Battery Tips

[marc780]

Battery Tips

If you’re like me, you don’t like thinking about the battery much, or buying a new one. However, a problem with the battery is one of the most likely issues that will prevent your car from starting. Here are some tips to maximize battery life.

·Let’s start with buying a new battery. (No pun intended.) Choose the battery that’s specified for your car and engine. The manufacturer specifies minimum CCA (cold cranking amps) and you don’t want to buy one that has less. Also the cable terminals must be the correct type (post or side-mount), and be on the correct side to match the positive and negative cables properly.
·I have bought many batteries in the past and the first thing I do is pop off the battery caps to check the water level. Why? Because every SINGLE battery I have ever bought, without exception, has been low on water! NO. EXCEPTIONS!

So, check the water level of your new battery. If it is low, add distilled water to the bottom of the filler holes. If you don’t do this, your battery may not last you as long as it should.

·Keep your battery cable clamps clean. If they are covered in powdery crud, this may reduce your cranking power.

And if the top of the battery has traces of acid,
this can cause a power drain by making the top dielectric – by providing a path for the voltage to flow from one terminal to another. So keep the battery top reasonably clean by wiping it off with a wet rag once in a while.

·If you have a car that sits idle for long periods, a trickle charger is a good investment. If you do not have access to an electrical outlet, a solar battery charger is the next best thing. A battery kept at full charge lasts the longest.

The cable clamps, and the posts on the battery should be clean, shiny and tight for best electrical conductivity. Use your battery cleaning brush, or a small wire brush on the battery terminals until they are clean and bright. 4 or 5 turns with the battery brush should do the job. Use steel wool, emery cloth or a pocket knife to clean the clamps and battery posts, if that’s all you have.
If the clamps arent tight, you should shim them with an electrical connector or even a penny pounded flat as a shim.

[TRD VVTi]

Crushing cable ends or smashing a penny for a shim? I'll pass. New cable ends are the correct way to go.

Many batteries are sealed today, you can't add water without breaking the top. That's pointless.

Hooking up a charger every night or two?

Starting a vehicle every two weeks just to charge the battery? You'd be better off leaving it alone and buying a new battery every couple of years. Starting a vehicle just to let it idle is more harmful to the vehicle, and pretty much negates any advantage you give to the battery.

That's a pretty lame writeup, with some helpful tips sprinkled into the mix...

[marc780]

Starting a vehicle every two weeks just to charge the battery? You'd be better off leaving it alone and buying a new battery every couple of years.

No you fool, you need to circulate the oil in the engine. Whats in the engine when it sits? Bare. METAL! What does bare metal not covered with oil do? It. RUSTS. Ever seen somebody's dad gum ol' car settin in a field all rusted? Imagine tryin ta turn the engine on thet deal, could you do it, reckon not.

That's a pretty lame writeup, with some helpful tips sprinkled into the mix...

You ought to know.

[TRD VVTi]

Originally Posted by marc780

No you fool, you need to circulate the oil in the engine. Whats in the engine when it sits? Bare. METAL! What does bare metal not covered with oil do? It. RUSTS. Ever seen somebody's dad gum ol' car settin in a field all rusted? Imagine tryin ta turn the engine on thet deal, could you do it, reckon not.

You ought to know.

Actually, the condensation and acids that will form will do more damage. Starting it every couple of weeks just to let it idle DOES cause more damage than good. It's common knowledge. Try doing some searching.

You're right. I ought to know after seeing you post your inaccurate garbage all over this forum...

I can't believe that you actually believe that smashing battery cable ends or shimming them with a smashed penny is good technical advice.

If you'd like, I can find all your crap threads again and post them for you. You don't seem to learn very well. Not everyone is a technician and may take your harmful advice as sound information, when it's not.

I find it very strange that you like to give out technical advice that's absolutely inaccurate on a frequent basis.

[marc780]

Actually, the condensation and acids that will form will do more damage. Starting it every couple of weeks just to let it idle DOES cause more damage than good. It's common knowledge. Try doing some searching.

Go ahead and let your car sit for 4 or 5 years and see what happens. Dont forget the oil is oxidizing and getting water from the atmosphere so you can even change the oil every 3 months too. If you dont run it, it will rust inside, duh. Pistons seized/valves stuck/camshaft rusted/bearings history. You've got to either run it every couple of weeks or pickle the engine (add it full of oil).
Your posts are always...um...er...controntational? You giva me a headache. Or somewhere lower.

[TRD VVTi]

Originally Posted by marc780

Go ahead and let your car sit for 4 or 5 years and see what happens. Dont forget the oil is oxidizing and getting water from the atmosphere so you can even change the oil every 3 months too. If you dont run it, it will rust inside, duh. Pistons seized/valves stuck/camshaft rusted/bearings history. You've got to either run it every couple of weeks or pickle the engine (add it full of oil).
Your posts are always...um...er...controntational? You giva me a headache. Or somewhere lower.

So you started a battery care thread about cars sitting for 4 or 5 years? Your posts are usually...um..er...wrong..or..a...stupid.

You have a headache because actual facts don't fit in your head very well. That's why you shouldn't post your B.S.

Go flatten some pennies with a hammer and sell them to an auto parts store as battery shims...

Remember when I posted this and you went back and changed/deleted your posts:

Originally Posted by TRD VVTi

I actually consider you to be one of the people that CONSISTENTLY posts bad information (you call it full of shit I guess). You are failing at you goal because you've advised people of the following just recently:

1)Toyota requires a specific P/S fluid and not Dexron - Toyota has recommended Dexron and Dexron II for decades. Check the online manual.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t217403.html

2) Just moving the TPS around until the car idles correctly is acceptable. You cite that because you do it that it's fine. Actually, you need a scan tool or voltmeter to set it within specs. Check the online manual for verification.

2002 camry low rpms

3) Impact wrenches are just as good as torque wrenches for installing wheels and not causing any problems. Again, you cite that because you do it that it's proper. That's not true. You can search ANYWHERE for supporting facts that you are incorrect.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...20#post2041920

4) You also recommend that someone with a faulty accelerator pedal sensor replace the TPS instead. That will do nothing. The accelerator pedal sensor relays it's information to the ECU. The ECU decides what exactly the driver is trying to accomplish and signals the throttle body what to do. The TPS that's integrated into the throttle body tells the ECU what position the TB is at.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t218561.html

5) Here you suggest that an I4 2AZ-FE has a timing belt and cover by saying
Quote:
remove the timing belt cover and run the engine and listen for the noise. Be very carefull but put your hand or an object on the timing belt pulley to affect its operation - (use care not to get that thing tangled inthe engine!) and listen.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...36#post2023636

Now I see that you are deleting some of your responses completely!

[Eye8Pussies]

I think the points that have to be made have been made.