Automotive Battery Question

[EzyStvy]

This is almost stupid but......Five days a week I drive to get lunch. When done, I drive back to the office and sit in the parking lot to kill some time...I have all four electric windows down.

Most of the time I simply turn the ignition key far enough to get juice to the windows so I can roll them up. But, I just replaced the four year old factory battery this weekend and I'm questioning my current practice.

I'm not sure if starting the engine for 10 seconds would be better or worse. Am thinking this might cause more wear and tear on the engine..

Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

[HAL9000]

I don't see any problem here... are yo concerned about the power used to roll up your windows because the car isn't running? There isn't significant drain to be of any concern.

[rjfvillarosa]

How far do you drive to work in the morning? how far do you drive to get lunch and back again?
I assume you have driving lamps on in the morning because I know you start early and are you using the aircon or do you have the windows open?

[davids2004]

Originally Posted by EzyStvy This is almost stupid but......Five days a week I drive to get lunch. When done, I drive back to the office and sit in the parking lot to kill some time...I have all four electric windows down. Most of the time I simply turn the ignition key far enough to get juice to the windows so I can roll them up. But, I just replaced the four year old factory battery this weekend and I'm questioning my current practice. I'm not sure if starting the engine for 10 seconds would be better or worse. Am thinking this might cause more wear and tear on the engine.. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I do the same thing. I do not have any problems.

[EzyStvy]

Round trip to work is 20 miles - basically all freeway. A/C on in the afternoon. Lights are on in the morning.

Round trip for lunch is 4 to 6 miles. Very seldom use a/c since burger biggie is so close.

[rjfvillarosa]

Modern car, modern alternator, modern battery and a 10 mile journey in the morning. You are doing fine Steve, that 10 miles is plenty to recycle the battery back to full charge. You would probably do more harm cranking the engine over and running it for two minutes while you wind the windows up and shutting the engine down again.
I would leave well alone mate and just switch the ignition on long enough to wind the windows up.

[EzyStvy]

Thanks. I was thinking a little battery juice that'll get recharged is overall easier on things then cranking the engine on for 10 Seconds to roll the windows up.

[rjfvillarosa]

Lead/Acid accumulators or car batteries as some people call them, actually have the ability to recover themselves very slightly. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a good quality battery wouldn't recover at least 50% of the power used when winding those windows up during the afternoon while it's sat in the carpark.

[lil Jimmie]

Keep doing what you've been doing, as long as the charging system is working correctly you should be fine.

[MaxRat]

I wouldnt start the car just to roll up the windows...

it is alot harder on the whole starting/charging system starting it for 10 seconds to roll up a window(s)

the drain on the battery will build back up in a quick period of time...

[EzyStvy]

Thanks guys. I'll just continue doing like I've always done....

[glc]

4 years on a factory battery is not bad in your climate. The summer heat is rough on them - almost as bad as bitter cold up north.

Too late, but I would have recommended an Optima battery for a replacement for the long haul.

[HAL9000]

I've always got 8-10 years out of my batteries. Changed the factory battery on my Sunfire when it was 9 years old.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc Too late, but I would have recommended an Optima battery for a replacement for the long haul.

I've heard Optimas have reliability issues. Believe it or not, I've heard good things about Wal-Mart batteries. Mine has been in my car 3 years without any sign of fading -- I can even drive fairly far without a working alternator (don't ask me how I know this... ).

As for turning on the ignition to roll up the windows, just don't keep it on longer than necessary or it puts wear on the coilpacks.

[David M]

A few amps of current draw for less than a minute to roll the windows up is almost nothing in the reduction in your car batteries charge.

[HAL9000]

I always get the Eliminator batteries at Canadian Tire... not overly expensive and usually pack some good power.. the one I dropped into the Sunfire is 875 CCA.. needless to say, no problem starting in the winter. I remember with an old Buick I had, they had one that was rated a ridiculous 1300 CCA... I don't know if they had problems with that one or what, because it was short lived on the shelves. I never had an issue with it and people I worked with thought I was crazy.. until one cold Friday when somebody tripped the breakers to the car stalls and my car was literally the only one that would start.. I boosted 22 cars that afternoon.

[glc]

My stepdaughter just had a Walmart battery die after less than 3 years. Replaced it with a Duralast Gold from Autozone. Walmart calls them "Everstart" - the guys on my truck forum call them "Neverstart".

[juppy]

We usually stick with Sears Diehard batteries. I know a lot of people say they suck, but around here they last longer than any other battery we've tried.....and we've tried quite a few.....Everstart, Exide, DuraStart....all about the same. With those brands, if it's a 5 year battery, they seem to last about 3½ years. But a 5 year Diehard will last about 5 to 6 years in most of our cars. Just enough to get it past the warranty date.

Geez Dave, that 1300 CCA battery you talked about is what we need for our tractor! It's an old Case 930 diesel and man that thing starts hard. It originally had two 6 volts wired together, but my uncle later switched it over to two 12's. Now that my brother owns it, he decided to try just one good-sized battery, so he got a Diehard 875 CCA battery and that thing still won't stay with it if you have to crank it very much. The biggest one we've found is like 1150 CCA, but it's some kind of Sears marine deep cycle thing. $239 too! I told him just to get some little 550 CCA battery and we'll wire it back in with two batteries again, like it used to be.

[HAL9000]

Ya, the thing was killer... like I said though, I think it may have been a dud overall because it wasn't on the shelves long.. and I think I paid around $125 for it at the time... heck, that old car sat in -40' weather for two weeks, snowed in... and I THOUGHT it was plugged in but the breaker was tripped... I went out and started it... dang oil light wouldn't go out for about 5 minutes LOL.. nothing seemed to kill that motor.

