My van cranked over a bit slowly this AM. Battery is about 18 months into a 72 month warranty. Cleaned the terminals, checked the cell levels, added a smidge of distilled water and put a known good battery charger on it. The charge seems to be stuck at 3 amps. Normally, it would have dropped to below 1 amp after 2 hours, never mind 4. I'm thinking bad cell. Before I pull it and take it back to the parts store, does any one have any thoughts as to what else the problem could be?

My van cranked over a bit slowly this AM. Battery is about 18 months into a 72 month warranty. Cleaned the terminals, checked the cell levels, added a smidge of distilled water and put a known good battery charger on it. The charge seems to be stuck at 3 amps. Normally, it would have dropped to below 1 amp after 2 hours, never mind 4. I'm thinking bad cell. Before I pull it and take it back to the parts store, does any one have any thoughts as to what else the problem could be?

Cracked lead plate inside battery. I have a load tester. Most autoparts stores have them too. They can check the battery itself, the starter amp draw, and the charging system once it's running.

 

 

I only buy optima battery's anymore these days.

 

I can't help with your original question, but I'm a big fan of Costo batteries.  Can't beat the prices, Consumer Reports ranks them very highly, and the warranty isn't pro-rated.

 

I had one fail a month before the warranty expired (all the others I've bought worked well past warranty).  I couldn't find the receipt, of course, but they looked up the purchase from my membership ID and gave me a new battery on the spot.

My van cranked over a bit slowly this AM. Battery is about 18 months into a 72 month warranty. Cleaned the terminals, checked the cell levels, added a smidge of distilled water and put a known good battery charger on it. The charge seems to be stuck at 3 amps. Normally, it would have dropped to below 1 amp after 2 hours, never mind 4. I'm thinking bad cell. Before I pull it and take it back to the parts store, does any one have any thoughts as to what else the problem could be?

depends on the battery. if you got an el cheapo.....autozone, pepboys etc.......you've got something bad inside the battery. i get a LOT of those bad. if it's a side post battery, take the terminals off again, and check inside the insulation surrounding the terminal itself. very often those things will build up ungodly amounts of corrosion, which will prevent the battery from taking a proper charge.

 

 if you're anywhere near cherry hill, i can test it for ya.

Many thanks for the responses. Battery is an Exide from the local parts store. I've had good luck with them over the years. Side terminals are clean. First thing I did. I'm not new to this. Winters during college and for a short time after the Army I wrenched for a living as a kind of junior mechanic. Brakes, clutches, tires, batteries, etc, the easy stuff. I believe there is something wrong internally in the battery. Today, the charge from the charger is down to 1 amp and going down but it is taking forever. Now that I've completely retired I'm cleaning up the van to sell it but I don't want to stick someone with a bad battery. I also don't want to drop $100+ on a new battery unless I have to.

Many thanks for the responses. Battery is an Exide from the local parts store. I've had good luck with them over the years. Side terminals are clean. First thing I did. I'm not new to this. Winters during college and for a short time after the Army I wrenched for a living as a kind of junior mechanic. Brakes, clutches, tires, batteries, etc, the easy stuff. I believe there is something wrong internally in the battery. Today, the charge from the charger is down to 1 amp and going down but it is taking forever. Now that I've completely retired I'm cleaning up the van to sell it but I don't want to stick someone with a bad battery. I also don't want to drop $100+ on a new battery unless I have to.

i've just had two vehicles come through the shop with exides. both with bad batteries. both batteries less than 3 years old. i never used to have problems with exides....but 2 bad that close together is weird.

 

 also, i didn't mean the batteries side terminals....i meant the cables. corrosion forms inside the insulation. very common on side post batteries.

Cables look fine, no corrosion, no hidden swelling under the insulation. I know what you are referring to. I had a Crapilac that was prone to that. They look like the day I bought it new. The van, while an '04, only has 19K on the clock.

I used to sell Exide we got warranty defects back constantly. Did better with interstate. But Decka Douglas was the best in my opinion for conventional type batteries. My boat has two blue top optimas, my wrangler has 2 red top optimas, got a yellow top for my clay thrower, and my pickup has a red top optima. Zero problems. But I wouldn't put one in a vehicle I was selling, too expensive.

The charger finally went down to 1 amp on the meter. I'll see how it goes. I have one of those booster jumper deals I bought for my daughter  when she was in college and had a propensity for leaving the interior lights on in the car when she parked it. I'll leave that in the van just in case.

Thanks to all for the help. Likely I'll have to pop for a new battery so I don't sell some poor guy a turkey that screws him on day 2. Such is life. Maybe I'll add 1/2 the cost to the price and see if that floats.

I used to sell Exide we got warranty defects back constantly. Did better with interstate. But Decka Douglas was the best in my opinion for conventional type batteries. My boat has two blue top optimas, my wrangler has 2 red top optimas, got a yellow top for my clay thrower, and my pickup has a red top optima. Zero problems. But I wouldn't put one in a vehicle I was selling, too expensive.

