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Re: [Shop-talk] Stranded by a bad car battery.

To: Dwade Reinsch <dreinsch@swbell.net>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Stranded by a bad car battery.
From: David Scheidt <dmscheidt@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:17:13 -0600
Cc: shop-talk@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: shop-talk@autox.team.net
References: <2061225123.11096260.1704859404855@mail.yahoo.com>
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> On Jan 10, 2024, at 00:48, Dwade Reinsch <dreinsch@swbell.net> wrote:
>=20
> =EF=BB=BF
> This afternoon I was sitting in the 2016 Honda Odyssey van waiting for gra=
nddaughter to finish a theater activity and I went to sleep in the front sea=
t.  Had the radio and inside lights on.  When she finished and came out, car=
 would not start.  Completely dead.  Electric seat would not come back to dr=
iving position, etc.
>=20
> Here's the question:  In the old days a weak battery would give notice by c=
ranking slowly, etc., before failing.  This is the car I drive regularly and=
 it gave NO warning.  Luckily, I could call son-in-law and he came to help. =
 Would not start with good set of booster cables.  Would not start with 15 m=
inutes of charging on cables before attempting to start.  So in the morning I=
'll take pickup and tools and pull battery, get a replacement, and move the v=
an home.
>=20
> Does anyone have a suggestion for identifying a failing battery before bei=
ng stranded?  (Battery is about 4 years old.)
>=20

If used properly, the conductance testers work well.  Not cheap, but every a=
uto parts store will test for you, assuming your battery is accessible.  Man=
y cars, starting just a bit later than your ofdesy, have state of charge and=
 battery performance information tracked by the computer.  (OnStar sent me e=
mail telling me the battery is low when I left my car on to listen to the ba=
llgame at a campsite. I also get a monthly email, which told me to replace t=
he battery for a couple months before I actually had it replaced.)

Modern cars have much higher loads at start time, and lots of them require a=
 reasonably good voltage to turn the computer on.  Without that, the car won=
=E2=80=99t do anything (the computer controls the starter solenoid on most c=
ars).  The various computers also control all the other parts, which is why t=
he seat couldn=E2=80=99t move.=20

This fall, I drove my wife=E2=80=99s fusion to the garage to do the brakes. I=
 turned off and on a couple times to get it spotted in the right spot. The t=
hird time I tried to start it, battery was dead. 20 seconds earlier, it fire=
d on instantly, with no slow cranking.  Since I was in the garage, I had a b=
attery charger handy. 10.2 volts or something like that. Putting the charger=
 on lowest setting let it start.  Plenty of joules in the battery, just not e=
nough voltage to turn the ecm on. (I replaced the battery before pulling it o=
ut of the garage, it was 4 or 5 years old.)
>=20

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr"></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br=
></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On Jan 10, 2024, at 00=
:48, Dwade Reinsch &lt;dreinsch@swbell.net&gt; wrote:<br><br></blockquote></=
div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF<div class=3D"ydpba5=
e1d2eyahoo-style-wrap" style=3D"font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial=
, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div></div>
        <div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">This afternoon I was sitting i=
n the 2016 Honda Odyssey van waiting for granddaughter to finish a theater a=
ctivity and I went to sleep in the front seat.&nbsp; Had the radio and insid=
e lights on.&nbsp; When she finished and came out, car would not start.&nbsp=
; Completely dead.&nbsp; Electric seat would not come back to driving positi=
on, etc.</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"l=
tr" data-setdir=3D"false">Here's the question:&nbsp; In the old days a weak b=
attery would give notice by cranking slowly, etc., before failing.&nbsp; Thi=
s is the car I drive regularly and it gave NO warning.&nbsp; Luckily, I coul=
d call son-in-law and he came to help.&nbsp; Would not start with good set o=
f booster cables.&nbsp; Would not start with 15 minutes of charging on cable=
s before attempting to start.&nbsp; So in the morning I'll take pickup and t=
ools and pull battery, get a replacement, and move the van home.</div><div d=
ir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"f=
alse">Does anyone have a suggestion for identifying a failing battery before=
 being stranded?&nbsp; (Battery is about 4 years old.)</div><div dir=3D"ltr"=
 data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><di=
v>If used properly, the conductance testers work well. &nbsp;Not cheap, but e=
very auto parts store will test for you, assuming your battery is accessible=
. &nbsp;Many cars, starting just a bit later than your ofdesy, have state of=
 charge and battery performance information tracked by the computer. &nbsp;(=
OnStar sent me email telling me the battery is low when I left my car on to l=
isten to the ballgame at a campsite. I also get a monthly email, which told m=
e to replace the battery for a couple months before I actually had it replac=
ed.)</div><div><br></div><div>Modern cars have much higher loads at start ti=
me, and lots of them require a reasonably good voltage to turn the computer o=
n. &nbsp;Without that, the car won=E2=80=99t do anything (the computer contr=
ols the starter solenoid on most cars). &nbsp;The various computers also con=
trol all the other parts, which is why the seat couldn=E2=80=99t move.&nbsp;=
</div><div><br></div><div>This fall, I drove my wife=E2=80=99s fusion to the=
 garage to do the brakes. I turned off and on a couple times to get it spott=
ed in the right spot. The third time I tried to start it, battery was dead. 2=
0 seconds earlier, it fired on instantly, with no slow cranking. &nbsp;Since=
 I was in the garage, I had a battery charger handy. 10.2 volts or something=
 like that. Putting the charger on lowest setting let it start. &nbsp;Plenty=
 of joules in the battery, just not enough voltage to turn the ecm on. (I re=
placed the battery before pulling it out of the garage, it was 4 or 5 years o=
ld.)</div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div></blockquote>=
</body></html>=

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