|
|
Post by humanshield on Jan 11, 2017 10:50:45 GMT -5
It's time to get new batteries for my vans.
Where do you get Automotive batteries?
I wish I could make my own car batteries. Seems most car batteries today were designed to make a profit for the retailer first and foremost. And big retailers have found ways to deny even the best of warranties. It's a game I get tired of playing.
I wonder if PirateLabs has any suggestions?
Are Sears DieHard batteries Good? What about Interstate Batteries?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 11:00:00 GMT -5
I get mine from our local Batteries Plus store. They may not be the very best out there but, they stand behind their products no questions asked. Also, when you go in there and they look up the battery for your vehicle and tell you it is $122.78 (or whatever) ask if they have any "scratch and dent" batteries in the back. I have done this 2 times now and got perfect looking batteries for $50 each!!! My last one from them lasted almost 5 years.
If the guy there is good, he can find a battery to fit your van by giving you one with the posts on opposite sides which simply means you install the battery with the label upside down...everything else is the same.
That's my 2 cents but I almost crapped when I checked all of my other local suppliers and I could have paid over $150 for the same sized battery. None were cheaper than like $128.00.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
Bill
|
|
|
|
Post by Senna1Rossi on Jan 11, 2017 11:42:12 GMT -5
if it's just for regular cars, just go to Walmart. I think they have like 5 year free exchange on their batteries
|
|
|
|
Post by 90GTVert on Jan 11, 2017 12:54:39 GMT -5
The last 2 for the truck were from Advance Auto Parts. Their store brand, Autocraft. I exchanged the first within a year and they said that battery had been discontinued because of issues with it and gave me no problem with the warranty. The second is dying on me a year later, but the truck has had some sort of draw for a while now so I can't really blame the battery there.
So far so good with Duralast Golds from Autozone. The only reason I didn't go back there for another is that my friend since kindergarten moved from managing Autozone to Advance. Based on minimal experience with the Autocrafts, I think I'd go back to Duralast otherwise.
I have abused some Optima red tops before and been impressed, but they aren't a great budget friendly choice. I talked my mother into one in her previous Mustang and it lasted 7-8 years. The first one in my Mustang lasted almost as long, and I left it unattended long term when doing engine swaps or the turbo and things like that and I even drained it low enough that the car couldn't run anymore a few times midway through it's life with an alternator issue. 2nd one was still kicking when the car was sold.
Nothing scientific here, just real world experiences with mine and family's personal vehicles.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cincikid on Jan 11, 2017 13:06:44 GMT -5
I was in Autozone today and overheard one of the employees telling a guy: AZ batteries are transferable all over the US. Advanced is also but you have to call the store you purchased from and give your receipt number, they then give you a number to give the store your currently at and maybe they can pull it up. He may have been full of it. IDK.
|
|
|
|
Post by spaz12 on Jan 11, 2017 13:23:34 GMT -5
PirateLabs could probably tell us more about caps. I just had to replace a battery in my car and it was insanely expensive so I started researching alternatives. Seems like some super capacitors and a small solar panel would be awesome. And wouldn't need the solar panel if you used the car everyday. Anyway, this guy has a lot of videos. He's even updated the video I'm sharing
|
|
|
|
Post by jeff84 on Jan 11, 2017 14:15:17 GMT -5
if I were that guy I would cover all that exposed copper with silicone, caps can produce a heck of an explosion
|
|
|
|
Post by gsx600racer on Jan 11, 2017 14:22:19 GMT -5
It's time to get new batteries for my vans. Where do you get Automotive batteries? I wish I could make my own car batteries. Seems most car batteries today were designed to make a profit for the retailer first and foremost. And big retailers have found ways to deny even the best of warranties. It's a game I get tired of playing. I wonder if PirateLabs has any suggestions? Are Sears DieHard batteries Good? What about Interstate Batteries? Interstate batteries are good if not one of better brand batteries out there, but you will pay a premium for them. Most cheaper batteries are made from recycle lead, they seem to not last as long. I remember when in my 20's, Diehard batteries would last 7-8 years. Now most last 4-6. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 16:07:40 GMT -5
PirateLabs could probably tell us more about caps. I just had to replace a battery in my car and it was insanely expensive so I started researching alternatives. Seems like some super capacitors and a small solar panel would be awesome. And wouldn't need the solar panel if you used the car everyday. Anyway, this guy has a lot of videos. He's even updated the video I'm sharing Supercaps are cool, and I have been playing with them for a long time now. The ones Lasersaber is using in this video are maxwell boostcaps..sort of a hybrid battery/capacitor in that is has a liquid electrolyte. Those are, if I remember right, 3,000 Farad caps each @2.7 volts so he needs 6 of them. Those cost well over $100 each now so, that is a lot of money to play with. You used to be able to get those on the surplus market for about $20 each. Since he has those caps wired in series his total capacitance is still around 3,000 Farad which comes no where near the amp/hours of power available in a car lead acid battery. Bill |
|
|
|
Post by spaz12 on Jan 11, 2017 20:11:58 GMT -5
if I were that guy I would cover all that exposed copper with silicone, caps can produce a heck of an explosion In another video he remakes it and it looks like mos batteries. That was just a proof of concept. |
|
|
|
Post by spaz12 on Jan 11, 2017 20:17:35 GMT -5
