Cold weather = DEAD BATTERY!

Advanced search

[grizzly_choppers]

Yeah, so this morning didn't start out too well.

I jumped in my xB to go to work and the damn thing wouldn't crank.  It's been slow to turn over lately, and I was out sick yesterday so it didn't get started.  In any case, the stupid expensive Optima Yellow Top just couldn't do it this morning.

Now, I'm not too upset because I knew I wasn't using it the way the manufacturer intended, but it was a very cold morning anyway.  

So, the stock battery has been sitting in my driveway unattended for the last 8 months.  I'm superstitious so it's been on a piece of styrofoam (there's the myth about the ground sucking the power, it IS a myth, but yeah..).  Now keep in mind that this battery has been rained on, snowed on, and otherwise abused by the elements for 8 months straight.  

I checked the power on the battery sitting there in the driveway and it actually was holding 12V.  So, I decided to call work for a jump (couldn't find my cables) and charge up the stock battery because I didn't trust that this battery that had been sitting for 8 months was holding that kind of charge.

I put the stock battery on charge and called Eric.  When I went out to check the charger only 2 minutes later it was down to drawing only 2 amps.  That damn thing was CHARGED!  I couldn't believe it.

I decided it wouldn't be TOO big a deal to swap the batteries out right then and there so I did it.  Can you believe the car fired right up?

Factory parts baby, nothing like them!

Now the Yellow Top is on the charge and it will probably sit and get maintained for the rest of the winter.  We'll see how I hook it in with the new box and all.  Only time will tell!

YAY long story!

-Lando

[Scion515]

Yeah i had my battery almost died on me yesterday but thanks god it crank up

 

[D1G1T4L]

What have you been doing to the yellow top to make it fail like that?

Wondering since I'm close to buying one myself.

[grizzly_choppers]

Yellow Tops are designed for deep cycle use and therefore require a longer charging cycle than a normal battery.  Lots of little trips to and from work run it down and eventually it's out of gas.

It's on the charge right now and as of lunch time looks like it will be fine.  So the battery isn't trashed or anything, it just needed a day's worth of charge.  I will be happy if it lasts through the summer.  Still inconvenient though.

-Lando

BTW, for reference the red top is designed for automotive use.  Both the yellow top and blue top are deep cycle.

[HATEnFATE]

And lucky for you all three are dry cell or you'd have frozen water in your discharged battery and it would be ruined................. just like my sisters battery yesturday,  LoL

[Inferno333]

We actually used Chris's factory battery to run our amp testing station for a long time.

We now have 3 new batteries for it though.

[grizzly_choppers]

Yeah, the factory battery is quite good really.  The only reason I swapped for the yellow top in the first place was because of the Club 798 lighting stuff.  Those things sucked the factory battery down in less than a minute.  The Yellow Top lasted at least 15!

-Lando