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On 9 Mar 98 at 13:44, Sonny8oy wrote: > Battery gradually drained of starting power (no probs when it's running) over > the month that I've had it, then after a half hour drive i stopped for 15 > minutes and it wouldn't restart. I'm thinking that it should have been pretty > well charged by then? > So I bought a new battery ($30 at K-mart, where it wouldn't start!) and it's > going OK the few days I've had it in, but I've been told a new battery will > last a while even if the gen. isn't working. Yes/No? If it's relevant, the car > hadn't really been driven for the last 5-8 years, maybe 2 or 3 hundred miles. > Would this kill a) the battery or b) the generator? A battery left sitting for that long will "sulfate" and become unusable. They can sometimes be saved by trickle charging them for a week or two, but high current charging one of these is a waste of time. If you want to see if your system is charging, just put a voltmeter across the battery and then start the car. With the engine revved to a fast idle, the voltage should rise to 14.1-14.4 V. Jim - ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA *******************************