Re: The saga continues......BATTERY DEAD AGAIN

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@nwonline.net>]

Mike.....I wonder how the temperature changed between the time the battery
worked and the time it didn't work. Was there a significant drop in
temperature? Such an event could account for the change in the battery
capability.

This could be an old marginal battery that starts the car on mild
temperature days, and is just chemically inadequate in cold weather. The
rate of most chemical reactions is cut in half by a drop of 10 degrees
Celsius. If your battery capacity is 100 units at 20 degrees C, room
temperature, then it is 50 units at 10 degrees C, and 25 units at zero
degrees C (freezing pt. of water.) at 10 below zero, C, it would be about
12.5 units, chemically 1/8 the capacity of the battery at room temperature.

Maybe the 25 or 12.5 units are insufficient to start the car.

Doyt Echelberger

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 08:12 PM 1/8/1999 -0800, you wrote:
>
>The saga continues......
>
>I am back at school and the 86 5kcstq stayed home.  Dad started it for
>a few days, usually twice a day, and the car started fine.  Then he
>let it sit for two days and went out today to try to start it and THE
>BATTERY WAS DEAD!!!!  Does anyone have a guess as to what may be
>draining the batt???  I have checked the splice and main relay, I do
>not believe it is a slow drain, I believe that when it happens it
>happens rapidly.  I have hooked a light up between the batt cable and
>the batt and there is no drain  immediately after the car is shut off.  
>
>ANT SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED
>
>THANKS
>
>
> 
> 
>
>==
>--Mike
>1986 5000cstq 225,000 miles
>
>1984 5000s *PARTS CAR* (LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEEDS ANY PARTS)
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