[EzyStvy]

I bee lined it to my favorite site Consumer Reports.org who recommended The Wally World EverStart.

Most aftermarket batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies. Johnson Controls, for example, supplies more than half of the U.S. market’s batteries. But they’re sold under various names and are built to the specifications of retailers, so performance can vary.

They make the EverStart and Optimas amoungst others.

The Duralast Gold from Autozone was CR's #2 choice...It was fifteen bucks more then the EverStart AND Wally World threw in free installation which saved me some time and a trip back to take the dead core.

[glc]

Autozone installs batteries free as long as they are easy to get to. If they are buried, requiring you remove a bunch of stuff to get at them, they won't touch them free or otherwise.

[MaxRat]

I have an everstart I bought from wal-mart 11 years ago and it is still going strong...I killed it this winter when it got below zero and it was the first time I killed it...the only reason I killed it was I cranked on it for over 15 minutes at sub-zero weather...

it wasnt the batteries fault but an electricle issue that has plagued the van from day one...if it isnt started in at least 2 weeks it wont start as it floods itself out and then refuses to start and it is injected (90 astro van)

I waited until spring to touch the thing and charged it for the mother-in-laws car and she has been driving it 6 months no issue...

the biggest thing about batteries is you need to understand they need CLEANED...wash them when you was your car...

the rod grime causes them to short to ground hence always being under a load... to test if the battery is properly clean use a multi-meter and put the 12volt + lead on the battery + and use the negative and test the negative terminal....

you should have 12volts or somewhere around there..now with the positive lead still on the positive terminal take the negative lead and touch the battery just off the post inline with the positive terminal...you should have 0 volts...i'll bet 90% of you have atleast 6volts draining...including myself

the road grime will leak current at it will short between both terminals....this kills a battery

another thing that kills batteries...improper charging systems and improper loading of the system...you have to remember that when you increase the load demanded the Alternator increases it's load also..so it charges with more amps and sometimes voltage..either of these overcharges the battery...

if the battery is fully charged the alternator doesnt know nor care...and the more accessories you run....well the more the alternatory thinks you need to it gives more...this more overcharges the battery...the overcharging wears the lead/acid plate system and boils the battery...especially more in high heat and use of the AC system....

eh thats all I got for now...

as for the monster 1300cca battery well thats not so bad...you see what cca means so you also know when it was cold you had the most....plus some..

for a good battery I like Interstate....

[HAL9000]

Third thing that will kill a battery.... storing it laying directly on cement... dunno why, but it will kill them in no time flat... put a piece of cardboard or wood underneath it.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by HAL9000 Third thing that will kill a battery.... storing it laying directly on cement... dunno why, but it will kill them in no time flat... put a piece of cardboard or wood underneath it.

If I remember correctly, sitting them directly on the floor in cold weather causes the electrolyte to freeze and thus buckles the plates. I have seen this happen on several occasions.

[HAL9000]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa If I remember correctly, sitting them directly on the floor in cold weather causes the electrolyte to freeze and thus buckles the plates. I have seen this happen on several occasions.

Not sure if that is the case or not... I had my high school shop teacher mention that he had one in his basement from his boat, fully charged for about a week... deader than a doornail. Seems to me that it had something to do with a dirty battery combined with the chemical makeup of concrete providing a ground path and draining it... placing something between breaks the contact.

[rjfvillarosa]

You could be right Dave I honestly don't know. When I had the garage I used to do restorations which as you know could mean the car was in bits for months and I can remember getting caught out a few times with batteries that had apparently 'died' whilst stored under the work bench associated with a particular restoration project. I do remember that it lead to the battery being placed on a shelf under the work bench rather than directly on the concrete floor of the workshop.

[EzyStvy]

We've always been told not to leave car batteries on garage floors, too. But that's so other mechanics won't trip over them and crack their heads.

TOM: Cement is not conductive. You're right about that. But any rechargeable battery -- that's left anywhere -- eventually will lose its charge. Rechargeable batteries are particularly quick to discharge. Just like your cell phone's battery runs down when it's sitting on the kitchen counter overnight.

RAY: There are some people who have told us that this old myth comes from the days when battery casings were made out of wood. If the battery acid spilled out, it could make the wood wet, and create a conductive path to a moist cement floor. I wasn't around when batteries were made out of wood, so I don't know. My brother was around, but nowadays, he can't remember anything before the Teapot Dome Scandal.

TOM: Another theory is that garage floors are simply colder than, say, workbenches. And, as every electrical engineer knows, chemical reactions slow down in lower temperatures. So, while the battery might not be discharging on the cement floor, it might be cooling off, and be less able to pump out its power temporarily.

RAY: That's why we store all of our unsold batteries on our living-room sofas, Tom. Tell your son that's what he needs to do, too.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/colum...9/July/01.html

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by EzyStvy RAY: That's why we store all of our unsold batteries on our living-room sofas, Tom. Tell your son that's what he needs to do, too.

My poor old mum 'god rest her soul' used to go ape with me for keeping motorcycle engines and parts under my bed..........

[EzyStvy]

I hear ya...I used to have several exhaust pipes for my old Honda. I hung em on the laundry room wall.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa My poor old mum 'god rest her soul' used to go ape with me for keeping motorcycle engines and parts under my bed..........

Originally Posted by EzyStvy I hear ya...I used to have several exhaust pipes for my old Honda. I hung em on the laundry room wall.

I need to show this thread to my parents so that they get off my case about all the car parts in the garage... I can tell them that hey, at least I don't keep parts under my bed or in the laundry room!