RE: [T3] Road trip! Battery woes?

["Erkson, Toby" <toby.erkson@intel.com>]

I believe it's a gell-cell but not positive.

When it's hot out and I've been driving, starting my car sometimes doesn't
work.  I have an electric fuel pump AND a thermostatic-controlled fan on the
oil pre-cooler that kicks on as well.  The starter simply won't engage (I
have a bypass system so I can start the car easily).  It could have been due
to the old, weakened battery.

I've seen plenty of batteries where fluid has leaked past the water-filler
holes -- my Jetta battery being a fine example :(  I don't over-fill the
cells and wipe up any spills.  Stuff still gets out.  The holes in my
floorboard match the battery.  In the past I have looked for water leaking
in from the outside and haven't found anything on either side of the car and
I honestly believe the car is in very good condition to have good water
integrity.  Now that she's a fair-weather car she doesn't get much rain.
The car show was the first time is well over a year that she got wet by
rain...heck, maybe it's been two or three years, actually.

    Toby Erkson
    air_cooled_nut@pobox.com
    (This is my preferred address)

>-----Original Message-----
>...
>Is this a gell-cell?
>
>You really won't ever use that much power, but, OTOH, I'm not sure 
>that the rating systems are all standardized anymore. Our cars use 
>a size 42 which was a 45 Amp-hour when they were new...
>Modern (post 1966) batteries are ALL well sealed and acid will only 
>get on the floor if you try to add acid with the battery in the car. The 
>rust holes usually always mean that there is a water leak. The rust 
>inhibitor is a good idea, but you really need to look for where the 
>water is getting in.

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