Battery replacement question...........

Hi all. I have a question about the replacement of my 2 year old battery. I had my original battery replaced in 8/14, with the same battery...a new Delco. BUT...I only JUST noticed that it is a '30 month' battery, AND it has the add water holes at the top! It isnt maintenance free! Talk about old fashion! But I didnt notice. All I remember is that my mech. said 'in Fla, IF it lasts 2-3 years, I am lucky, so a 30 month is fine....thats what was in it' The heat kills batteries here. THAT I recall.

Ok..I never noticed all the number details till today. So, today it was slow to start this morning, then after work it wouldnt start, the typical 'click,click,click', no start. I had a trickle charger put on it for 30 mins. It started right up. After 1 hr. of calling all over town for a new battery, WITH the car just sitting and running, ....all unreal prices!, except WalMart.....a 5 year maintenance free battery, $115.

Ok, i went up and bought it, I didnt even shut it of when I was buying it, incase it wouldnt start again. So it was running for about 2.5 hrs total today. I get home with the new battery, and now it starts right up! Over and over and over again. BUT...the 'water/fluid' in the battery was LOW. It took about 2.5 cups of water to fill all the cells. 2 of the furthest outer cells were VERY low. Ok...so i run it for 20 mins. more now, with the battery full now. And it starts fine now....again.

My 'brain surgeon of a brother in law', says to take the new battery back, the old one was just low on fluid, and a Delco should last much longer than 25 months,....but it says on the battery it is a 30 month battery. To me, that is the longest it will last....right???

Well...I need to know what the hell to do. Put in the brand new battery, and not worry about having a dead battery. OR keep the new battery in the back seat for a few weeks, and see if the Delco keeps starting? Return the new battery and live with the old one ? Of course this is after a night of not starting it, and seeing if it starts right up or not.

Remember, I put VERY low miles on the car. I JUST hit 36K yesterday, after 11 years and 4 months of ownership! So I guess I am not charging the battery all that much....right? (Opinions on what to do). The only thing my brother in law could test was the volts? It came to 12.3 on the Delco, and also on the NEW battery, he doesnt have a tester for the battery for AMPS. So...what would you all do? I think I should put in the new battery, if the old one is a 30 month battery, that has to have water added to it, and it was 'dry' to the point that I added like 2-3 cups of water, wouldnt that mean the cells are ruined? And won't hold a charge? And the little I do drive isnt enough to charge this 30 month Delco. Well this new one has a 5 year 'warranty' on it, and is maintenance free. So.....what do I do?

Did you add distilled water or regular tap water?

Battery's 'months' are usually just their prorated warranty period. Personally I'd just stick the brand new, maintenance free battery in and be done with it. $115 is pretty good insurance against it stranding you somewhere. The damage may already be done and like EAD15 pointed out, you probably used tap water.

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Originally Posted by PoisonIvy

Battery's 'months' are usually just their prorated warranty period. Personally I'd just stick the brand new, maintenance free battery in and be done with it. $115 is pretty good insurance against it stranding you somewhere. The damage may already be done and like EAD15 pointed out, you probably used tap water.

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Just to let all know. After letting the car sit for 3 hrs. after running it for 25 mins, with the battery 'filled', with distilled water. always have it here for my orchids:)...., it was worse than ever! It made the classic 'click,click,click' sound, while trying to start it. But it also was making that classic 'run down sound' at the same time, you know, the sound it makes just before it makes the clicking noise. Boy adding water to it did nothing, made it worse!!

I put in the new one, and it runs perfectly. I did notice something....that it has more cold cranking amps than 'normal', like 650?, instead of the needed 550? Which to me is something I wanted to do anyway. But this was the only size battery WalMart had, that fit the car, it is so small. According to the 'battery book', this was the only one that fit the car. I wanted to put in a stronger than needed battery, but when I asked the 'bright guy' at the auto dept. for a more expensive/stronger batter, he said, 'this is the only one we gots'... having a slightly stronger battery isnt going to blow anything up, or screw up the computers is it?

No. I run an Intimidator AGM and it's fine, doesn't fit the tray snugly, but it works. It's a group 78 with 775 CCA.