Auto battery testing

[ezzpete]

Last year about this time the 1.5 year old battery in my truck started giving me problems. I took it to the auto parts store where I bought it, and they tested it with a "Load Tester", which told them the battery was OK. So I came home, put it back in the truck and figured it sat too long between drives. I charged it up, and for the next few starts it worked OK. Then the truck sat for about a week and again, dead batt.

Took it back the the auto parts store where a different guy check it and again OK, using the load tester. This guy tells me I have a parasitic draw, which I had my doubts about. But, I went home and spent the next few days figuring out how and what to test. The only draw I was getting was a small milliamp  draw, which according to my research was normal.

Then I started looking at YouTube vids explaining how to check car batteries. I came across a few videos saying that using a multimeter to check battery voltage OR a load tester will not give you accurate results. They said you need to use a battery cold cranking amps tester. I called the auto parts store and ask if they had one to test my batt. with and they didn't.

So I ended up buying one, and as soon as it got here I check out my batt. and sure enough, it was well below the CCA the battery is rated at. Again I pull the battery and go to the auto parts store. This time I had my CCA tester in hand when I went in. The guy didn't even ask to see the results, he just gave me a new battery, under warranty.  Not sure if it was because he was tired of me, or because I had a tool that was going to tell him what's up, and he knew it.

I can remember many years ago, you'd go into the local auto parts store, and there were bar stools with guys sitting around talking about engines and other cool guy stuff. You could ask the counter guy how to fix something and they'd usually know the answer. Now days there's girls behind the counter, cripes!

Anyway, here's a link to the tester I bought:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017R5EQK?refRID=1AV0ZN0MH6HN2468NTKM&ref_=pd_bia_yo_t_7

[tcaarabians]

Well Ezzpete... I can understand your nostalgia for the guys sitting around the counter talking car stuff. Oddly, my own experience has been that a lot of the 'guys' in the stores these days don't know an ignition switch from a hole in the ground .. much less a windshield wiper.  So, don't you be dismissing those "girls behind the counter" .. some of us actually know what we're talking about. Thanks for the test tip.  Don't suppose you actually cleaned the cables and wires before you went through this exercise?   cheryl o7o

[ezzpete]

I did everything. Mainly because at first I didn't believe a 1.5 year old battery would be bad.

Girls are great. I have 2 daughters, and have always told them they can do anything. The youngest changed her own serpentine  belt when she was in HS because she wanted to go someplace and couldn't wait for me to get home. I was impressed, a lot of guys can't do that.  But she couldn't tell me how to rebuild a starter. Then again, who does that anymore?

[tcaarabians]

Laughing.  A number of years ago I went to the local Sears to buy an ironing board. I asked the young man in the dept what the difference was between the two they had on display as one was more expensive. He told me one was higher than the other. This was true because they were setup at different heights. I just looked at him in disbelief. Next time I have a problem with my battery I'm going to call you or your daughter. cheryl o7o

[ezzpete]

Anytime, I've got the tester. May never get another chance to use it.