Sky high battery costs, and dropping warranties

[Ecomike]

My wizbang battery desulfator showed up. Looks very well built.

I am a little concerned it is not sealed, not water tight.

I just ordered one of these for tests:

http://www.wizbangplus.com/

$30 delivered.

Also available at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Wizbang-Batte...1357584642&sr=1-1&keywords=Wizbang+Desulfator

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Seal it up with some epoxy.

 

[Ecomike]

Seal it up with some epoxy.

Why epoxy? That would make it hard to open and service? I may add a fuse to it since I do not see one inside the box.

 

[Ecomike]

My wizbangplus is installed and working on the 89 Cherokee XJ. I tried to start the jeep today before installing it, and the 15 month old battery had finally gotten so bad, even with a weekly start and run, to charge it for 10-20 minutes each week, that today it cranked so slowly (renix) it would not start.

It was still fully charged, but no doubt too sulfated (and too cold) to give me enough power. It barely turned over. I knew it was close to doing this the last 3 weeks, which is why I was shopping for one of these. It is a gold top Autozone battery, new 9/11, or 15 months old, and the jeep has been sitting since March 2012 (Body and suspension fender bender work, nearly done).

So the wizbankplus desulfator went in, let it run 30 minutes and then tested it and I got just enough crank speed to fire it up. NICE!! I am impressed!!! Will retest in a few days.

 

[Ecomike]

A weeks worth of battery recovery (charging and desulfating) testing wasted, shot, kaput, !!!1

all because I did not tell my fully grown kids not to eat the DAISIES!!!!!

AHHRRRGGHHH.

:soapbox:

:doh:

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

I had the wizbangplus and the Harbor Freight slow trickle / float charger connected for 6 days to continue desulfating the battery and trickle charging it. Someone decided the extension cord was in the way and unplugged it,..... 5 days ago!!!!

Now I think I need a large base ball bat :dunno:

I got home today and tried to start the jeep, click, click, click nothing. So I disconnect the wizbangplus and put my volt meter on it and I have 11.08 V with the trickle charger still attached. 6 Days ago it still cranked, barely but it did crank.

WHAT???

So I disconnect the charger, and the voltage increases, a little to 11.18V


WHAT?

So I test the Trickle Charger output, 0.00 V

What?

I follow the extension cord.....

:doh:

So now I have a LARGE CLEAR MESSAGE attached the extension cord plug at the wall plug!!!

:twak:

Oh, and the kid, the one that unplugged it, says it is MY fault!!!! LOL

I need a bigger bat folks!!! Or I need to get a full time message writer.

 

[heyhar]

Now you know why guppies eat their young...

 

[Ecomike]

Because they like indigestion? LOL

 

[Ecomike]

Did some battery shopping online today. O'Reily's, Autozone and Walmart. Walmart was $45 cheaper for a 3 year free battery replacement warranty for an equal specs battery. I was a little shocked. I need one for the new to me 89 4WD (not the 2 WD, 89 I posted about last night). Still charging the 16 month old Autozone battery that had its charger power hijacked by the KID this week in that one to see if it can be recovered.

 

[Ecomike]

Gotta love these $45 Walmart saving deals that no one has in stock, what a scam!!! So I passed on Wallyword this time and did some more shopping,

I ended up at Sears of all places, got a DieHard, 2 year free replacement with a 72 month prorated warranty. Sears has kept the prorated warranties folks!!!!

I got the best battery they had. It was $96, but I asked a silly question (joking) and the guy gave me a 10% discount!!!!party1:

"Make My Day"

Got the new to me 89 Renix 4wd running again today!!!

 

[Ecomike]

So after about 14 hours on the $6 Harbor Freight 1 amp (120 VAC)) 12 VDC charger I went out to see if the battery could crank out all. Note this is just a trickle charger and the battery was only reading 11.18 V Friday night.

I was shocked!!!! It cranked up fast and furious like a new battery!!!!party1:

I think the wizbangplus desulfator did something good here this past 2 weeks. I will continue testing!!!

A weeks worth of battery recovery (charging and desulfating) testing wasted, shot, kaput, !!!1

all because I did not tell my fully grown kids not to eat the DAISIES!!!!!

AHHRRRGGHHH.

:soapbox:

:doh:

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

I had the wizbangplus and the Harbor Freight slow trickle / float charger connected for 6 days to continue desulfating the battery and trickle charging it. Someone decided the extension cord was in the way and unplugged it,..... 5 days ago!!!!

Now I think I need a large base ball bat :dunno:

I got home today and tried to start the jeep, click, click, click nothing. So I disconnect the wizbangplus and put my volt meter on it and I have 11.08 V with the trickle charger still attached. 6 Days ago it still cranked, barely but it did crank.

WHAT???

So I disconnect the charger, and the voltage increases, a little to 11.18V


WHAT?

So I test the Trickle Charger output, 0.00 V

What?

I follow the extension cord.....

:doh:

So now I have a LARGE CLEAR MESSAGE attached the extension cord plug at the wall plug!!!

:twak:

Oh, and the kid, the one that unplugged it, says it is MY fault!!!! LOL

I need a bigger bat folks!!! Or I need to get a full time message writer.

 

[Ecomike]

Well the verdict is in, the Wizbangplus desulfator (in combination with a $6 Harbur freight trickle charger) restored a dead Autozone gold top that was dead mostly from sulfation of the plates (the last 12 months) followed by a complete draining to 11 volts (by accident), from setting up unused for 12 months (only used to start and run the engine once every 1-2 weeks for 5 minutes), etc (details in the older posts below)....

The battery now acts like a brand new battery, which surprised even me. I let the trickle charger run with the desulfator for the last 9 days. I originally ran the desulfator only for about 8 days.

From what I have read, and my first results here, the trick may be to let the desulfator run first, by itself, for a few days, then add the trickle-float charger to the desulfator and let it slowly work for a week or two.

I may wire the two together, with separate power, on-off toggle switches.

 

[Ecomike]

Success!!!!!

I let the jeep sit for 9 days, with no charger, no desulfator, and I tried to start it today, and the battery still acts like a brand new battery (post desulfator treatment). It cranks very fast and started with no problem, so I am now convinced the desulfator I bought ( wizbangplus ) worked, as this battery was toast (was no longer able to crank the starter, even after a recharge) from a lack of use sitting for 13 months.

I am now shopping for some 36 and 48 volt versions for the electric forklift batteries at the plant I do consulting work for. They are almost ready for new batteries, and those monsters are $$$$$$$. It will be interesting to see if they can restore full capacity to those battery packs!!!

 

[cdrake261]

My old duralast battery in my XJ finally took a dump....replcaed it with an interstate battery

 

[MAY POP]

How is the battery holding up after 2 months?
Just curious as Farm and Fleet has a Group 34 AGM on sale for 115 bucks. Or do I try a desulfator on this battery.

Ron

 

[Ecomike]

How is the battery holding up after 2 months?
Just curious as Farm and Fleet has a Group 34 AGM on sale for 115 bucks. Or do I try a desulfator on this battery.

Ron

Battery is working perfectly. Pulled the desulfator off it about 8 weeks ago. Jeep has been a DD since. Also we used a BLS-48, 48 Volt one on a company electric forklift battery and got an $8000 battery that was literally on its last legs running like brand new after about 6 weeks. Both have far exceeded my expectations.

 

[doublexl]

Not to dredge up old talk about prorate warranty and such, but i work for Wal-mart and the battery rep came in the other day and told us that Wal-mart is now putting a 2 year prorate warranty on all 3 year free replacement batteries. Even the batteries sold "without prorate" will have it, because so many people were upset about it.