Author	[Modern View]
George Marsh 12-22-2012 06:17:23 50.104.246.0 Report to Moderator	I have my vehicles serviced at the Buick/GMC dealer. Last year my truck battery didn't pass their load test. I replaced battery and purchased a Batteryminder charger 12248 that was to desulfate the plates. After 3 months, there was no change in load test. Now my car failed the load test. Does anyone have a charger that will really desulfate plates and the load tester will show better numbers in the long term? I'm not talking adding snake oil to battery, I want a charger to do the job and to be able to measure an improvement with a load tester. I paid over $110 for the batteryminder. If there is something that will work, I'm ready to buy it. When a battery fails a load test, it's a matter of time before you get stranded some place. Usually it happens late at night, weekends, it's cold, raining, when you have to be someplace. So I replace batteries in my car and turck when they fail load test. Put them in a tractor if they fit. Not a big deal if they fail then. George [Reply]   [No Email]
El Toro 12-23-2012 06:55:23 108.3.143.30 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   I wouldn't buy a battery from a dealer. The last two new cars I had the battery to fail after 5 years. I now use Walmart's best batteries and I get 10 or 11 years of use. Even have one in my garden tractor that I changed this year and I still have that old battery. The garden tractor is in an unheated mini-barn and I don't keep the charger on it or any of the battery's. I have a 1981 Mercury Cougar that is only used once a month and I drive it about 65 miles. Hal [Reply]  [No Email]
buickanddeere 12-22-2012 16:36:18 216.183.145.47 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   Pull the fuel pump fuse and measure the battery voltage WHILE cranking. Anything above 10 volts is acceptable,above 10.5 is good and above 11.0V is outstanding. [Reply]  [No Email]
da.bees 12-22-2012 09:05:24 72.181.178.157 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   I'm not so shure that a battery will be as effectivly desulfated by a single charge after years of use. My understanding is that periododicly useing the battery minder will desulfate small accumalations each time. Might compare it to cleaning a painted surface,several quick cleanings spread over 5 years will result in a cleaner surface than can be accomplished with a single hard scrubbing after 5 years. I have had good results useing Deltran Battery Tenders which are connected to all my batteries in rotation. It seems I get longer servive than majority of people I talk to. I do exactly as you in installing a new battery on vehicles that would cause major inconvinuence if they failed. The retired battery gos on less critical vehicles. [Reply]  [No Email]
buickanddeere 12-22-2012 08:41:53 184.151.61.242 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   Pretty much what everybody else said. A battery will sulphate with putting around driving while driving very short stop start cycles where the battery is never fully charged. High temperatures is another factor. A very large high capacity charger can drive some of the sulphate material back. A real charger with 75 amp or more charge and 200+ boost capacity. The little 5&30 amp chargers are only good for small garden equipment batteries. [Reply]  [No Email]
George Marsh 12-22-2012 14:17:59 50.104.246.0 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to buickanddeere, 12-22-2012 08:41:53   Say, you have a 700 CCA battery, how much do you hit it with and for how long to desulfate it? [Reply]  [No Email]
John T 12-22-2012 07:21:42 216.249.82.117 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   George, its probaly too expensive ($300 to $450 range) and too much OVERKILL for run of the mill and automotive applications, but in my RV I went with the Xantrex Truecharge2 Automatic "Smart" Charger that is computer controlled and operates in 3 basic stages (Bulk Absorption and Float) PLUS has an "Equalize" feature to theoreticaly reduce sulfation. I have four true deep cycle 6 volt Golf Cart batteries in series paralell for 12 volts and rated at 460 amp/hrs. A buddy has the same set up and charger AND HIS BATTERIES LASTED LIKE 9 YEARS so hopefully I get good results, I will let you know 8 or 9 years down the road. If NOT I got ripped off grrrrrrrrrrrrr Best wishes and Merry CHRISTmas, a celebration of the birth of Christ our savior and also happens to be a FEDERAL HOLIDAY John T [Reply]  [No Email]
