Car battery plans, in stages [status]

[rebeccmeister]

1. I got the backup battery recharged last night.

2. I am going to learn how to remove and reinstall the main battery so I can bring it indoors when it's ludicrously cold. This is not the kind of thing one wants to try and learn when it's -5°F and dark outside, one would much rather learn this sort of thing in broad daylight and maybe around 10°F? By now, 10°F feels pretty balmy!

3. S says he has a 12V battery charger somewhere in the garage, so I'll also apply that to the battery when I bring it indoors.

4. There's a good chance this one is approaching the end of its useable lifespan, so I'll also start looking around for a replacement (sigh).

Cars, so convenient and inexpensive, amirite?

I am also dreading this month's utility bill, sigh.

Comments

[soemand]

There's a good chance this one is approaching the end of its useable lifespan, so I'll also start looking around for a replacement (sigh).

Usual lifespan I get is around 5 years. 10minute job for me to swap out though.

[rebeccmeister]

I can't remember if I have any information about the age of this battery, but I am expecting to get around 4 years out of a car battery. So I would not be surprised if this one is due for replacement!

[soemand]

There maybe a date code on the corpse.

Consider using a sharpie on the new one to inscribe its installation.

[twoeleven]

4. There's a good chance this one is approaching the end of its useable lifespan

This seems very likely. We had a car in a colder climate, and it ran well enough in the depths of winter.

Cars, so convenient and inexpensive, amirite?

Your posts make it sound like this car is relatively old and wasn't driven very often. If that's the case, you're paying for a lot of maintenance all at once that would have been done over the years.

[ranunculus]

Batteries are easy-peasy to change. Also relatively safe as long as you don't touch something conductive between the two terminals (like your wrench). If you have a small open ended wrench the right size for the nuts on your terminals, that is the easiest to use. Otherwise a -small- adjustable wrench.
With the car off and the keys out; remove the Negative (-) terminal first, followed by the Positive (+) terminal. The positive usually has a red covering on it. The - and + symbols should be stamped into the top of the battery so you can verify. Some battery holders have a "hold down" system that you have to remove before you lift out the battery. That should be one or two small nuts that need to be removed.
Battery acid, if it is leaking out, can be washed off with some vinegar followed by a plain water rinse. Maybe not at sub freezing temps? Leaking battery acid can coat the terminals of the battery and reduce the amount of electricity that can move through the system. A good clean of the Battery box and terminals is helpful, even if (or especially if) you are planning to replace the battery. Auto parts stores sell a gel or spray that you can put on your terminals to help conductivity. I think it does help a little, but no more than a little. Your climate may vary. Note: once acid is beginning to leak the battery is at the end of it's life. You can get a few more days or a month out of a good cleaning, but really the battery needs to be replaced. (I got almost a year out of cleaning the Gator battery up, but the box and terminals were a real mess when I finally changed the battery, with corrosion showing everywhere. The extra time was not worth the amount of corrosion.)
Many auto parts stores sell batteries, also Costco has a good variety. Yes 12 volt batteries come in various sizes, shapes and terminal configurations. The numbers on the top of your battery spell out which one you will need.

[rebeccmeister]

Thanks for this thorough set of instructions! :^D

From having looked at the battery yesterday, thankfully there isn't substantial corrosion at the moment. I just need to pull out my wrenches to get to work. We don't yet have a Costco in our area...they're in the process of building one right now! So I will probably just have to ask around for a reasonable place for getting one.

[ranunculus]

Probably easiest to look at the battery numbers and call around for pricing.

[yarnandglue]

10 degrees definitely feels balmy right now!

[rainswolf]

Is there a date sticker on the battery? I found they usually die on year 5. So if it's 4+ years old it makes sense to just replace it in that climate.

[threemeninaboat]

I have 2 race cars, neither are convenient or inexpensive and only 1 is reliable but he did need a new battery a few years ago! :)