Ode to a battery...

[VetteOwner]

depends on how long your car has to crank to start. my trucks stock battery lasted about 7 or 8 years. its a side post so corrosion doesnt happen for some reason with those, id say most automotive batteries nowadays are maintince free so theres no real "maintince" you can do to a battery. but my truck starts up in about a second cranking time, winter its a bit longer but not much.

[ffvben]

my 99 ranger battery just got replaced, i noticed last winter that the cranking was getting longer when cold so i jumped on a new one so i don't have to get the jump box this winter. 8yrs is good enough, i could of pushed it to 9 but don't want the hassle of getting stuck somewhere. it was original motorcraft. now replaced with??? $10 and it tested find

[unstable bob]

Originally Posted by Telco

Or, keep the happy event on Sept 11 instead of letting some goat humping jackwad in another nation make it a sad event.

I agree with you 100%. We clebrated this year by going to NYC for dinner and a Broadway play. Showed out support for the city, and had a darn good time.

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by ffvben

my 99 ranger battery just got replaced, i noticed last winter that the cranking was getting longer when cold so i jumped on a new one so i don't have to get the jump box this winter. 8yrs is good enough, i could of pushed it to 9 but don't want the hassle of getting stuck somewhere. it was original motorcraft. now replaced with??? $10 and it tested find

does your ranger take a few seconds of cranking to fire up? my friend has a 99 v6 4x4 and it takes about 3-4 seconds of cranking to start. i dunno if its a ford thing or if hes got a fuel pump issue because if i tell him to put the key in the run position to let the fuel pump prime and wait a few seconds then crank it fires right up.

[Telco]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

does your ranger take a few seconds of cranking to fire up? my friend has a 99 v6 4x4 and it takes about 3-4 seconds of cranking to start. i dunno if its a ford thing or if hes got a fuel pump issue because if i tell him to put the key in the run position to let the fuel pump prime and wait a few seconds then crank it fires right up.

Could be a dirty filter, could be a weak pump, could be a leaking pressure regulator. Does it take a while to crank every time, only after it sits about 30 minutes or longer, or after an overnight? If every time I'd start with the filter, but if it will crank right up within 30 minutes of a shutdown but the longer you wait the longer it takes to crank then it would point towards the pressure regulator leaking pressure down the return line. If it will crank right up but acts flooded after sitting about 5 minutes, could also be a leaking fuel injector. There are several different tests that can be done to see what's what.

Hope this helps.

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by Telco

Could be a dirty filter, could be a weak pump, could be a leaking pressure regulator. Does it take a while to crank every time, only after it sits about 30 minutes or longer, or after an overnight? If every time I'd start with the filter, but if it will crank right up within 30 minutes of a shutdown but the longer you wait the longer it takes to crank then it would point towards the pressure regulator leaking pressure down the return line. If it will crank right up but acts flooded after sitting about 5 minutes, could also be a leaking fuel injector. There are several different tests that can be done to see what's what.

Hope this helps.

yea i knew about stuf fliek that but i belive its only after its been sitting for more than an hour if over ngiht or something its longer. but once its started it runs fine and doesnt act flooded or acts like its starving for gas. i think my 2.2L 4 banger truck could out run him tho accelerating wise... for a v6 it accelerates like a brick...ive driven a v6 blazer and it has some decent get up and go.

but anyways i would suspect the pressre regulator. i keep tellin him to put the key in run position wait about 3 seconds and then crank it up, if he does that it works fine.

[Telco]

Yep, regulator is getting weak then. If it were a leaking fuel injector it would act flooded within that hour, but not longer. Not a biggie, not something he has to fix until it gets bad enough that it won't maintain minimum fuel pressure. He'll first start seeing that as a dropoff in power in the upper RPMs that gets worse and worse till it won't run at all. Might take years.

[VetteOwner]

yea hes wanting to trade it in for a car soon anyways :P just not sure what he can afford/wants, well he want sa subaru baja but cant find one in his range(came close but not sure if he want sto go thru with it)

[usedgeo]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

depends on how long your car has to crank to start. my trucks stock battery lasted about 7 or 8 years. its a side post so corrosion doesnt happen for some reason with those, id say most automotive batteries nowadays are maintince free so theres no real "maintince" you can do to a battery. but my truck starts up in about a second cranking time, winter its a bit longer but not much.

The side post in the 01 Impala I had sprung a leak at the post and ran acid all over the car and driveway. I used to think Delco side post batteries didn't leak but there are always exceptions. Almost all the batteries I have changed in the last few years were cranking okay. They were starting to leak acid and I just don't have any patience for that. Ofteb I change them just after I buy the car.

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by usedgeo

The side post in the 01 Impala I had sprung a leak at the post and ran acid all over the car and driveway. I used to think Delco side post batteries didn't leak but there are always exceptions. Almost all the batteries I have changed in the last few years were cranking okay. They were starting to leak acid and I just don't have any patience for that. Ofteb I change them just after I buy the car.

huh ive heard of em leaking from damage or cables pullign to tight but not just randomly springing leaks... i guess its very possible tho since theres always litle flaws frm the factories. you wpouldnt happen to have a steep sloped driveway would you?