New battery.

Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> Where is this grd strap?? I assume without looking on the negative
> clamp side???

Right.

> Maybe you might get one of those charger/maintainers, like the one
> I got at J.C. Whitney (Specifically for the Miata), and keep that
> new battery maintained until the day you need it. Was only 29.95
> or 29.99, with shipping came to around $38.99.

I have one, that doesn't help a car that's driven almost every day.



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On Feb 8, 7:38 am, XS11E > wrote:
> Jazz_Azz > wrote:
> > Where is this grd strap?? I assume without looking on the negative
> > clamp side???
>
> Right.
>
> > Maybe you might get one of those charger/maintainers, like the one
> > I got at J.C. Whitney (Specifically for the Miata), and keep that
> > new battery maintained until the day you need it. Was only 29.95
> > or 29.99, with shipping came to around $38.99.
>
> I have one, that doesn't help a car that's driven almost every day.
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:http://improve-usenet.org

No I mean keeping your new Westco battery, soon arriving on the
maintainer, on your work bench, wherever. So that in the future when
you need it, it will be ready :-).

Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> No I mean keeping your new Westco battery, soon arriving on the
> maintainer, on your work bench, wherever. So that in the future
> when you need it, it will be ready :-).

Not a bad idea but I'm going to install it right away. I suspect the
old battery is good for who knows how much longer but I'd prefer a new
battery and one that doesn't require venting to the outside. I wish
now I hadn't spent the money but I did so I'm going to take advantage
or the benefits of the new battery and maybe keep the old one on the
charger as an emergency backup. It's small size will allow me to use
it as an emergency battery for my other vehicles if one of them should
suddenly die, it will fit in almost anything and has enough power to
start almost anything...


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On Feb 8, 11:21 am, XS11E > wrote:
> Jazz_Azz > wrote:
> > No I mean keeping your new Westco battery, soon arriving on the
> > maintainer, on your work bench, wherever. So that in the future
> > when you need it, it will be ready :-).
>
> Not a bad idea but I'm going to install it right away. I suspect the
> old battery is good for who knows how much longer but I'd prefer a new
> battery and one that doesn't require venting to the outside. I wish
> now I hadn't spent the money but I did so I'm going to take advantage
> or the benefits of the new battery and maybe keep the old one on the
> charger as an emergency backup. It's small size will allow me to use
> it as an emergency battery for my other vehicles if one of them should
> suddenly die, it will fit in almost anything and has enough power to
> start almost anything...
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:http://improve-usenet.org

Why doesn't the Westco require venting to the outside? I thought that
that was necessary being in the trunk, and fumes being able to maybe
get into the passenger area. I would really be leary of that.

In article
>,
Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> Why doesn't the Westco require venting to the outside?

Because it's a sealed AGM (absorbed glass mat) design, not the typical
automotive lead-acid type. WestCo claims it produces so little hydrogen
gas that venting is not necessary. In fact, there are nipples for
attaching the Miata's existing vent tubes, but they dead-end inside the
battery case and don't really vent anything.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

On Feb 8, 2:59 pm, Lanny Chambers > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> Jazz_Azz > wrote:
> > Why doesn't the Westco require venting to the outside?
>
> Because it's a sealed AGM (absorbed glass mat) design, not the typical
> automotive lead-acid type. WestCo claims it produces so little hydrogen
> gas that venting is not necessary. In fact, there are nipples for
> attaching the Miata's existing vent tubes, but they dead-end inside the
> battery case and don't really vent anything.
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers
> St. Louis, MO
> '94C

Wasn't the original Miata OEM battery (Made by Panasonic, I believe,
mine a 2000) an AGM??? If so, it came ventgd.

In article
>,
Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> Wasn't the original Miata OEM battery (Made by Panasonic, I believe,
> mine a 2000) an AGM??? If so, it came ventgd.

Yes. I can't say whether they were vented; when I bought my car used, it
already had a replacement lead-acid battery. Presumably, some AAA
knuckle dragger had ruined the factory AGM attempting a fast charge.

