Great list, and best of all it did not include that old (out of date)
advice to not store them on a concrete floor.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips

1. Wear glasses when working with a battery, because it might
explode.

2. Keep your non-sealed battery properly filled with distilled water
and the top clean. The plates must be covered at all times.

3. To prevent permanent sulfation when not in use and especially in
hot weather, keep your battery continuously connected to a "smart" or
maintenance charger or recharge your battery at least one per week.
Cheap unregulated "trickle" chargers will kill your battery.

4. In hot climates, keep your battery as cool as possible and
non-sealed Low Maintenance or sealed AGM batteries are recommended.

5. When buying a replacement battery, be sure it matches your
charging system & Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) requirements, physically
fits, and is fresh.

6. Keep the battery cable mating surfaces and terminals free from
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.

8. For longer battery life, do not add acid or additives and keep
your battery securely fastened.

9. Use chargers (or settings) that will recharge batteries over eight
to ten hours.

10. Thaw out a frozen battery before attempting to jump or recharge
it and always jump batteries positive-to-positive and
negative-to-negative. For negative grounded electrical systems, the
last negative connection should be to the frame or engine block away
from the battery.

For additional battery information, please go to
http://www.batteryfaq.org.

And, extension of number 7, don't leave the truck connected to the pop-up
with the 3-way fridge set to DC. Trust me on this one.

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Great list, and best of all it did not include that old (out of date)
advice to not store them on a concrete floor.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips

1. Wear glasses when working with a battery, because it might
explode.

2. Keep your non-sealed battery properly filled with distilled water
and the top clean. The plates must be covered at all times.

3. To prevent permanent sulfation when not in use and especially in
hot weather, keep your battery continuously connected to a "smart" or
maintenance charger or recharge your battery at least one per week.
Cheap unregulated "trickle" chargers will kill your battery.

4. In hot climates, keep your battery as cool as possible and
non-sealed Low Maintenance or sealed AGM batteries are recommended.

5. When buying a replacement battery, be sure it matches your
charging system & Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) requirements, physically
fits, and is fresh.

6. Keep the battery cable mating surfaces and terminals free from
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.

8. For longer battery life, do not add acid or additives and keep
your battery securely fastened.

9. Use chargers (or settings) that will recharge batteries over eight
to ten hours.

10. Thaw out a frozen battery before attempting to jump or recharge
it and always jump batteries positive-to-positive and
negative-to-negative. For negative grounded electrical systems, the
last negative connection should be to the frame or engine block away
from the battery.

For additional battery information, please go to
http://www.batteryfaq.org.

Good advice Bill, you might also want to mention one important fact. The
reason car batteries explode. They produce highly explosive hydrogen as a
byproduct of the charging process. Batteries often explode when the owner
is trying to jump start his or her car. The spark from the contact of the
last jumper lead can ignite the hydrogen causing an explosion spreading
battery acid everywhere. The way to avoid this is to connect the positive
and negative leads to the battery of the donor car, at the dead battery,
connect the positive lead to the battery and then find a place far removed
as possible on the frame of the car for the negative lead. This will still
spark but it should be far enough away not to ignite any hydrogen coming
from the battery. All of us, at one time or another have had to jump a
car. How many times have you ever seen some one hook up battery leads
correctly with the last negative lead attached to the frame?

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/howt.../DSM20020301BB
..htm

Most batteries do not come fully charged. They have some charge, but it
may be very low. This does not hurt the battery to be stored in this state.
The problem comes up after they have been fully charged and then discharged.
They need to be recharged quickly or they can be damaged. Your WallyWorld
battery may have been just fine.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...

"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.


A number of years ago I found my battery had finally died (had a bad cell)
and of course this was on a holiday.
Good ol' Walmart was open so I got up there and bought a replacement. When
I
got it installed this "new" battery was dead. It did charge up so I was
able
to use the car. The next day I bought another battery from a different
store
and took the Walmart battery back telling them that it should never been
allowed to discharge completely. They did not understand what I was
telling
them , but took it back anyway.

A comment card to the store manager never got a response.

Let that be a lesson.

Charlie

You may be absolutely right, Joseph, but in 45+ years of owning cars and
replacing batteries I have never bought one that was DOA.

Charlie

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Most batteries do not come fully charged. They have some charge, but
it
may be very low. This does not hurt the battery to be stored in this
state.
The problem comes up after they have been fully charged and then
discharged.
They need to be recharged quickly or they can be damaged. Your WallyWorld
battery may have been just fine.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...

