How long will my battery last?

Scott Streeter > wrote in message >...
> ... I've had batteries work on the ride to work and then just be dead to
> go home so it has happened suddenly. From what others have said here
> though I don't think I'm going to worry about it. Thanks all.

If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is
completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66
Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college.
(when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I
learned to park on hills.)

Joe

(Joe) writes:

> Scott Streeter > wrote in message >...
> > ... I've had batteries work on the ride to work and then just be dead to
> > go home so it has happened suddenly. From what others have said here
> > though I don't think I'm going to worry about it. Thanks all.
>
> If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is
> completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66
> Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college.
> (when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I
> learned to park on hills.)
>
> Joe

Of course it's a manual!

--
Scott Streeter

http://www.wpi.edu/~ss/

(Joe) wrote:

>Scott Streeter > wrote in message >...
>> ... I've had batteries work on the ride to work and then just be dead to
>> go home so it has happened suddenly. From what others have said here
>> though I don't think I'm going to worry about it. Thanks all.
>
>If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is
>completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66
>Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college.
> (when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I
>learned to park on hills.)

No big deal to it:

1) Stop car as far as possible behind car in front in case they
back up a little while driving away. The car behind you cannot
hurt you.

2) Always turn steer straight when parking on a hill, to avoid
long periods of sideways stress on critical steering components.

3) Do not use the manual brake since brakes may be very hot driving
hilly area, potentially causing the manual brake to stick.

4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.

5) Lock the doors so that kids cannot get in and knock it out of
gear.

6) After the car has stood for an elongated period parked on a hill,
grasp the side and shake it back and forward as hard as you can.
This stirs the oil, which has collected in a corner of the
crank case, reducing start-up wear.

It is surprising how many people here in Florida do not know how
to park on a hill.

Leon

>Joe

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

I grew up in Connecticut where car batteries would usually go end of life
during the winter. This happens because the stress on the battery in cold
weather is twofold: 1. the chemistry doesn't work near as well when you
reduce the temperature and 2. because oil is thicker it takes more amps for
the starter to turn the engine over. These factors conspire to create that
"whur, whurrrr, wwwhhhhhrrrrrrr response that someone pointed out is
indicative of a battery leaving the autotorium (...note the "auto".....).
When this happens, you should seriously consider changing out the battery
before it leaves you stranded, or not do so at your risk.

Then we moved to the Sonora Desert.

In Phoenix, the battery end of life notification rules change drastically. I
believe what happens is that conductive crud from the battery plates fills
up that space between the floor of the battery and the bottom of the plates.
Eventually, you get some cell discharge via this path (as opposed to
supplying the juice where it's needed in your car via the output terminals).
This is what happens in Connecticut as well, but with one significant
difference. In hot climates, the effects of poor chemical reaction with
temperature and stiff engines aren't there. As a result: one moment you are
driving with what appears to be an absolutely OK battery, you stop the car
to observe the scenery, get back in the car and try to start it and, "
". That's right....nothing. No wwwwwhhhhhrrrrrrrrr, maybe a "click, click"
as the solenoid attempts to initiate activity where none is to be found.
Life one moment; death the next.

Ken


"Larry Hill" > wrote in message
...
> >Well I have had batties "suddenly die". Just becaues it's never
> >happened to you doesn't mean it never happens.
>
> ME TOO! Larry HIll

I have a 1990, which I bought more than six years ago. I have never
changed the battery, which shows no sign of wear whatsoever. The battery is
a Mazda one, and I even wonder whether it could be the original equipment.
I intend to go on using this battery until a problem develops. I would
think you should do likewise. Perhaps because the batteries are in the
trunk, and are operating at a lower temperature than those in the engine
compartment, they last longer.


"Scott Streeter" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have a 2000 with the original battery still (4 1/2 years). I drive
> my car all year long so it's not sitting at all. Just wondering if I
> should be pro-active and change it now so I can avoid getting stuck
> becaues this would be the time period it would go considering the age
> and heading into winter...
>
> --
> Scott Streeter
>
> http://www.wpi.edu/~ss/

If the battery is really deader than the proverbial doornail, Push starting
successfully is about as likely as winning the Lottery. Electronic
ignitions, electric fuel pumps, and computers all require power. The
alternator will not even produce electricity without at least residual
magnetism to start with.
My 99 gets really flakey starting when the battery is still functional
enough to turn the engine over, yet not producing enough voltage under load
to make the ECU happy.

