maintenance batteries...

[r0tor]

So yesterday morning the RX-8 started very begrudgingly.  It seemed OK after that so I thought nothing of it.  Went to start it this morning and once again it protested and barely got going.  So tonight I did the prudent thing and replaced the battery (got a smoking deal from a guy I know that owns a NAPA store)....

So I just got done replacing it, took it for a test run in the snow.... and all is good.  I looked at the old battery and "WFT!?!? Its a maintenance battery?!?!" blurted from my mouth.  Who the hell puts a maintenance type battery on a car in the 2000's???

Sure enough the level was low.  Probably could have just topped it off and I would have been fine.  Apparently my stealership is also either a bunch of jackasses or lazy since they also always checked off the battery level on Mazda's multi-point inspection you get at an oil change...

-sigh-

[Eye of the Tiger]

Little spinny motor doesn't take too many cranking amps. Stock battery is probably from a motorcycle. 

[S204STi]

Yeah I've noticed Honda selling maintenance batteries from the factory as well.  All the replacements are non-maintenance though.

[r0tor]

Little spinny motor doesn't take too many cranking amps. Stock battery is probably from a motorcycle. 

my gerbils scoff at you 

[Danish]

I've bought two maintenance batteries in the past three months

[r0tor]

i thought they pretty much died in the 80's -shrug-

[Danish]

Wait by maintenance type batteries do you mean those that need water every so often or just those with filler caps?

[MX793]

Little spinny motor doesn't take too many cranking amps. Stock battery is probably from a motorcycle. 

The stock battery in my car was so wimpy (and physically pretty small too) it might as well have been for a motorcycle.