Out of nowhere

[Terredax]

Went to start the truck this morning...


and I got the dreaded grunt. There was no warning signs. Has been starting and running fine. At least it happened in the drive.

Went down to get a new battery, and about loaded my shorts.

$192 for a battery. I opted for the middle of the line with a five year warranty/3 year replacement. The old boy cranked like never before and fired right up.

Back in business, for now.
Can't complain too much... the old battery was almost eight years old and went strong.

 

[stonepecker]

almost the same thing happened a month ago with my air compressor. Everything working fine and then just dead.

New battery was $170.00 plus tax. I put it in and everything is back to running just like new. Heck, I remember when those batteries were just $85.00
The cost of being in business is just sky high.

 

[Skie_M]

Uhhh .. did you pull the old battery and try to have it tested and charged BEFORE you bought a replacement?


You see, the battery is just part of the equation in the electrical system of a vehicle ... it provides the power required to turn the starter motor in order to rotate the crankshaft and turn the engine over, and provides the power for the spark plugs to fire by also rotating the distributor in concert. This does take a good shot of power ... some 14 volts at 50+ amps is the requirement. Once it does this and the engine is running, your alternator, which is a tiny little generator winding, will provide DC power back to the battery and to the engine's electrical system to keep the motor running and re-charge the battery.

Now .... if the alternator is STARTING to fail, but not failed completely ... what could be happening is that it's providing just enough power to keep the engine running, but not enough to effectively charge your battery at the same time ... you would end up losing charge over time on your battery till you think it's dead, but there was nothing wrong with the battery.

Any time you have issues with the battery ... you should get the car to a parts place that can do a free electrical systems and battery test. Advance Auto Parts and O'Riley's both offer this service for free, many others may in your area also.

Now .. I'm not saying that replacing the alternator is cheaper than replacing the battery .... but what I am saying is that replacing the alternator is cheaper than replacing your battery repeatedly. Please get it checked!