Walmart battery in my Honda Civic Toad

[Harvard]

About 2.5 years ago I installed a Walmart sourced battery in our 2007 Honda Civic Toad thinking it should last a few years. Of late I have had 2 separate incidents where the battery went flat while just sitting in the driveway for 2-3 days.

My question: Can a (faulty?) car battery just go dead like this (2-3 days sitting idle) without having any apparent load?

I replaced the Walmart battery yesterday with a genuine Honda battery so time may answer my question.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Harvard, those batteries are HYBRID plate and to see what you're seeing is not uncommon with a hybrid battery.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

A 10-ampere SCHOTTKY DIODE rated at 30-volts will maximize panel ouput. (Newspeak) "Silicon diodes for solar panel isolation are sooo yesterday"

[NinerBikes]

Been here 10 years, possible Harvard Grad, try the search function for "how to desulphate"
A 20W solar panel probably has no diode in the circuit. It charges during the day, and drains the battery at night, if left connected continuously. Disconnect before the sun sets, and connect in the day light or add a diode in line.

[Harvard]

j-d wrote:
Harvard, you said "Dead" and that's what I think happened. that's vs. "Discharged." Battery'll work today and be useless tomorrow. Probably cell(s) shorted or separated. Now that there aren't any caps, really can't tell.

The battery in each case discharged. All I had to do is jumper the car and take it out for a 30 minute drive and it lasted for weeks (driving the car almost every day) before it did it again.

So here is an update.

The Walmart battery was put on a cheap charger where it started out a 6 amps and after 24 hours it was at about 1 amp and then I took it off the charger. The Walmart battery has been sitting for about 4 days now since the charge session and it has a "on the bench" voltage of 13.11 VDC. No, the charger wires were disconnected from the Walmart battery 4 days ago..

The Honda battery is in the car, the car was out for a 90 minute drive yesterday and has been sitting for abut 20 hours, the Honda battery voltage right now is 12.64 VDC (no, car is not running).

And NO, I am not using a cheap DVM, it is a brand new Fluke 115.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

From Merriam Webster

Definition of FAILURE

1
a : omission of occurrence or performance; specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action
b (1) : a state of inability to perform a normal function — compare heart failure (2) : an abrupt cessation of normal functioning
c : a fracturing or giving way under stress
2
a : lack of success
b : a failing in business : bankruptcy

A hundred twenty dollar battery that is warrantied unconditionally for four years and is properly used and maintained should not fail from a porous intercell connector strap after two years.

Things that wear out after a normal lifespan are not failures. But on the other hand an improper use of a specific word may be classified as a failure 🙂

[MEXICOWANDERER]

But the batteries I saw in Monterrey had two different lines. One for domestic the other for export. The domestic line uses lead from Mexico the export line uses recycled lead from the USA brought in by railroad car gondola. LTH is a behemoth. About 20 times the size of Trojan in Santa Fe Springs. I seem to recall the number of employees at 4,500 but this figure may be wrong. It has been seven years since I visited.

A casting failure in an intercell or end cap connection is an unforgivable sin in my book.

[wa8yxm]

A product that has a 100% failure rate
Batteries eventually fail
Clothing eventually wears out
Tires wear out or can die of exposure
Hoses fail
Many tools fail over time.
Flags wear out
Concrete wears out
Asphault wears out
Cars, trucks and all sorts of mechinical stuff wear out

In short nearly everything made by man has a 100% failure rate.

Regarding the guy who loves his 2 year old Wal*mart battery.

Talk to him again in 8 years.. A good battery should make it at least seven years.. A battery worthy bragging about will go into double digits year wise.

My batteries.. Both the Workhorse branded Group 78 Maintenance Free (HA) and my Interstate U-2200's lasted almost exactly 9 years before they needed replacement

The engine battery had been run down one time (left headlights on at church) and the House at least 5 over those 9 years (By run down I mean to the point where the Generatore would not start.. And when I left the headlights on the isolator failed and took out the house too so it was a good thing I had an isolated battery handy to jump ye-old onan with).

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

I seem to have an intermittent parasitic load on my 2011 GMC Sierra. Best theory: A number of electrical things are supposed to stay active after the ignition is shut off, then cycle off after a set period of time. But the shut-off sequence malfunctions intermittently, and if I then go a while without running it, it won't start because of the low battery.

Of course, it will not malfunction when the dealer has test equipment hooked up, and now it is past the warranty period. I try to make sure to run it frequently. I've considered getting a small solar panel for the dashboard.

Wayne

[Bumpyroad]

mchero wrote:
Id be real careful purchasing batteries from Walmart. I had a brother-in-law purchase a battery from Wally World. After a year they where having issues with the battery. When they went back to Walmart the service department tried to tell them they did NOT install that battery "we don't even sell that brand of battery".
Well, Brother-in-law produced the paperwork and their faces went white. The battery they installed was not even sold anymore. Appears someone was trying to pull a fast one!

nonsense, I would guess that due to the turnover in personnel, the fellas in that dept. had never seen that make/model of battery. and after he showed them that it was a walmart battery, what happened? please finish the story.
I have bought a lot of stuff at walmart and certainly have returned a fair share of stuff and have NEVER had an issue. without a receipt, you may have to get a store credit card which I think is fair.
bumpy

[mchero]

Id be real careful purchasing batteries from Walmart. I had a brother-in-law purchase a battery from Wally World. After a year they where having issues with the battery. When they went back to Walmart the service department tried to tell them they did NOT install that battery "we don't even sell that brand of battery".
Well, Brother-in-law produced the paperwork and their faces went white. The battery they installed was not even sold anymore. Appears someone was trying to pull a fast one!

[j-d]

Harvard, you said "Dead" and that's what I think happened. that's vs. "Discharged." Battery'll work today and be useless tomorrow. Probably cell(s) shorted or separated. Now that there aren't any caps, really can't tell.

[Dutch_12078]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Uuuhhhhhhhhhh jeeze ya know cyclable batteries are built different than engine starting batteries. The 34 was a Maxx engine starting battery the 29 is a cyclable battery. But no matter. A junk cell connector trumps my opnion of the cyclable batteries. So it is blacklist time AFAIK. Name a product that has a 100% failure rate. I am going to stick with either LTH or Ramcar. Personal choice. No USA product is waranteed down here. Battery fails none found locally so it's a 200 dollar hotel bill plus get the battery shipped in. I am seriously considering biting the bullet and sticking a 27 Lifeline in the trunk.

You'd best stick with just Ramcar then, LTH is a Johnson Controls company.

[GMandJM]

LifeLine 27's are a bit pricey!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Uuuhhhhhhhhhh jeeze ya know cyclable batteries are built different than engine starting batteries. The 34 was a Maxx engine starting battery the 29 is a cyclable battery. But no matter. A junk cell connector trumps my opnion of the cyclable batteries. So it is blacklist time AFAIK. Name a product that has a 100% failure rate. I am going to stick with either LTH or Ramcar. Personal choice. No USA product is waranteed down here. Battery fails none found locally so it's a 200 dollar hotel bill plus get the battery shipped in. I am seriously considering biting the bullet and sticking a 27 Lifeline in the trunk.