A used car battery - when handled - I hear the “sloshing” or “slashing” sound. The fluid inside is moving around.
Does this mean:
Shop had a tool to measure cranking ampere (?) - it showed 8.4 or 84. Shop said 6 would be bad. For comparison the same device gave 10.5 on a brand new battery.
Thoughts?
I don’t know what they measured. Mine are 600 or 700 cold cranking amps. When the reading gets down to 90% or so, I buy a new battery. Volts should be close to 13. Sorry Nevada but my lawn mower battery is 275 amps. I suppose if it needed water it could splash around but that would mean that it wasn’t cared for much.
There are warnings on the battery; contains sulfuric acid, do not tip, etc. Shaking a battery is not a valid test.
Why not inspect the fluid level? If the fluid level is abnormally low, the battery may have a defect. There are chemicals added to the battery plates that prevent “boiling” and the need to add water. When I find a battery with a very low fluid level, it is usually caused by a shorted cell.
Cranking amperage drawn by starter motors are approximately 100 amps, 84 amps is normal.
Out of curiosity, how hard did you shake the battery to hear the electrolyte slosh ?
I have never heard electrolyte slosh, from little lawnmower batteries to big six and twelve volt car batteries.
I asked a simple question ( did you ask the shop these questions ? ) Also if this is the vehicle that is going to the east coast with a family member why not just put a new battery in it.
The previous post like this was flagged and removed . Some people are just to thin skinned.
Flag away because I don’t care.
Ya all got flagged? Incredible. Spec versus log in the eye comes to mind, but I kinda like the diversity of subjects and comments, knowing some don’t.
Perhaps he did ask, will that change your response to his questions? I don’t rely on input from a store clerk to answer questions.
Get a tester for specific gravity: cheap. Test each cell. If any are low add distilled water.
The sloshing sound is normal since the battery has liquid inside. The reading of 8.4 vs 10.5 shows it is weaker than new but not dead. If the car starts fine, it is still usable but keep an eye on it.
Would u advise continue to use the old battery?
BTW, this old battery voltages are like that of a new battery.
I have changed many car batteries over the years, never shook one. Have you bothered to check electrolyte level?
A fully charged battery at rest (without the engine running) should be at least 12.5 volts. If this battery is only showing 8.4 volts it’s basically dead. Cranking amps will vary from group size to groups size, but should normally be around 500-800. What I would do is charge the battery at 7 amps or so overnight, disconnect it, let it sit for 8 hours or so, then test the voltage. If it’s not 12.5 volts or higher, then the battery is bad. You should make sure that the battery doesn’t need water first though. If it does that could be a sign that something is wrong, refill it before charging.
OK to everyone that keeps saying the OP or whoever shook the battery, what post did the OP say the battery was ever shook??
Anybody ever removed a battery? You have to handle it to move it, I have replaced tons of engines, had to handle them but never shook one though…
A battery is normally kinda slick or smooth and the OP’s group 35 IIRC battery weighs 40-50 pounds, so something you don’t normally try to shake… lol
I have just by moving a battery heard the water/acid moving around in it…
I think we need to get away from this whole someone shook the battery thing.. imho
OP, it has now been 7 days, so nothing we say will change your mind one way or another it seems, so replace the battery or not is up to you…
If this was going to be one of my kids, I would just replace the battery for piece of mind, and it seems like you will NOT have piece of mind unless you replace the battery…
If anyone else, I would just tell them, hey the battery may need replacing soon, keep an eye on it…
It is not 8.4 volt.
It actually read 84 - owner of the shop said its cranking amp - new batt gave 100 amp on the same device.
Also voltages are equal to the new battery I purchased.
BTW: Shook or Shake ≠ Handle
It happened to me the first time but a reputable repair shop demoed me the slosh sound by little shaking and said nothing wrong with it. Perhaps this old battery is a little low on the fluid.
Cold cranking amps are always way more than 84 or 100. They are typically rated in the 500-850 range. I understand that you said it wasn’t voltage, but it could be that the battery didn’t drop below 8.4 volts when the battery was load tested, which would indicate that it’s still healthy.
How old is the battery? In my area, 6 years is about what I get. I’ve never had a battery last 7 years, but I’ve never had one last less than 6 either. When a battery hits that 6 year mark, I’m on high alert, and the second the battery shows any sign of failure (slow cranking is usually what I notice first) it gets replaced. A battery’s lifespan can vary upon climate and usage, but if this battery is more than 5 to 7 years old, it could already be on it’s last legs.
From the numbers listed, it appears to be cranking volts, not amps. Dropping to 10.5 on a new battery would be reasonable. Dropping to 8.4 is dead and the notion that 6 volts is the lower threshold tells me these guys don’t know squat.
I can’t believe you guys are STILL talking about this darn battery after 9 days 
@sciconf Replace it already and find something else to obsess about
If he drags it out long enough, the battery will die of natural causes anyway… 
If it wasn’t for battery talk and Lexus talk, there would hardly b3 any conversation at all. Then just throw something in from ten years ago ?
Is it this place, folks not interested in cars anymore? Just kinda thinking on this 4th of July and our forefathers.