Joyous dead battery day.

[edpjr]

I went to crank the Avanti last nite and the battery was too weak. I gave a charge and later it seemed to fire up fine. Today I drove to get some 93 octane non-ethanol fuel (which I mix with 110 octane leaded). After getting gas, got back in the car, hit the ignition and nothing - wouldn't even turn over. A friendly gent offered to try to boost me off with his big 4dr pickup. We had to let it charge awhile, before it would fire up. I drove it directly to O'Reilly's where I had purchased the nearly 900 CCA battery three years ago. They checked and sure nuff, it was shot, and out of warranty. I'm now $171 poorer, but at least the car cranks now. The strange thing is that I disconnect the battery when I'm not gonna drive the car for a month or so. And, I sometimes trickle charge it in-between. No clue what killed it. Also, my tachometer seems to have stopped working during the change out. It's never been reliable, but hope I didn't inadvertently fry something. Yecch!

[Lou Van Anne]

Been there...done that....the joys of Studebakering!

[StudeNewby]

Edwin, where do you get the leaded gasoline? Just curious...

[Gunslinger]

Some batteries simply don't like being discharged and recharged...particularly the AGM type. Newer cars with all their electronics will discharge a battery in about a month or little more if not used.

Using a battery tender is a good idea for a car not often used...batteries will often last much longer than otherwise.

[studegary]

Some batteries simply don't like being discharged and recharged...particularly the AGM type. Newer cars with all their electronics will discharge a battery in about a month or little more if not used.

Using a battery tender is a good idea for a car not often used...batteries will often last much longer than otherwise.

They not only discharge the battery, but may destroy it. I lost a two to three year old battery after seven weeks of non-use. Now I use each car at least once per week and that seems to work.

[brngarage]

Battery Tender (or similar INTELLIGENT battery maintaining devices) are the answer. I just replaced a battery in one my collector cars after 7 1/2 years. It was always on the maintainer when not being driven (and so is the replacement battery).

[markwhawk]

I went to crank the Avanti last nite and the battery was too weak. I gave a charge and later it seemed to fire up fine. Today I drove to get some 93 octane non-ethanol fuel (which I mix with 110 octane leaded). After getting gas, got back in the car, hit the ignition and nothing - wouldn't even turn over. A friendly gent offered to try to boost me off with his big 4dr pickup. We had to let it charge awhile, before it would fire up. I drove it directly to O'Reilly's where I had purchased the nearly 900 CCA battery three years ago. They checked and sure nuff, it was shot, and out of warranty. I'm now $171 poorer, but at least the car cranks now. The strange thing is that I disconnect the battery when I'm not gonna drive the car for a month or so. And, I sometimes trickle charge it in-between. No clue what killed it. Also, my tachometer seems to have stopped working during the change out. It's never been reliable, but hope I didn't inadvertently fry something. Yecch!

I wire a maintainer just under the front bumper so there's no opening the hood all the time and if u forget the plug will just pull out if ur backing up 10yrs on one and 6 yrs on a three yr battery.

[edpjr]

Edwin, where do you get the leaded gasoline? Just curious...

There is a performance shop right off Hwy 16 just outside Denver, NC. Due to proximity to Charlotte Motor speedway there are several places in my area that sell high octane leaded fuel. Search Google for dealers in your area. I take a 5 gal gas container to the store and they fill it directly from 55 gal barrels with their hand pump. It costs about $8/gal, but my car won't run properly without at least a 1:1 mixture of 110 leaded and 93 non-ethanol. Good luck!

[edpjr]

Thanks for all the tips. I need one of those maintaners and to drive the car more often.

My car has very high compression due to R2 block with R1 heads and supercharger. The battery is located in the trunk too

[DEEPNHOCK]

Way back when I was a young Studebaker punk kid (I am an old Studebaker punk kid now)
Was the manager of an old fashioned flaps (cards, not computers).
Anyways, the battery rep told me something that has always stuck with me (on lead/acid batteries).
He said that cold weather hurts batteries, but hot weather kills batteries.
Seems logical (except on a forum)

[wittsend]

Batteries typically die for two reasons:

A relatively new battery can sulfate from lack of use. There is SOME hope that a desulfating process clears the plates and make the battery effective again.

Batteries also die from degrading of the plates. This either limits the capacity or more likely eventually results in an internal short. In either case replacement is necessary.

I have used battery maintainers/tenders (Harbor Freight $4.99 on sale) for YEARS and never lost a battery from overcharging. But, do note that there is a difference between a 1 amp trickle charger and an electronic controlled maintainers/tenders. The trickle charger is like a small drops of water constantly flowing into a bucket. Eventually the bucket will over flow. The maintainer/tender is like a float system that will shut the water off as the water fills the bucket and reestablish its flow when water has evaporated off. Sometimes people think a trickle charger and a maintainers/tenders are one and the same - and they are not.

[TWChamp]

Also, I've read that any time a lead acid battery is completely discharged, then recharged, it's just lost 10% of it's life forever. That's why it's important not to do any deep discharges on a standard automotive lead acid battery.

Anytime a battery feels too warm while charging, then disconnect the charger and trade it in on a new one.
I tried charging one that was getting warmer than it should, and it wasn't long before it exploded.
Over the years I've had 4 batteries explode, and 2 of them were with me next to the battery. It sounds like a shotgun going off next to your ears, and they will ring for the rest of the day.