PirateLabs could probably tell us more about caps. I just had to replace a battery in my car and it was insanely expensive so I started researching alternatives. Seems like some super capacitors and a small solar panel would be awesome. And wouldn't need the solar panel if you used the car everyday. Anyway, this guy has a lot of videos. He's even updated the video I'm sharing Supercaps are cool, and I have been playing with them for a long time now. The ones Lasersaber is using in this video are maxwell boostcaps..sort of a hybrid battery/capacitor in that is has a liquid electrolyte. Those are, if I remember right, 3,000 Farad caps each @2.7 volts so he needs 6 of them. Those cost well over $100 each now so, that is a lot of money to play with. You used to be able to get those on the surplus market for about $20 each. Since he has those caps wired in series his total capacitance is still around 3,000 Farad which comes no where near the amp/hours of power available in a car lead acid battery. Bill Did you watch the video? He started the car many times, killing it quickly between starts. Seemed to do good (for a 4 cylinder). In a later video he let's it sit for 4 days to see if it will still start and to see how much bleeds off. It goes all the way down to 10 volts but still starts the car. But then hooks up a tiny solar panel to it and it charges right away. I thought it was interesting, won't be doing it myself, but thought others might like it as well. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 21:02:17 GMT -5
Supercaps are cool, and I have been playing with them for a long time now. The ones Lasersaber is using in this video are maxwell boostcaps..sort of a hybrid battery/capacitor in that is has a liquid electrolyte. Those are, if I remember right, 3,000 Farad caps each @2.7 volts so he needs 6 of them. Those cost well over $100 each now so, that is a lot of money to play with. You used to be able to get those on the surplus market for about $20 each. Since he has those caps wired in series his total capacitance is still around 3,000 Farad which comes no where near the amp/hours of power available in a car lead acid battery. Bill Did you watch the video? He started the car many times, killing it quickly between starts. Seemed to do good (for a 4 cylinder). In a later video he let's it sit for 4 days to see if it will still start and to see how much bleeds off. It goes all the way down to 10 volts but still starts the car. But then hooks up a tiny solar panel to it and it charges right away. I thought it was interesting, won't be doing it myself, but thought others might like it as well. Spaz: I have known this fellow for years...he used to be on an energy research website I was a moderator on. Yes, I have seen his videos including this one, years ago. I am just telling you it is simple math. If you want, I can dig up the formulas and you can do it yourself but, 3,000 Farads is not even on the same planet as the amount of energy available in a lead/acid battery the size of even our scoot bats. You can buy jump packs the size of 2 packs of cigarettes that will start your car..they use lithium-ion battery packs. You would never want to use one of them to RUN your car however. I am sure you know this but since our vehicles no longer have generators, but alternators, they will not run without a battery. Everything on your car runs off the battery...the spark, lights, all electrical...everything. Put it this way...3,000 farads is not much more than a few AA batteries...now stack that up against your car battery....see? Bill PS I am not saying what LS is doing is not cool...it is. What the supercap offers is very low internal resistance and they can charge up and store energy very fast...waaaay faster than a lead/acid battery...or probably any other type of battery. I am of the mind that as nano tech improves, these caps will get a lot better and then...I do believe they will replace all batteries in everything...just not there yet. ***EDIT*** I just looked it up, a 3,000 F supercap at 2.7 volts has 3 watt/hours of energy in it...that is the same as ONE AA battery. So, that pack is equal to about 6 AA batteries. |
|
|
|
Post by humanshield on Jan 11, 2017 22:57:56 GMT -5
Did you watch the video? He started the car many times, killing it quickly between starts. Seemed to do good (for a 4 cylinder). In a later video he let's it sit for 4 days to see if it will still start and to see how much bleeds off. It goes all the way down to 10 volts but still starts the car. But then hooks up a tiny solar panel to it and it charges right away. I thought it was interesting, won't be doing it myself, but thought others might like it as well. Spaz: I have known this fellow for years...he used to be on an energy research website I was a moderator on. Yes, I have seen his videos including this one, years ago. I am just telling you it is simple math. If you want, I can dig up the formulas and you can do it yourself but, 3,000 Farads is not even on the same planet as the amount of energy available in a lead/acid battery the size of even our scoot bats. You can buy jump packs the size of 2 packs of cigarettes that will start your car..they use lithium-ion battery packs. You would never want to use one of them to RUN your car however. I am sure you know this but since our vehicles no longer have generators, but alternators, they will not run without a battery. Everything on your car runs off the battery...the spark, lights, all electrical...everything. Put it this way...3,000 farads is not much more than a few AA batteries...now stack that up against your car battery....see? Bill PS I am not saying what LS is doing is not cool...it is. What the supercap offers is very low internal resistance and they can charge up and store energy very fast...waaaay faster than a lead/acid battery...or probably any other type of battery. I am of the mind that as nano tech improves, these caps will get a lot better and then...I do believe they will replace all batteries in everything...just not there yet. ***EDIT*** I just looked it up, a 3,000 F supercap at 2.7 volts has 3 watt/hours of energy in it...that is the same as ONE AA battery. So, that pack is equal to about 6 AA batteries. This is what I thought I know about car batteries and charging systems....but if wrong, "learn" me something lol The battery is mainly there for starting. Once