6.5 years on a battery - new personal record!
I agree. Good diagnosis.
I had similar but not the same observations on my Barracuda's recharging. Once the engine started, it would show a high charge rate very briefly (15 - 20 amps for second or less) and then quickly drop to no current (full recharged). That battery seemed fine otherwise but this Novemeber wouldn't start the car after I got back home and had just unloaded. After getting it jump started, I drove to the garage and swapped in a newer version of the same battery from the Jeep. I kindof lost track of which vehicle had the newer battery.
The dead battery out of the Barracuda was stamped Made in Aurora, Colorado. OK that must be pretty old!
According to my records I bought it in Feb. 12, 2009. 15 years! and I think it got cooked once.
The top has a manufacturing stamp of A9KKR.
I later noticed it also has a Made in Mexico sticker on it. That's odd.
According to an old news clip I found on the internet, Johnson Controls announced they would be moving manufacturing from Aurora to Mexico in 2009. So my guess is the case was made in the Colorado but the assembly was done in Mexico.
I didn't always have AGM's in the Jeep. That was a bright idea to save a little weight and have the same battery in both vehicles for just this sort of situation. Before that it was Interstate MT series with the 75 month pro-rate. Got about 6 years out of them, but like Optima, pretty sure they are not made now the way they were 20 years ago.
I turned it in for a new "Diehard" platinum flooded 24F sold by Advance/Carquest.
My mistake was that battery cables in the Jeep weren't really setup for the reverse terminal position of the 24F so a little rerouting was needed.
My logic was that the flooded battery may better handle the slow battery drain that maintains the digital clock and radio. That and I could just drive over and buy it. Expensive but no more than the current prices for an Optima. I'll take the 10 lb penalty over the front wheels in 4000 lb, 1/2 ton wagon.
One more observation:
The small Optima smart charger indicates the battery from 2009 is still good and fully charged. Obviously this is wrong. Under load from the starter that battery's voltage drops to 5.
I agree. Good diagnosis.
I had similar but not the same observations on my Barracuda's recharging. Once the engine started, it would show a high charge rate very briefly (15 - 20 amps for second or less) and then quickly drop to no current (full recharged). That battery seemed fine otherwise but this Novemeber wouldn't start the car after I got back home and had just unloaded. After getting it jump started, I drove to the garage and swapped in a newer version of the same battery from the Jeep. I kindof lost track of which vehicle had the newer battery.
The dead battery out of the Barracuda was stamped Made in Aurora, Colorado. OK that must be pretty old!
According to my records I bought it in Feb. 12, 2009. 15 years! and I think it got cooked once.
The top has a manufacturing stamp of A9KKR.
I later noticed it also has a Made in Mexico sticker on it. That's odd.
According to an old news clip I found on the internet, Johnson Controls announced they would be moving manufacturing from Aurora to Mexico in 2009. So my guess is the case was made in the Colorado but the assembly was done in Mexico.
I didn't always have AGM's in the Jeep. That was a bright idea to save a little weight and have the same battery in both vehicles for just this sort of situation. Before that it was Interstate MT series with the 75 month pro-rate. Got about 6 years out of them, but like Optima, pretty sure they are not made now the way they were 20 years ago.
I turned it in for a new "Diehard" platinum flooded 24F sold by Advance/Carquest.
My mistake was that battery cables in the Jeep weren't really setup for the reverse terminal position of the 24F so a little rerouting was needed.
My logic was that the flooded battery may better handle the slow battery drain that maintains the digital clock and radio. That and I could just drive over and buy it. Expensive but no more than the current prices for an Optima. I'll take the 10 lb penalty over the front wheels in 4000 lb, 1/2 ton wagon.
One more observation:
The small Optima smart charger indicates the battery from 2009 is still good and fully charged. Obviously this is wrong. Under load from the starter that battery's voltage drops to 5.