suddenly i start seeing the perils in terms of a Prius owner! sheesh!!
Actually, their perils are less. The battery is much more sufficient for that first start in the morning than youâll ever buy normally, and the motor and high output charging capacity will stay running as long as necessary.
i rather thought that might be the case; itâs encouraging if true, since the technology of electric powered transportation s/b of huge benefit in addressing some of the critical problems of environmental pollution and degeneration.
thanks.
Buy a good battery. Sears or anyone willing to provide the spec battery. That is why we have engineering specs. People will rant and rave about batteries but most batteries die due to age or owner abuse. Its mostly the owners who think their batteries are magic powercells powered by sales pitches who rant here though.
Back to basics, Last battery I bought from napa I based on CCA as I live in WI. It was confirmed by the price, previous experience and salesperson. Sure maybe I only need 575 cca, but at 20 below 875 cca will start the car while 575 cca will not. I moved to FL and lived there a number of years and then moved to North Dakota and find it hard not to believe CCA is not the final grade for battery quality.
The account you give runs very parallel to my own laymanâs thinking, about batteries. Iâve nearly always bought DieHardsâthe one specified for my vehicle, and in the lower price bracket. But I have never had the practical problemâextremes of cold temperaturesâof your account.
Sears in Detroit, day before xMas, told me,
âThis is the DieHard for your truck.â They installed it.
Itâs rated at 585CCA.
I just presume, being theyâre a Sears company, that
this job is so commonplace with them, that they do not err, in installing a battery adequate to handle winter temperature ranges in this territory.
Thanks for that interesting note.
I use Sears because theyâre nigh ubiquitous, and if one has a problem with some mechanical performance from their shop, any Sears anywhere will make good and fix the errors. It has been my actual experience.
In the case of the battery that wonât âgoâ however, the âclose-by shopâ rationale isnât reliable at all.
i rather thought that might be the case; itâs encouraging if true, since the technology of electric powered transportation s/b of huge benefit in addressing some of the critical problems of environmental pollution and degeneration.
thanks.
To be a little more specific, lead acid batteries are more prone to cold weather problems while the nickel metal hydride used in the Prius is not. Itâs battery is considered ânon toxicâ, good cold weather performance and has more recharge cycles. But, in larger packs for greater range, it is prohibited from being built by patent rights. The RAV4 EV was and is capable of over 80 miles per charge using them, in any weather. Replacement batteries in these 12 year old cars are no where to be found because of these patent rights. Thatâs the big joke and why lithium is the only temp and expensive. alternative !
. . . prohibited from being built by patent rights
rights! aha! --thought so.
Anyway, Iâd rather hear the straight-up truth, than be wearied by schpinnmeistersâ ceaseless corporate flapdoodle.
Thanks for putting that on the line.
The batteries still donât have the storage density of lithium but are safer and more functional in cold climates than lead and have excellent recharge cycles. It certainly could give you decent miles per charge.
Many years ago I went to sears to buy a battery for my '63 chevy. I wanted to get a size 27 battery, instead of the size 24 that the car normally uses. The reason or doing this was that the #27 had a higher CCA rating and was also heavier than #24(for the same price). With a perfectly straight face the salesman said he wouldnât sell me that battery because it would explode and that it would not fit in my car. He then wrote on the receipt that the battery guarantee was invalid. Needless to say, I installed the battery and had no subsequent problems with it.
My husband has an '05 Mustang. Purchased a new battery in south Florida at a Sears that used to be a good place to go, but has declined to the point we donât go there anymore. In November in NJ, when the cold weather hit, the car was reluctant to start. He took it to the Sears Automotive in Eatontown, which is a great facility that we always deal with. They honored the warranty and told him the problem was that he had bought a âSouthernâ battery that would not handle the transition to the cold well. However, he also said that the âNorthernâ battery would be OK to go south.
I did a google search on âNorth and Southâ auto batteries. Below is a web site with some info on the topic. Some battery mfgâs do make auto batteries specâd for the north and south. CCA is still key and all batteries need sufficient CCA based on the vehicle they are installed into. In the south RC (reserve capacity) is more important. So, there are differences, but Iâm still researching to learn more about them.
http://www.pacificpowerbatteries.com/aboutbatts/car%20battery%20faq/carfaq7.html
I remember looking at the Montgomery Ward catalog back in the early 1950âs before any of the U.S. manufacturers went to the 12 volt system. All batteries were 6 volt. At any rate, there was a bottom of the line battery for under $10 that was recommended only for warm climates.
Maybe Searsâ employees generally do not have the best ratings in terms of credibility but one thin i know for sure is that what this salesman told youhas some truth to it!! it is proven. My former Employer, a seasoned and successful mechanic for over 45 years, retired to a caribbean island. of course he purchased the best batteries on the market (expensive and with high CCA) for his vehicles thereâŠalas⊠them top rated batteries barely lasted the year⊠he found it extremely puzzling but opted to relpace them with the cheapest ones he could find in NYC⊠low CCA and all ⊠Surprise!! over two years passed and they are still goingâŠ
They were not built to cater to cold climate, i guess
8 year old thread and saying top rated batteries only last a year . I donât think what you posted about batteries is based on fact .
In cold climates go for the max cca available, in hot climates donât worry about it because heat kills the batteries.
Heat is definitely tough on car batteries. Itâs conceivable a Sears located in Minnesota would sell different battery models than a Sears in Florida for that reason.