"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.


A number of years ago I found my battery had finally died (had a bad
cell)
and of course this was on a holiday.
Good ol' Walmart was open so I got up there and bought a replacement.
When
I
got it installed this "new" battery was dead. It did charge up so I was
able
to use the car. The next day I bought another battery from a different
store
and took the Walmart battery back telling them that it should never been
allowed to discharge completely. They did not understand what I was
telling
them , but took it back anyway.

A comment card to the store manager never got a response.

Let that be a lesson.

Charlie

Concrete floor and batterys are a myth! Does not hurt the battery to sit on
a concrete floor/
Tom
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Great list, and best of all it did not include that old (out of date)
advice to not store them on a concrete floor.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips

1. Wear glasses when working with a battery, because it might
explode.

2. Keep your non-sealed battery properly filled with distilled water
and the top clean. The plates must be covered at all times.

3. To prevent permanent sulfation when not in use and especially in
hot weather, keep your battery continuously connected to a "smart" or
maintenance charger or recharge your battery at least one per week.
Cheap unregulated "trickle" chargers will kill your battery.

4. In hot climates, keep your battery as cool as possible and
non-sealed Low Maintenance or sealed AGM batteries are recommended.

5. When buying a replacement battery, be sure it matches your
charging system & Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) requirements, physically
fits, and is fresh.

6. Keep the battery cable mating surfaces and terminals free from
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.

8. For longer battery life, do not add acid or additives and keep
your battery securely fastened.

9. Use chargers (or settings) that will recharge batteries over eight
to ten hours.

10. Thaw out a frozen battery before attempting to jump or recharge
it and always jump batteries positive-to-positive and
negative-to-negative. For negative grounded electrical systems, the
last negative connection should be to the frame or engine block away
from the battery.

For additional battery information, please go to
http://www.batteryfaq.org.

You have five years on me, but I have never replaced a battery that I
did not charge first.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...
You may be absolutely right, Joseph, but in 45+ years of owning cars and
replacing batteries I have never bought one that was DOA.

Charlie

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Most batteries do not come fully charged. They have some charge,
but
it
may be very low. This does not hurt the battery to be stored in this
state.
The problem comes up after they have been fully charged and then
discharged.
They need to be recharged quickly or they can be damaged. Your
WallyWorld
battery may have been just fine.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...

"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.


A number of years ago I found my battery had finally died (had a bad
cell)
and of course this was on a holiday.
Good ol' Walmart was open so I got up there and bought a replacement.
When
I
got it installed this "new" battery was dead. It did charge up so I
was
able
to use the car. The next day I bought another battery from a different
store
and took the Walmart battery back telling them that it should never
been
allowed to discharge completely. They did not understand what I was
telling
them , but took it back anyway.

A comment card to the store manager never got a response.

Let that be a lesson.

Charlie

But they also instruct you to take a fairly long drive after installing
it to charge the battery. I just charge it before I install.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
I have never charged a wet battery before installing it. In
fact I have never heard of anyone until now that charged the
battery first. Even dry batteries (the ones that came empty
and you added electrolyte after purchase), didn't have to be
charged before installing. In my opinion, if you buy a
battery, install it, and if it won't start your car, there
is something wrong with the battery.

One should always look for the date of manufacture on the
label and not purchase an old battery.

Joseph Meehan wrote:

You have five years on me, but I have never replaced a battery that
I
did not charge first.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...
You may be absolutely right, Joseph, but in 45+ years of owning cars
and
replacing batteries I have never bought one that was DOA.

Charlie

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Most batteries do not come fully charged. They have some
charge,
but
it
may be very low. This does not hurt the battery to be stored in
this
state.
The problem comes up after they have been fully charged and then
discharged.
They need to be recharged quickly or they can be damaged. Your
WallyWorld
battery may have been just fine.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Charlie Bress" wrote in message
...

"Bill Darden" wrote in message
...
Top Ten Starting Battery Tips
corrosion.

7. Avoid a deep discharge of your battery. This could kill it.


A number of years ago I found my battery had finally died (had a
bad
cell)
and of course this was on a holiday.
Good ol' Walmart was open so I got up there and bought a
replacement.
When
I
got it installed this "new" battery was dead. It did charge up so
I
was
able
to use the car. The next day I bought another battery from a
different
store
and took the Walmart battery back telling them that it should
never
been
allowed to discharge completely. They did not understand what I
was
telling
them , but took it back anyway.

A comment card to the store manager never got a response.

Let that be a lesson.

Charlie