Got back to AZ... but SHO was in coma

[Rav]

Hey Guys,

Made it back to AZ, but boy am I tired. Anyway at the airport got out and jumped into the sho, turned the key and got grr grr grrrroooo.... and no vroom.

It sounded like the battery was pretty bad. Tried it again and all I got was a click of the starter motor.

Thankfully I never took the jumper cables out of the car and got a jump off a passerby.

Drove home parked up and went back to the car 15 mins later and the SHO fired up first time.

I looked at the battery cables and the ground was on properly but the connector was a little loose, not that you could take it off, but could turn it a quarter turn around the terminal. I wasn't away for that long, parked the car on Monday evening and tried to fire it up today Wednesday.

The battery I bought in Dec2004, shouldn't have died that quick should it? In England batteries last for about 5 years, but in the Arizona heat who knows.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Rav.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

I"m learning about batteries on every one of my cars. New battery may not be a new battery. Sam's club, walmart, and the like are not "new" rather recycled. 50% return rate within 2 years, regardless of what the "warranty" time is.

 

[95azSHO]

I replace mine every 3 years no matter what. Here's a tip go to Checker buy a Coleman Battery box jumper for $35 and donate your jumper cables. This way you can look smart and be amazing all at the same time and of course you don't have to depend on anyone else for a jump.

 

[Rav]

I replace mine every 3 years no matter what. Here's a tip go to Checker buy a Coleman Battery box jumper for $35 and donate your jumper cables. This way you can look smart and be amazing all at the same time and of course you don't have to depend on anyone else for a jump.

Thanks. This is excellent advice and thanks for the really specific recommendation!

Now if I could only remember who 95azSHO is!

Thanks,

Rav.

 

[Rav]

I"m learning about batteries on every one of my cars. New battery may not be a new battery. Sam's club, walmart, and the like are not "new" rather recycled. 50% return rate within 2 years, regardless of what the "warranty" time is.

I bought my battery from Autozone and one that was recommended on the V8SHO mailing list. It's about a year and a half old. I'm going to check the warranty on the reciept and see if I can get a new one.

So it seems that Arizona is a killer for batteries. Is this what the general consensus on what the problem is?

Thanks,

Rav.

 

[95azSHO]

I've lived here for 14 years now and visited for 3 before that. Yes that's what it is AZ is very nortoious for being ******* batteries. It's not just the heat but the long intense heat all day and night long. Back when it was 111 or better the over night low was 97. When you buy batteries if it costs an extra $10 for an extra year warrantty pay it. That comes out to $0.02739726 cents a day well worth it I'll say.

Dean.

 

[Shoaz]

Yeah, generally if there wasn't something new draining the battery then an unexpected dead event (like what you had) is a sure sign the thing is about to quit completely, especially if it happens during a temperature extreme. Like now.

Did this happen at the shuttle parking lot at Williams or at Sky Harbor?

 

[Rav]

Yeah, generally if there wasn't something new draining the battery then an unexpected dead event (like what you had) is a sure sign the thing is about to quit completely, especially if it happens during a temperature extreme. Like now.

Did this happen at the shuttle parking lot at Williams or at Sky Harbor?

Happened at Williams. First two people I approached for a jump start didn't want to help. Sad thing is that we were all wearing our work badges, so they knew I worked for Intel too.

Just checked on the receipt for the battery, and I've got two years warranty from Autozone. So this weekend, I'll be asking for a replacement. I'm still going to get a battery booster. That sounds like a really good idea.

 

[95azSHO]

Glad to hear it. The first thing when I bought my car was to go to checker and spend about $175 on that battery box a 164 piece tool kit a floor jack and jack stands also a long handle 4 way lug wrench. I also picked up 2 spare slicers at the junk yard at $25 a piece. Been broke down and stranded way too many times

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

gonna leave my sho at sky harbor for 2 weeks. We shall see how the 4+ year old battery holds up in the green machine. Jump box in the trunk just in case.

 

[Rav]

gonna leave my sho at sky harbor for 2 weeks. We shall see how the 4+ year old battery holds up in the green machine. Jump box in the trunk just in case.

How long do these jump boxes last for? Any suggestions for prolonging life?

Sky harbour is about 30 mins away from me, if you get stuck try giving me a call.

Thanks,

Rav.

 

[95azSHO]

On my personel experiance with the Coleman jump box. With it fully charged I don't really know but I got 20 jumps in 3 months. I left it in the ON position in the trunk and it drained out. If you are not useing it and the green light is on, then it is in the ON position this action will drain your jump box. I know because thats what I did.

 

[Rav]

On my personel experiance with the Coleman jump box. With it fully charged I don't really know but I got 20 jumps in 3 months. I left it in the ON position in the trunk and it drained out. If you are not useing it and the green light is on, then it is in the ON position this action will drain your jump box. I know because thats what I did.

what were you doing that you needed 20 jumps in 3 months?

I think I phrased my question poorly. If your car battery is doing well to last two years, is that what we expect the life of the booster is?

My assumption is that as you are not going to be cycling this all the time and charging and discharging it, it should last a while. But what is the practical experience of have one smoldering in the heat in the trunk of the SHO

 

[95azSHO]

In the 3 months I've used it on my car 2-3 times but have bailed out a few freinds, workers, and tenants of the building thatI work at. I the left it in my trunk with the ON swith ON one time and the had to recharge it. This was the first time that I ever had to recharge it. It was stored in the trunk the whole time. My guese would be that if I didn't use it and kept it in my trunk it would last about another 2 more months. All of this in 3 months without a recharge.