When the hell did car batteries get so expensive?

[AutobahnSHO]

...isn't electron speed constant?

YES. But almost all chemical reactions depend on temperature.  Imagine trying to mix hot cocoa powder into Cold Water. You get lots of lumps.
-Do it with (almost) boiling water and the cocoa disappears into pure yuminess.

A battery is acid and lead, (plus other stuff?) Chemically they don't like each other- so a bunch of electrons get all anxious to get out of there. As soon as you hook up the cables and make a circuit they go racing out.

When it's cold it's not that the electrons go any slower, it's that the acid vs. lead hate-thing isn't as strong.

[S204STi]

Red tops are le crap.

Why is that?

[Secret Chimp]

Some guys have them fail therefore everything is shit, apparently.

[giant_mtb]

YES. But almost all chemical reactions depend on temperature.  Imagine trying to mix hot cocoa powder into Cold Water. You get lots of lumps.
-Do it with (almost) boiling water and the cocoa disappears into pure yuminess.

A battery is acid and lead, (plus other stuff?) Chemically they don't like each other- so a bunch of electrons get all anxious to get out of there. As soon as you hook up the cables and make a circuit they go racing out.

When it's cold it's not that the electrons go any slower, it's that the acid vs. lead hate-thing isn't as strong.

Gotcha!

[r0tor]

Optima batteries became popular because they can be mounted in any position and not have to worry about them leaking.... somewhere along the line, that fact got lost and everyone just pays the premium for them and mounts them like a normal battery and expects them to outperform a regular battery (because they paid more)which they dont...

[Byteme]

Optima batteries became popular because they can be mounted in any position and not have to worry about them leaking.... somewhere along the line, that fact got lost and everyone just pays the premium for them and mounts them like a normal battery and expects them to outperform a regular battery (because they paid more)which they dont...

I seem to recall an issue with Optimas being more sensitive to deep discharges that regular lead acid batteries.  Something like that anyway

[ChrisV]

Optima batteries became popular because they can be mounted in any position and not have to worry about them leaking.... somewhere along the line, that fact got lost and everyone just pays the premium for them and mounts them like a normal battery and expects them to outperform a regular battery (because they paid more)which they dont...

they also work great in race cars and offroaders as they don't have a problem with internal plates vibrating or coming into contact with eatch other. I've had cheaper batteries die during autocrossing when the internal plates came in contact with each other under lateral G loading. Optimas didn't have that problem.

Both the BMW and Rangie needed batteries. In both cases, I was replacing the original ones that were about 8 years old at the time of replacement and simply wouldnt' hold a charge again. the rangies is a $120 deep cycle heavy duty one rated for offroad use, while the BMW's is just a honking big battery. $190 from BMW ( ) or about $100 for a Duralast version that fits.



I'm just glad that I didn't have to replace the batteries in a 750, as there are two of them of that size.

[S204STi]

The 750 has two batteries?!

[AutobahnSHO]

I asked a guy in a (2002?) 3er if I could get a jump one time, but had to ask someone else. He was trying to put the cables on the battery IN THE TRUNK when there was a little sign saying to use some contact points under the hood to jump..

[mzziaz]

Ouch. What kind? lots of CCA?

I spent $68 on mine. It's gotta be able to turn the engine over in -1 billion weather.  Warranted for 6 years,  but I expect 3 or 4 out of it if the winters keep up like this.   

Me not know what CCA is.

It was a 63amp cheapo. 

[AutobahnSHO]

Me not know what CCA is.

It was a 63amp cheapo. 

Cold Cranking Amps.

Vs. the regular amps.

[sparkplug]

Don't let your battery fully discharge during the winter. The electrolyte can freeze and damage the plates.

[JWC]

Don't let your battery fully discharge during the winter. The electrolyte can freeze and damage the plates.

I've never heard that, but I know that repeated discharges and charging causes sulfation damage which eventually shorts the battery.

[S204STi]

I've heard of it happening.  In fact, my SnapOn jumper box has a warning on it about trying to jump start frozen batteries.