91GPSTE Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 So last spring I put a new battery in the Grand Prix, drove it all summer and parked it for the winter. Yesterday I go to start it and nothing! Battery is dead. I boosted it and move it out of the garage, let it run a few minutes then at night when I wanted to put it on, it's dead again. WTF is the deal? This will be a second battery that Crapy Tire replaces for free cause it dies every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95 3-4 Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 A completely dead battery that has probably been frozen always requires a day long 6 amp trickle charge to be rejuvinated, putting jumper cables on it for just long enough to get it started up usuaully always fails Not to mention that a battery that has froze is pretty much garbage and will be lucky to have half the power & reserve it had new. Many folks who store their car for the winter here take the battery out and store it on a piece of wood in the basement On a sidenote I had a 4 or 5 year old Delco battery that I trickle charged before winter, It sat all winter in my cold unattached garage on a block of wood. I put it in an 88 chevy truck last weekend and it cranked it right up I was amazed, the TBI 350 truck had been sitting for over a year and it needed 30+ seconds of cranking to start Delco and Intertstate are my fav. 2 brand of batteries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Dubya Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Delco batteries kick ass. A buddy of mine just finally had to replace the original battery in his 99 GA GT. I bought one for myself a couple weeks back. They are only $60 retail from the dealer, and you get 5 yr warranty as opposed to 2 with Advance/other places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 If you leave a battery like that in the car sitting, start it up once in awhile and just leave it idle, you're most likely not going to do much to charge it. Starting it up all those times is what most likely drained it. To properly charge a battery in the car, you need to drive it for at least a half-hour or so at highway speeds, at least that's what I've been told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 When I've had my car stored *in the garage* for even a month I notice the battery starts to lose the charge. I say if you aren't gonna drive if longer than a week take the battery out and put it in the house. Cold=bad on batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GPSTE Posted April 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I took it out today and charged it up with a battery charger and put it back in at night and it's all good again. Will have to see how long it lasts this time. I have till August to get a free replacement so will have to wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I know for sure Delco and Interstate brand batteries can take abuse in winter. Our Suburban has two delcos in it and those two batteries sat all winter and a few weeks ago when we went to get the Suburban they turned over that 6.5 TD with no problem - and believe me it was turning over for awhile before it finally started. My RX-7 has a really old interstate in it from the Suburban before we replaced both of them - it still starts the rotary with no problem every spring without charging or a boost. However, I know most batteries are made by Duracell or Energizer...and let's not get into that debate again lol - Jeff L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 It should be all set ovnow. Makes a huge difference between leaving it on a charger overnight vs. just jumping it and letting it idle for ten minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3pt1lumina Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Same exact thing happened on my Lumina when I pulled it out of storage. Luckily it was still in warranty. And the wierd thing was I'd go start it every 2-3 weeks and let it idle for 40 mins or so and 1/2 of the time it was decent enough to drive it around the parking lot or take it out on the road so I'm not sure what caused it to die either. It must have been a mix of the constant cold and drain of the radio/computer all winter. I know for a fact that in my Chevelle I can leave the battery all winter in the car and go out and start it and it will fire right up. Maybe its because my Lumina has the biggest POS battery in it and my Chevelle has a Delco... You're not alone man, welcome to the dead battery club. I replaced mine under warranty and so far so good *knock on wood* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regal_GS_1989 Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 I'm gonna have to get a new battery for my GS soon. The 1 year old energizer just don't cut it anymore. I'm thinking about getting either an optima or a Deka. Maybe an interstate if I go with a regular bettery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95 3-4 Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Johnson Controls owns Interstate and Optima, I have heard very mixed reviews on optima batteries some love them some hate them, for the money I wouldnt touch one I dont need a leak proof vibration free battery. I have seen many a delco 5-8 years old working fine. One thing I dont like Delco batteries or other maintnance free free batteries is that you cant maintain them (fill up with water) then again with 5-8 year service life whats it matter Gm recently sold a big chunk of their Delco battery business to Johnson Controls, your energizer is a Johnson Controls battery Gm is currently encouraging suppliers to look to china to lower costs or they all might be out of work I believe Johnson Controls and Exide are the only 2 battery manufactuers in North America. From Johnson controls website: Johnson Controls is the largest automobile battery supplier North America, South America and Europe, primarily selling under private label to replacement battery retailers and distributors and to automobile manufacturers as original equipment. Our replacement batteries are marketed by customers including Advance Auto, Auto-Teile-Unger, AutoZone, Carrefour, Costco, Interstate, Leclerc, Pep Boys, Sears and Wal-Mart under a variety of private label brands as well as the Johnson Controls brands Optima, Varta, Heliar, and LTH, America. Original equipment batteries are manufactured for DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Nissan, PSA/Peugeot, Toyota and Volkswagen Buy any brand you want they all come from the same 2 companies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3pt1lumina Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Deka's are good we sell them at work Not many come back as junkers they usually last a while; normally 5-8 years or so, maybe longer. Put one in my sister's Monte, I'm happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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