started, the alternator does most of the work. If you disconnect the battery, some cars will keep running. Todays alternators are precisely regulated to keep the voltage within a narrow range. And since batteries "can" and often do fail, modern alternators are usually internally protected against overload. The battery has been described as a power bank....the alternator makes deposits into it and the cars electrical system only makes withdrawals when the alternator either cannot supply enough voltage and current or during starting, before the alternator is spinning. You can verify this if you put your headlights on at night near a wall...bring the engine rpms up and if you look closely you will see a slight increase in brightness as the alternator output peaks...especially if you have a very low idle although most modern alternators are designed to put out their near peak voltage even at idle. If your car is relying too heavily on the battery, you have an alternator problem brewing because car electrical systems are designed so that the alternator whether 50amp, 80amp or 150amp can supply ALL the electrical needs of the vehicle ONCE it's running. Oh, and the alternator is rectified so the output to the battery is already DC (you can't charge a battery with AC current). Now if your alternator is marginal and you're at idle and you turn on a high current draw accessory like the headlights, the sudden spike might shut the motor off. That said.....the battery does act as a buffer to smooth out any voltage spikes (very much like a capacitor in an electrical circuit) so it's not good to try driving around without a battery. But that supercap thing is on the track I am looking for. That or building my own lead acid wet cell batteries. Lead should NOT be that expensive! |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2017 10:47:52 GMT -5
Spaz: I have known this fellow for years...he used to be on an energy research website I was a moderator on. Yes, I have seen his videos including this one, years ago. I am just telling you it is simple math. If you want, I can dig up the formulas and you can do it yourself but, 3,000 Farads is not even on the same planet as the amount of energy available in a lead/acid battery the size of even our scoot bats. You can buy jump packs the size of 2 packs of cigarettes that will start your car..they use lithium-ion battery packs. You would never want to use one of them to RUN your car however. I am sure you know this but since our vehicles no longer have generators, but alternators, they will not run without a battery. Everything on your car runs off the battery...the spark, lights, all electrical...everything. Put it this way...3,000 farads is not much more than a few AA batteries...now stack that up against your car battery....see? Bill PS I am not saying what LS is doing is not cool...it is. What the supercap offers is very low internal resistance and they can charge up and store energy very fast...waaaay faster than a lead/acid battery...or probably any other type of battery. I am of the mind that as nano tech improves, these caps will get a lot better and then...I do believe they will replace all batteries in everything...just not there yet. ***EDIT*** I just looked it up, a 3,000 F supercap at 2.7 volts has 3 watt/hours of energy in it...that is the same as ONE AA battery. So, that pack is equal to about 6 AA batteries. This is what I thought I know about car batteries and charging systems....but if wrong, "learn" me something lol The battery is mainly there for starting. Once started, the alternator does most of the work. If you disconnect the battery, the car will keep running. Todays alternators are precisely regulated to keep the voltage within a narrow range. And since batteries "can" and often do fail, modern alternators are usually internally protected against overload. The battery has been described as a power bank....the alternator makes deposits into it and the cars electrical system only makes withdrawals when the alternator either cannot supply enough voltage and current or during starting, before the alternator is spinning. You can verify this if you put your headlights on at night near a wall...bring the engine rpms up and if you look closely you will see a slight increase in brightness as the alternator output peaks...especially if you have a very low idle although most modern alternators are designed to put out their near peak voltage even at idle. If your car is relying too heavily on the battery, you have an alternator problem brewing because car electrical systems are designed so that the alternator whether 50amp, 80amp or 150amp can supply ALL the electrical needs of the vehicle ONCE it's running. Oh, and the alternator is rectified so the output to the battery is already DC (you can't charge a battery with AC current). Now if your alternator is marginal and you're at idle and you turn on a high current draw accessory like the headlights, the sudden spike might shut the motor off. That said.....the battery does act as a buffer to smooth out any voltage spikes (very much like a capacitor in an electrical circuit) so it's not good to try driving around without a battery. But that supercap thing is on the track I am looking for. That or building my own lead acid wet cell batteries. Lead should NOT be that expensive! I just confirmed with the electronics guys here at work and, a modern vehicle will not run without a battery. He did tell me something I did not know...he said that the older alternators would let you run without a battery so I was wrong about the generator/alt. being the difference. They run a fleet of service vans here and it has been tried and the very late model vehicles need the battery to run. Bill |
|
|
|
Post by oldgeek on Jan 12, 2017 11:17:30 GMT -5
Supercaps are cool. I worked with rather large banks of them extensively during the summer of 2010. They are sort of a niche item IMO. The only real thing they have going for them is they are able to be charged and discharged RAPIDLY without problems for many cycles. Otherwise they are rather large, heavy and expensive. Dont over charge them though not even a half of a volt. The organic electrolyte in them creates a dense choking black smoke when overheated/burning.  |
|
