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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!ucdavis!deneb!ccrse
From: ccrse@ucdavis.UUCP (0058)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Re: Car Battery Problem?
Message-ID: <501@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Dec-85 14:15:06 EST
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.501
Posted: Mon Dec 23 14:15:06 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Dec-85 01:52:09 EST
References: <411@mhuxl.UUCP>
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 29

>My 1983 Datsun MAXIMA's battery (30 months old, 26400 miles) has gone dead
>twice within the past 3 weeks.  The car will readily start with a jump.  There
>have been no warning signs that the battery was weak, no other problems
>starting the car.  It is kept in a garage, so temperature is not a factor.
>The battery is a sealed maintenance-free one so the cells cannot be checked.
>After jumping it the first time, everything was fine until 3 weeks later when
>it was dead again.  The car was run earlier in the day with no incident.  That
>night I measured only 7.5V on the battery after it wouldn't start.  There is a
>voltmeter on the dash rather than an idiot light.  It shows that the battery is
>being charged OK.  I had the charging system checked anyway and it's OK.
>
>Does this sound like a bad battery problem or something more subtle?

After having just been through a similar experience with my car, I put my bet
on the battery.

Maintenance-free batteries can apperently exhibit some strange symptoms when
they're getting ready to die.  Mine appeared to be fine sometimes, nearly
dead (or dead) others.  The charging system appeared to be OK, and load-testing
the battery indicated that it was less than spectacular, but far from dead.
If the car starts readily when jumped, your starter is probably OK.

Try the following test on a weekend:  Hook the battery to a charger at least
overnight, then go out and turn on your headlights for about 15 minutes.
After this, try to start the car.  If it doesn't turn over, or just barely
turns over, you can figure its the battery, otherwise, have the charging
system checked more thoroughly.

Try