"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> (Joe) wrote:
>
>>Scott Streeter > wrote in message
>...
>>> ... I've had batteries work on the ride to work and then just be dead to
>>> go home so it has happened suddenly. From what others have said here
>>> though I don't think I'm going to worry about it. Thanks all.
>>
>>If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is
>>completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66
>>Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college.
>> (when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I
>>learned to park on hills.)
>
> No big deal to it:
>
> 1) Stop car as far as possible behind car in front in case they
> back up a little while driving away. The car behind you cannot
> hurt you.
>
> 2) Always turn steer straight when parking on a hill, to avoid
> long periods of sideways stress on critical steering components.
>
> 3) Do not use the manual brake since brakes may be very hot driving
> hilly area, potentially causing the manual brake to stick.
>
> 4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.
>
> 5) Lock the doors so that kids cannot get in and knock it out of
> gear.
>
> 6) After the car has stood for an elongated period parked on a hill,
> grasp the side and shake it back and forward as hard as you can.
> This stirs the oil, which has collected in a corner of the
> crank case, reducing start-up wear.
>
> It is surprising how many people here in Florida do not know how
> to park on a hill.
>
> Leon
>
>>Joe
>
> --
> Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
> http://www.dommelen.net/miata
> EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)


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"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> (Joe) wrote:
>
> 4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.
>

I believe first gear is a safer bet when parked on hills... It is much
easier to break the car from it's stand still in a high gear than lower.
Think about it, how many revolutions does the engine have to turn at 5mph
when in first as compared to fifth gear?

In article >,
"Bryan" > wrote:

> "Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
> ...
> > (Joe) wrote:
> >
> > 4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.
> >
>
> I believe first gear is a safer bet when parked on hills... It is much
> easier to break the car from it's stand still in a high gear than lower.
> Think about it, how many revolutions does the engine have to turn at 5mph
> when in first as compared to fifth gear?
>

Congratulations - You've been bit by our resident troll/moron. I've
found a real good rule of thumb for dealing with anything this
self-proclaimed humorist has to say: Do *EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE* in every
detail.

Not sure if he's TRYING to get somebody hurt/killed with his dip****
"advice", if he's actually stupid enough to think that he's being funny,
or if he's just completely clueless, but it's clear that whatever the
case is, he's got nothing absolutely useful to say on any topic that has
anything to do with "the right way to do something."

--
Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in the
subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address.
See <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> for full details.

"Leon van Dommelen" > wrote in message
...
> No big deal to it:
>
> 1) Stop car as far as possible behind car in front in case they
> back up a little while driving away. The car behind you cannot
> hurt you.
>
> 2) Always turn steer straight when parking on a hill, to avoid
> long periods of sideways stress on critical steering components.
>
> 3) Do not use the manual brake since brakes may be very hot driving
> hilly area, potentially causing the manual brake to stick.
>
> 4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.
>
> 5) Lock the doors so that kids cannot get in and knock it out of
> gear.
>
> 6) After the car has stood for an elongated period parked on a hill,
> grasp the side and shake it back and forward as hard as you can.
> This stirs the oil, which has collected in a corner of the
> crank case, reducing start-up wear.
>
> It is surprising how many people here in Florida do not know how
> to park on a hill.
>
> Leon
I can't tell if this is supposed to be a joke, or if the poster is serious
????

the ONLY piece of parking advice that makes any sense is 5! Everything else
is not only stupid, but in many areas will earn you a PARKING TICKET!!!

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE!!! you could kill someone (or worse ) wreck your
Miata!!!!

(Leon van Dommelen) wrote in message >. ..
> (Joe) wrote:
>
> >Scott Streeter > wrote in message >...
> ...
> >If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is
> >completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66
> >Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college.
> > (when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I
> >learned to park on hills.)
>
> No big deal to it:...
> Leon

Hah! After everyone's, uhm, concern about hill parking... I live in
Indiana, so what I call a hill, isn't. Actually, the '66 full sized,
heavy as hell truck didn't have parking brakes (no cable), and hardly
had standard brakes (no pads) when I got it. I did leave it in 1st
and on more than one occasion found it somewhere other than where I'd
left it. (there is a dent in Dad's barn still) The doors didn't
lock, the transmission linkage was so bad, only one other guy was even
able to get it into a gear at school. There was no column lock, so
parking with the wheels turned to the curb wouldn't have been a real
deterent anyway.

It had 2 1/2 seat belts, but they we just bolted to the rusted out
floor pan, so I didn't recommend there use.

I drove 3 hrs to school. I'd have to stop half way and add oil, so it
was not only a danger to my self and everyone else on the road (and in
the parking lot), but also the environement.

The truck has been retired.
Joe