Customs Are batteries just junk now?

. . . Or getting the June issue of HOT ROD in April!

 

As a lead-acid battery discharges (thru normal use) it sheds small amounts of lead from the battery plates. This material settles like mud, in the bottom of the battery case, theoretically safely below the bottom of the plates. Unless it doesn't. If the "mud" builds up deeply enough it can contact the bottom of the plates and create a short between the cells and make the battery difficult or impossible to recharge.

Somewhere along the line I was told that in a situation like this the battery should be removed from the vehicle. Holding the battery upright, lift it an inch or two off the floor and drop it squarely. Maybe two or three times. This was an attempt to settle the mud in the bottom of the case and open the short circuit between the cells. Then try going thru your charging procedure again.

It didn't always work but occasionally you'd find that the battery would now at least take a charge.

 

I replaced the battery in the Ranch Wagon earlier last year, since I have had good luck with Interstate batteries that's what the replacement was almost 9 tears old so I can't complain, the new battery was just over 200 bucks.

I think using a battery tender contributes to the longer than normal battery life.. HRP

 

I doubt that a one year old battery suffers from this condition, but, I'd also thing a battery would last more than a year...

 

I'd tend to agree in your case. But I posted this mainly as a response to a few other posts where folks have been puzzled about batteries that may only be a year or two old, don't seem to get a lot of use, but prove to be difficult or impossible to recharge using older conventional methods. And probably older, lower output chargers.

I wonder how much more successful it would be to troubleshoot some of these problems if it was easier to check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell of these newer batteries? As they became "maintenance free" they also became more "diagnosis free".

 

companies have discovered that if they make things cheaper and they don't last as long people will still buy them.

look at portable heaters and fans. I have fans from the 40's that still work, but have to replace modern ones every 2 years or so. if a company builds things that last for years they make less money.