I always liked Interstate myself. I got involved with Exide because of the blue laws in Bergen the only place open on Sunday, my battery's favorite time to fail, handled Exide. Never had an issue until now. True story about Interstate. Back in my junior mechanic days I was putting a new Interstate into the local postmasters car. Nice guy. I used to put the blocks to his daughter in HS but he didn't know that. Anyway, the only wrench I could find for the battery terminals was a long box wrench, long enough to reach across both battery terminals. Naturally, I dropped the wrench, it hit both terminals, the battery shorted out and pretty much exploded in my face. Lots of power in those batteries. Amazingly, It didn't get me in the eyes and one of my co-workers had the presence of mind to turn a hose on me. Ate holes in my uniform, though.

I could never live in that county surrounded by liberals, god bless you. My dad has a house there, he's always complaining about having to drive to Passaic County on Sundays if he needs something from Home Depot. That's gotta suck. I just don't think I could handle the traffic there either, Sussex County for me. Doubtful I could ever live anywhere else in this state ever again.

 

I've played the battery acid game before too. Once I picked up a core battery that a customer left outside on the steps of the store. It had a huge crack in the side, when I picked it up it got me in the crotch and down my leg. Buy lunch time I felt a breeze! The only thing left was the zipper hanging by a thread. My boxers were gone too so I was basically naked lol. Had to duct tape myself up and run home for a new pair of slacks hahha. That was the day we started keeping a big box of arm & hammer baking soda behind the counter.

 

I hear that about the acid. I had a guy in my squad in the Army from Guam. He had to turn in a dead battery at the motor pool and carried it over. Leaked on his crotch and ate through his pants. Burned his johnson, too. I got a Purple Heart for less.

Bergen County does suck. My business, now closed, was here. My daughter and her family and my precious little granddaughter live just around the corner. Where am I going to go ? I keep hoping my son-in-law's job will move to a free state, but that is unlikely.

Can't blame ya for wanting to be close to family.

If you saw my little granddaughter you would know why. She's 2 1/2 and when I come in she says " Boompa" and wants to do her alphabet with me. She knows all the letters and counts to 100.

My niece (sisters kid) is the same age just about 2 in a couple more weeks. such a cutie. I love her. She calls me "uncle Kiev" because she can't say "Steve" yet. My other sisters kid called me the same thing for a few years too, she's a teenager now. I totally get it.

I can't help with your original question, but I'm a big fan of Costo batteries. Can't beat the prices, Consumer Reports ranks them very highly, and the warranty isn't pro-rated.

 

I had one fail a month before the warranty expired (all the others I've bought worked well past warranty). I couldn't find the receipt, of course, but they looked up the purchase from my membership ID and gave me a new battery on the spot.

Costco now proratd there batteries based on how old they are.

there's a few companies out there stopping the pro-rating. napa is one of those i think.

Costco is anti-gun and they don't allow carry. I'll never shop there.

Walmart batteries scored pretty well in Consumer Reports testing. I always use them now because, no matter where I travel, a Walmart is usually close by...

Get a battery at Advance Auto.  Order it online for pickup at store.  Search the web first for coupon deal codes to apply to order for discount.  This past winter I did it twice got batteries that listed on the website for 110-120 for 72-76 out the door with the core exchange.

Walmart batteries scored pretty well in Consumer Reports testing. I always use them now because, no matter where I travel, a Walmart is usually close by...

who makes em for walmart?

 

Get a battery at Advance Auto.  Order it online for pickup at store.  Search the web first for coupon deal codes to apply to order for discount.  This past winter I did it twice got batteries that listed on the website for 110-120 for 72-76 out the door with the core exchange.

same question as above.......

who makes em for walmart?

 

http://www.carsdirect.com/car-maintenance/best-car-battery-reviews-top-value-reviews-and-ratings

 

According to the link above, the Walmart batteries are made by Johnson Controls.

I dropped interstate as a dealer they were not covering warranty and too many were failing..  Been deka dealer for 4 years now and have not had to replace any.. i sell about 40 batteries year 98% marine..

I never had acid from a lead acid battery burn my clothes on the spot. But I have had the clothes later come out of the washer and dryer looking like they'd been blasted by a shotgun a few times. I have had concentrated acid burn my clothes on the spot. Maybe you guys have better juice in your batteries.

I never had acid from a lead acid battery burn my clothes on the spot. But I have had the clothes later come out of the washer and dryer looking like they'd been blasted by a shotgun a few times. I have had concentrated acid burn my clothes on the spot. Maybe you guys have better juice in your batteries.

Takes a few hours, but it eats cotton right up.

I never had acid from a lead acid battery burn my clothes on the spot. But I have had the clothes later come out of the washer and dryer looking like they'd been blasted by a shotgun a few times. I have had concentrated acid burn my clothes on the spot. Maybe you guys have better juice in your batteries.

this,  my wife is like what happened.. LOl...