Car Battery Problems Solved.
Exploded car battery. Image via Wikipedia
A while back I posted about a nice 12 volt car battery charger that I purchased a while back. My van had problems with the battery constantly losing it’s charge, but mechanics told me that the charging system(the alternator) was good and the battery checked out fine. They claimed a mysterious electrical drain. I didn’t have the funds to have them chase down an electricl drain in a van with a multitude of places where a drain in the electrical system could happen. So, I just kept using the battery charger whenever it wouldn’t start.
Over a period of about 6 months I talked to a few friends that had the same problems and claimed that even though their batteries tested good, they had them replaced anyhow and the battery charging problem stopped. I had used my portable battery charger so many times that it had become to weak to jump start the car. I was stranded and I had to replace the battery. I headed to Sears for a Die Hard battery. $145(installation included), I was back on the road and trouble free. It turned out to be the battery after all.
Don’t believe the mechanics and auto parts stores. Their tests may confirm that one is definitely dead, but they cannot detect a battery that is just weak and dying a slow death. One friend paid an auto shop specializing in auto electrical problems $80 to hold the car overnight and run a thorough test that revealed the true problem to be a battery.
From the many conversations that I had trying to solve this simple problem, I found out that cheap batteries are not even worth buying nowadays. The Carquest battery that failed me only lasted a few months before the problems started and I’ve heard similar stories with WalMart car batteries. Autozone, Advanced Auto, and other similar discount parts stores are getting a similar reputation. Interstate batteries and DieHard are getting some complaints, but still holding their excellent reputation.
If you have a cheap car battery with some age on it, either replace it before the troubles start or get ready to replace it soon.
Related articles
- Mystery solved: How car batteries work (scienceblog.com)
- Mystery of car battery’s current solved (fmeccawi.wordpress.com)
- How long to electric car batteries last? (theglobeandmail.com)
- Jumping & bumping: How to start your car if the battery’s flat (confused.com)
- Is your cars battery on borrowed time? (theglobeandmail.com)
Trike That Drives Like a Car – The Morgan 3 Wheeler
The Morgan 3 wheeler uses an S&S Harley knock-off motor for power. The design flaws are obvious; the motor is up front and will be destroyed in any collision, not to mention catching any road debris. The body looks like an upside-down bathtub. The single rear wheel will have no traction in snow or mud. The worst quality is the price. At $50,000, it had better be a lot of fun and from the reports I’m seeing, it is.
On the upside, it’s great on gas and handles like a sports car. It’s even fast enough for racing.
Related articles
- Guest Reviewer Jay Leno Drives the New Morgan 3-Wheeler (wired.com)
- First Drive: 2012 Morgan 3 Wheeler [w/video] (autoblog.com)
- Designing a Visceral Experience: The Morgan 3-Wheeler Seems Less Like a Car, More Like a Low-Flying Sopwith Camel (core77.com)
- Morgan Three Wheeler review (telegraph.co.uk)
My Neighbor’s Triumph TR4
My neighbor restored this 1962 Triumph TR4 and I am really impressed with it. 1960′s British sports cars are a rare sight these days, but after watching some of my neighbor’s work on this car, I don’t understand why. The parts were available and relatively affordable compared to American cars of the same era. I wished I had taken photos the day he brought it home on a trailer. It seemed to be such an impossibly hopeless rusting heap. It’s incredible that this car was restored.
Restored 1962 Triumph TR4
For the most part, the TR4′s restoration went well. The complications arose with the electrical system. In 1962, some of them had a negative ground system, while others had a positive ground electrical system. A guess was made that this was a positive ground and he guessed wrong. With some head scratching and research, he figured out how to convert it to a positive ground and it was up and running.
Red 1962 Triumph TR4 Convertible
Restored Triumph TR4 Ready For The Road
Trans Am Jumps Curb
Failure to look at the big picture?
I felt bad for the driver of this Trans Am. I noticed she had driven over the curb and I have a pretty good guess for the reason. I had a 2000 Camaro that was similar. The nose is long and you cannot see most of it. The configuration is easy to get used, but a slight lack of judgement and you end up in a situation like this. It’s embarrassing and expensive, but a good wake up call.
As I thought about this for a minute, I wondered what I’d screwed up today. I couldn’t remember putting the oil cap back on my engine after I filled my oil this morning. When I popped the hood, there was the cap laying off of the motor where I’d left it.
