John :
IMO, it's impossible to generalize about battery brands. By the time
you've owned one long enough to judge good/bad, the mfr has changed
something. I believe a recent discussion concluded that there may
actually be only two or three different mfrs for all batteries sold in
the US, and only one makes them here.
Keeping them charged, without overcharging, is the best way to preserve
them. I suggest disconnecting a cable when the car is stored, and then
periodically (like every couple months) charging the battery. A
continuous trickle charger is probably not a good idea, unless it is
smart enough to let the battery voltage float.
BTW, 'sulfated' batteries can sometimes be rejuvenated by charging them
at high voltage, low current. Two chargers in series with a small 12v
indicator lamp (to serve as a current limit) will work. Leave them
connected until the lamp comes on bright, then switch to the normal
setup and charge for longer than usual. I've used as high as 50 volts
(the limit of my bench supply) with a suitable resistor. Of course, the
battery has to be disconnected from the car <g>
Randall
John Cowan wrote:
>
> This seems to have been the year to learn about automobile batteries.
> Because we often don't run our cars for months at a time, their batteries
> tend to deteriorate faster than they would if they were continuously kept
> fully charged. I lost two idle batteries this year to "sulphating" and
> revived another with rejuvenator fluid I got at the friendly neighborhood
> car store.
> Can anyone recommend a brand of battery with longer shelf life in the
> car, one that might not be so susceptible to deterioration. Or what can we
> do to prolong the life of an irregularly used battery?
> Thanks.
> John Cowan
>
> BTW The voltage regulator on my son's car went bad and he completely
> drained a brand new battery. It's now unrechargeable - deader than a
> doornail.
>
> Visit - In Their Own Words Website - an on-line non-commercial publishing
> experiment, plus movie reviews, articles and Left/Progressive links at:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~jfcowan
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