved memory while I took the couple minutes swapping the battery right there in front of AZ, closest from where I jumped myself.
Guess I'll get back to not trying to go 5 years or so on a battery, maybe stick to 4 years to stay ahead of the game or something, at least not expect a slow crank sign. Now I'll never expect some kind of a warning a battery is about to go kaput again - thanks for all the replies and I see it seems more common than I would have thought.
 
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