Honda Car Forum

The cold weather seems to be a usefull tool when determing the quality
of the battary. Last winter, My Hatch was snowed-in for a week untill I
finally got around to digging it out. Luckly, the car started, but I
needed two attemts (consisting of 3 cranks each) and I doubt there was
enough juice left in that battary for a third try. Given that my car has
always started on the first try (When strating the car, I will not keep
the ignition going for more then 3 cranks), if the car fails to start-up
after the first attempt, I'll know something is wrong and have it
changed. Hopefully, an explosion will not be in order untill that
happens.

Pars



Dick wrote:
>
> I'd say you have a dead battery just waiting to happen. One of these
> days it's going to fail you, likely without warning. Once a battery
> gets to five years of life it is good insurance to replace it. Unless
> of course you like being stranded somewhere with a dead battery. Do
> you really want to wait until it fails?
>
> Dick
>
> On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 00:49:27 -0500, pars <"sdaro(remove)"@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >The original battary on my DX hatch is still doing great, after 5
> >canadian winters. I've got it loaded down with a 100amp bazzoka
> >subwoofers, a total of 600watts of speakers, CD Changer and Alpine
> >receiver. In countless occations, i've had the car plasting the music 8
> >hrs straight. I've left the interior lights on in many occations and
> >drained the battary. I've also jump started stalled cars in about 20 to
> >30 insidence over the years...
> >
> >We'll just have to see how well the battary holds up this comming
> >winter.
> >
> >Pars
> >98 DX Hatch

Thanks for your suggestions and comments, appreciated

jim wrote:

> Santa wrote:
> >
> > Honda dealer said (when I took my car for 60K miles service), Battery
> > test Bad - recommended to change battery, Sears said no need to
> > cgange, unless the car started with jumpstart. These are the results
> > when Honda printer for me when the dealer tested my battery (5 years
> > old car, bought brand new 5 years back, sofar I didn't change the
> > battery).
> >
> > Battery size - 440CCA
> > Initial voltage - 12.97V
> > Loadvoltage 9.90V
> > State of the charge - 91%
> > Resistance - 0.0mOhm
> > Battery temp - 70F
> >
> > Bad tested BAD
> >
> > When I show this info, in sears, they said, unless the car comes to
> > stage of it needed jumpstart, no need to change. Finally I didn't
> > change the battery, no problem in starting, no problem in headlights
> > sofar, but I am getting scare is, suppose of I turn on my headlight
> > while I am driving, will that makes my car down?. I am thinking of
> > whether to change the battery or not?. Can some expert suggest me,
> > what to do. Thanks and appreciated.
> our 2001 honda needed a jump to start.. the battery checked out fine. i
> just ignored it..... so two weeks later it needed a jump to start..
> battery checked out fine.... i figured it was time to get a new
> battery.. Auto Zone, cost about $39.95 for a new battery, 440 CCA....
> with a 1 yr. replacement and then the next 4 yrs. prorated... no big
> deal for a battery... its three yrs old..no sense in pushing it.....
> just go buy a new battery,...

yeap...for about 50 bucks, hopefully you will not need to worry about it for
another few years vs getting stuck somewhere waiting for help.

On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 15:38:23 GMT, John Cho <jcho1@verizon.net> wrote:

>
>
>jim wrote:
>
>> Santa wrote:
>> >
>> > Honda dealer said (when I took my car for 60K miles service), Battery
>> > test Bad - recommended to change battery, Sears said no need to
>> > cgange, unless the car started with jumpstart. These are the results
>> > when Honda printer for me when the dealer tested my battery (5 years
>> > old car, bought brand new 5 years back, sofar I didn't change the
>> > battery).
>> >
>> > Battery size - 440CCA
>> > Initial voltage - 12.97V
>> > Loadvoltage 9.90V
>> > State of the charge - 91%
>> > Resistance - 0.0mOhm
>> > Battery temp - 70F
>> >
>> > Bad tested BAD

I was taught as follows:

When the battery is FULLY charged and can take a load of 1/2 its CCA
(220A) for 15 seconds without dropping below 9.6V, it was good.

I'd ask the dealer how they determined the battery was bad.

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"E. Meyer" <e.meyerNOSPAM@ieee.org> wrote in message news:<BBCC04F1.23FE9%e.meyerNOSPAM@ieee.org>...
>>
> Turning on your lights (or radio, etc.) while the car is running is not
> going to have any effect on the battery. The power comes from the
> alternator when the car is running.
>
> The problem you are going to have will be on some cold morning, when you
> don't have any extra time, the car is not going to start and you will need
> that jump start that Sears is telling you about. At that point you will
> have to get a new battery. It might happen tomorrow. It might be fine for
> another 6 months.
>
> 5 years is pretty good for a Honda OEM battery. Around here (Texas) we're
> lucky if they make it through two summers.

As you alude heat is the biggest killer in modern cars.
Way back when we all drove carsx with carbs, and non electronic
ignition (can you say Ketting?) systems, most batteries died on
the first super cold night that hit. But for the last 20 years or
so, more people have dead batteries in July or August after a long
hot day. Most modern cars require very little battery power to start.
I am starting my 1985 Celica with a lawnmower battery. (trying to decide
to between restoring and junking) The Celica starts easier then the
MDT/ Briggs 15HP engine.

Does else remember 6 volt cars, and how much current they require?
We used to jump my wife 63 bug from my 68 bug. She kept her lights
and radio off and the bug would start on the coldest days, but with a
new 6V battery, it had to crank for a long time.

And I would try to avoid letting my battery weaken to the point where I
needed a jump, modern electronics are tricky and I have several friends
who "smoked" their auto CPUs with a jump. Works both ways, either car
can lose it's CPU.
Terry