The lesson here is easy. I could have easily thought, “What a dumbass!” and drove on while the expensive synthetic oil I use slowly spewed out of my own motor or I could have done what I did and used the moment to check out my own situation. There’s another lesson here too obviously. If she would have thought about the big picture of her surroundings, this wouldn’t have happened either.
International Truck’s MTX
I seen this International MTX parked at the International dealer in Columbus, Ohio. I have no use for it really, it just looks like it would be a fun truck to have. At a base price of $89,500, even Hummer owners would blush. It’s diesel powered and can tow over 15,000 pounds.
It’s cool, but nothing like the International trucks of yesterday that everyone could afford.
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| From cars |
Portable Jump Starter Solves Battery Problems
Avoid The Jumpstart Problem With A Portable Car Battery ChargerImage via Wikipedia
My 2008 Dodge Caravan has been good, but it’s developed this problem where the battery drains quickly after shutting it off. Tests have shown that the battery and charging system is ok, but there is power leak somewhere that I cannot find yet. This only happens rarely right now, so instead of getting hit with charges to troubleshoot this infrequent problem, I bought a portable battery charger to jump start it the next time that it happens. Maybe the problem will get obvious at some point, but until then, I’ll deal with this way.
A portable self-contained jump starter has quite a few advantages to jumper cables besides the problem of finding another driver that is willing to help you. When using another driver, you risk harming their vehicle or yours if polarity is crossed. Yes, it’s a stupid thing to do, but stupid things happen. This portable jump starter has a fail-safe switch that stops this from happening. It also saves the time of waiting for a wrecker or another driver if there is a problem.
Added features include a tire pump, DC power outlets for using DC powered accessories away from the vehicle, and there is even a USB jack for using USB powered devices or charging cell phones.
The unit is low profile to save space while storing it in a car. It does need charged with AC power at least every 60 days and after every use. The directions suggest charging for at least 48 hours before the first use. It’s suggested to look at the cranking amps to decide which portable charge is good for your vehicle. 500 cranking amps is good enough for most vehicles and worth the extra expense. I suggest over a 350 amp if you plan on using it for DC power or as a tire pump.
With today’s high tech cars, I prefer the idea of using a portable jump starter over jumper cables simply to make sure that nothing goes wrong. I’ve heard (never followed up to check the validity though) that some newer cars have problems after jump starting another car because the newer alternators go bad afterwards. Alternators can be over $400 now! This removes the risk of damage to a Good Samaritan’s vehicle and mine.
Black & Decker JUS500IB 500-Amp Jump Starter with Built-in Tire Inflator
Related articles
- How To Jump Start a Car (brighthub.com)
- Jumping a car battery (tcfpodcast.wordpress.com)
1960 Austin-Healey
I hadn’t seen an Austin-Healey of these since I was a kid. Cool car. They wanted $7,000 for this one and it needed a new interior.
1960 Austin Healey I seen sitting in Utica, Ohio for sale.
Free Stuff
I don’t get free stuff often, but when I do, I get a bunch of it. This was free dirt from my brother-in-law. Free dirt also means dirt that you have to shovel. Tami helped. It was just enough to fill all of the holes they dogs have dug in the yard. There are better ways to spend a Sunday, but it was free dirt.
- How Much Dirt Can You Put In An Old Chevy?
Never put this much dirt in a Ford either. It was almost to much for a Chevy.
I bet there are people wondering why anyone would post about a load of dirt. I do it because I can and it’s almost free.
I seen a show on TV where people in far flung deserts are getting online now. They’re hauling dirt with donkeys and camels. Maybe they’ll be inspired. Rich people could land here and be thankful they didn’t have to spend their Sunday shoveling dirt. It’s an inspirational post. 
When you spend your day this way and you’re trying to come up with something to post, this is what you end up with.
Sometimes, You Just Don’t Have Enough Rocks.
You should always drive with your eyes open, especially while on the Tail Of The Dragon in Tennessee. When people are flagging you down, it’s usually for a reason too.
Catalytic Converters Being Targeted by Thieves
Catalytic converters being targeted by thieves – MOUNT VERNON — Local law enforcement reported at least five incidents in the past week of people claiming their catalytic converters were stolen. [Mount Vernon News]
How hard is this to curb? Require scrap metal dealers to take a digital photo or require photo id with an explanation of where the converter came from. This isn’t to much to ask from them.
I go to scrap yards all the time and they are full of undersireables toting in goods that I would bet are stolen. They get enough to have a few beers or a crack fix. They’re not hard to spot. Of course, good people go there too, but the stuff they’re bringing is obviously from projects and what not.