A simple light minder would've saved thousands of Panasonic AGMs from
needless ruin. All it takes is leaving the parking lights on while at
work, then getting "help" from someone not familiar with AGM technology.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

XS11E > wrote:

> XS11E > wrote:
>
>> I ordered a Westco online, it should be here in 5 - 6 days.
>
> Westco will be here tomorrow according to UPS tracking site.
>
> I hoped I could get the old battery to charge enough to move the
> car, when I tried to hook the charger to it I found the ground
> strap broken between the battery and the clamp that holds the
> cable to the body, right above the battery.
>
> A quick trip to AutoZone, new ground cable and now the car cranks
> over like a new battery! The battery is a Mazda one, it looks
> fairly new.
>
> I think I just wasted a whole bunch of money.... <sigh> I should
> have looked before ordering....

Weird.... I've slain some gremlins with the new Westco battery. My
driver's side window is no longer slow, I've not had the headlights
refuse to pop up and a few other very minor things are no longer
happening since I installed the new battery. OK, I know it's not the
battery, it had to have been the partially broken ground strap no
allowing full power to window motors, headlight motors, etc.

Oh, golly gee whiz how I wish I'd looked carefully at that ground strap
and maybe I would have noticed it was frayed????? Or maybe not, it
broke right where it passes throught the body ground strap right about
the negative terminal and next to the power antenna, it's pretty well
tucked away out of the light.


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On Feb 8, 6:28 pm, Lanny Chambers > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> Jazz_Azz > wrote:
> > Wasn't the original Miata OEM battery (Made by Panasonic, I believe,
> > mine a 2000) an AGM??? If so, it came ventgd.
>
> Yes. I can't say whether they were vented; when I bought my car used, it
> already had a replacement lead-acid battery. Presumably, some AAA
> knuckle dragger had ruined the factory AGM attempting a fast charge.
>
> A simple light minder would've saved thousands of Panasonic AGMs from
> needless ruin. All it takes is leaving the parking lights on while at
> work, then getting "help" from someone not familiar with AGM technology.
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers
> St. Louis, MO
> '94C

I guess that I was lucky. Shortly after getting our 2000 Miata, we
went to the Mammoth Lake Jazz Fest. And where we were staying, you
were supposed to park in the space assigned to your room. Well, when
we got there someone was in our covered space. So I kept an eye out
for the IDIOT to finally move, and when they had, I moved my car to
the proper spot. Planning on leaving it there. Everything was within
walking or the free shuttle distance. Anyway, after moving my car, I
had taken a brochure or something to look at, it this under the inn,
covered parking area. Four days later, when we were ready to leave, I
discovered that I had left the over head light on the entire four
days. Needless to say>>>>>ONE DEAD BATTERY. So dead, in fact, that the
helpful guy next to me, even leaving his car running, while he went to
finish packing, did not help. I finally called the local Allstate
Motor Club guy, probably also the AAA guy. And he got me going
straight away. I had to leave my car running while we gassed up,
couldn't take a chance of being dead again. Then headed home, Back
across Yosemite and home. Battery lasted its' life time. I replaced it
after 5 yrs. not wanting to push that little toy battery>LOL. But
after sitting days, especially during winter, you could definitely
tell the difference of start ups, etc.

One time after driving to a friends for lunch, maybe 40>50 miles away,
upon leaving, he asked, "Have you had that battery checked?" I said,
"Nah, that is normal for this car/battery." Glad I have it hooked up
to my charger/maintainer now. Each time, like driving out a store with
a brand spanking new one. Now even though summer was just a few months
back, my memory can not recall how well it started after a week or
nearly two of just being parked, whether or not I will leave the
maintainer connected year round or not, I haven't decided. Sure was
well were the $38.00 cost (WITH shipping, under $30.00 for the charger
itself).

When the service/parts guy at the dealer ship once told me that with
that car/battery, you need to run it at least once a week, he was not
kidding :-).

To all of you that use your Miata every single day, as your commute
vehicle, probably will never be a problem. But being retired with
three vehicles to keep running, it's another matter :-).

In article
>,
Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> I guess that I was lucky. Shortly after getting our 2000 Miata...

IIRC, the NB came with a normal lead-acid battery, not an AGM.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C