Dammit! Battery is dieing!
09-24-2009, 11:17 AM
#12
6th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 11,278
Yep, i replaced my battery Sunday. got in the car and had the grrr, grrr, grrr before it fired up. Went right out and put a new optima in it. Interestingly I only got about five miles from Autozone where I bought the battery and had it installed before the check engine light came on. Weird coincidence that it came on right after a new batt and never did in the three months I owned the car before.
Had rough idle and threw a code for dirty TB. Sprayed some cleaner in and it looked like a mud slide coming out with all teh gunk. Runs like a beast now, I didn't realize how bad the throttle response was till I cleaned the TB out. Almost have to learn to drive it again, I've spun a few times on launch just trying to take off. Just about gave my four year old a heart attack in the rain today taking off, got side ways for a second. She through we were going to go to jail for "driving crazy". lol
anyway, new batt and the car is 4 years old.
Had rough idle and threw a code for dirty TB. Sprayed some cleaner in and it looked like a mud slide coming out with all teh gunk. Runs like a beast now, I didn't realize how bad the throttle response was till I cleaned the TB out. Almost have to learn to drive it again, I've spun a few times on launch just trying to take off. Just about gave my four year old a heart attack in the rain today taking off, got side ways for a second. She through we were going to go to jail for "driving crazy". lol
anyway, new batt and the car is 4 years old.
Well I put a trickle charger on it, which has to be 20-30 years old, and it has been working fine ever since. The indicator light is green again. I think i'll replace it with an optima.
Hmmmm, maybe i'll look for an interstate or diehard. Optima seems like over kill.
Last edited by moosestang; 09-24-2009 at 11:34 AM.
09-24-2009, 12:59 PM
#13
6th Gear Member
Today I happened to see Optima Redtop 35R (I think it was what the store said our S197's take) on sale for $99 after a $25 mail-in rebate. It was at a Farm & Fleet store in the NW Chicago burbs. Is that the one that fits or does it require modification to shoehorn it in?
09-24-2009, 03:32 PM
#14
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,397
What did that optima cost you?
Well I put a trickle charger on it, which has to be 20-30 years old, and it has been working fine ever since. The indicator light is green again. I think i'll replace it with an optima.
Hmmmm, maybe i'll look for an interstate or diehard. Optima seems like over kill.
Well I put a trickle charger on it, which has to be 20-30 years old, and it has been working fine ever since. The indicator light is green again. I think i'll replace it with an optima.
Hmmmm, maybe i'll look for an interstate or diehard. Optima seems like over kill.
09-24-2009, 04:02 PM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: CA
Posts: 1,914
I knew the batteries in these cars weren't the greatest, but I was hoping for more than 3 years out of it! My car would barely start this morning. I thought, ok, it did sit for 6 days, but then after work it was the same deal, rrrrrr,rrrrrr, rrrrrr, click, click, rrrrrrrr. It finally fired up just when I was about to give up.
I read about so many bad batteries and alternator problems on here. I was hoping I was one of the lucky ones. My battery in my Ford ranger lastest nearly 7 years!
I read about so many bad batteries and alternator problems on here. I was hoping I was one of the lucky ones. My battery in my Ford ranger lastest nearly 7 years!
09-24-2009, 05:12 PM
#17
S197 Section Modder-ator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 13,373
My buddy had one on his 69 Mach that lasted 9 years. Unheard of.
But it exploded when trying to leave from a cruise!!
Talk about freaking out, the thing was dry so no acid splashed around and hurt anything.
We still rinse the engine bay and top fenders to be safe...
But it exploded when trying to leave from a cruise!!
Talk about freaking out, the thing was dry so no acid splashed around and hurt anything.
We still rinse the engine bay and top fenders to be safe...
09-24-2009, 06:38 PM
#18
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicely done
Posts: 11,881
09-24-2009, 06:51 PM
#19
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: IL
Posts: 128
Well, I'm not the shop around kind of guy so i was ready to buy and was at Autozone and just picked it up. I got the red top (I have no idea if they are all the same if they are red) for $189 before a $25 MIR I will never use. The batt fit fine, except I had to leave that wrap aroudn blanket thing off. which in Texas I realyl didn't see the need for anyway. I prolly paid more than i shoudl have, but again i didn't feel like shopping around when i wasn't sure if the car woudl start back up each time.
However I replaced it with a cheap battery and just bought my optima 34R today.
I am going to order that cool battery tray on ebay and get it powdercoated next Spring. But I am looking forward to no surprises when Spring comes around and bought a cheapy battery meter so I can check it frequently this Winter.But yeah, in Chicago..that battery lasted 2 years 2 months from my time of purchase of my 06..but the car build date was April 06 so perhaps looking at THAT date, it was almost 3 years to failure.