George Marsh 12-22-2012 14:10:43 50.104.246.0 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to John T, 12-22-2012 07:21:42   JohnT, I wouldn't mind spending $450 on a charger that I was guaranteed it would do the job in a week or two. I would move around and freshen up all my batteries. I'm not the least interested if I spend $450 on a charger that I have to leave on the battery all the time. So do you have to keep your charger connected all the time? Do you ever load test them to see how much good it's doing? George [Reply]  [No Email]
The tractor vet 12-22-2012 07:15:02 75.24.4.81 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   It is like this IF a battery is bad then it is bad . It will either start the car - truck -tractor or it will not . ya don't FIX a battery. The baqttery in the wifes 03 Durango is the org. one and i know just as well as i am setting here at the magic box that it is going to DIE and it will do it one of these days when it is 20 below with wind blowing a 90 MPH . Then i will have to hook a chain to the Durango and drag it back far enough to open the hood. And go get a new battery and the replacement will not last near as long as the old one did. Now as far as TRUSTING a DEALERSHIP not in this life time anymore. The last time i took the Durango in for and alignment they tried to tell me that the ft end needed all new ball joints tie rod ends , Ah i had JUST installed all of that the day before and THAT IS WHY IT WAS IN for and alignment The NEW service writer did not know me and thought that him and the idiot mechanic could pull one over on me. There was a small little shell we say coming unglued party with lots of motheren and arres chewing. And it almost caused the two to loose there jobs. This happened once before when the wife took it in with the OLD service manager that did not know me . I was a Chrysler Plymouth master tech and also a Chrysler Plymouth parts manager . These practices started a long time ago in dealerships and as long as they can get away with it and not get caught they keep on doing it . [Reply]  [No Email]
GUIDO 12-22-2012 07:08:56 71.168.249.98 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   Hello George Marsh, It sounds more like the problem is not the battery. I would have someone other then the dealer do the test................. correctly! If you load test a battery that was not fully charged, it will fail for sure! Fully charged battery to start with. Apply 1/2 the CCA capacity load for the test, hold the load for 15 seconds, voltage to be at least 9.6V at the end of the load test @ 80 degrees F. Guido. [Reply]  [No Email]
rabbit 12-22-2012 11:47:51 207.241.137.116 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to GUIDO, 12-22-2012 07:08:56   I want a load type battery tester for Christmas... They're going for about $50 on EBay. [Reply]  [No Email]
GUIDO 12-22-2012 13:13:28 71.168.249.98 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to rabbit, 12-22-2012 11:47:51   Hello rabit, What kind are they vat testers? can you shoot me a link, Guido. [Reply]  [No Email]
EGBinOR 12-23-2012 11:59:02 184.100.142.135 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to GUIDO, 12-22-2012 13:13:28   I kind of think the batterys we're buying today are pretty good overall. The sudden battery failures nowadays are due to the modern engines starting so easy. In the old days you pulled the choke, pumped the gas pedal etc. and then cranked for awhile before the engine started. Today,(unless you're talking diesel) the engine starts instantly and you don't realize that your battery is about shot. Change it every 6 years and usually you won't have a problem. Just sayin..EGBinOR [Reply]  [No Email]
Stephen Newell 12-22-2012 06:44:18 63.25.191.68 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to George Marsh, 12-22-2012 06:17:23   Do you trust the dealer?. It could be they are just trying to sell you batteries. If the batteries really are desulfating, I've never had any luck trying to fix them. The only thing that helps is to put the battery in a vehicle that is used daily. [Reply]  [No Email]
JMOR 12-22-2012 06:54:16 72.181.173.171 Report to Moderator	Re: Batttery charger? in reply to Stephen Newell, 12-22-2012 06:44:18   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see2 or 3 years ago, dealer told my wife that & I put her old battery in my diesel (MF275) and it is still starting very well! [Reply]  [No Email]