Olds works.....sort of

JRS · 19 Jul 2006 at 18:49

Damn.

Been trying to get the old girl back into perfect working order, and I keep turning up new problems. Today's problem is a dead battery. And I don't mean flat, I mean completely kaput.

Damn.

Wouldn't you know it? The guy that owned the car before me didn't put an proper American battery on it. The factory item is a Delco, but this was obviously too much for the guy so instead of a battery that lasts around 6-8 years he fitted a cheap European one that lasts for half that.

Grrrrrr. On the plus side, I reckon this'll solve most of the electrical problems in one fell swoop

And after this, she's nearly good to go again. I really need to sort the rust out, but that can wait as it's not structural. The seals around the screen and windows can't wait however - got a plan regarding those though.

Dogbreath · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:16

Hmm, I don't know of anybody that would search out a particular brand when shopping for a new car battery. I just go to the local battery specialist and they invariably have a budget one with a 2 year guarantee and a more expensive one with 3/4 year guarantee.

IME getting 4-5 years out of a car battery is pretty much par for the course these days.

alextgreen · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:56

I would hazard a guess that sporadic use has more to do with your battery's early demise than its nationality.

JRS · 19 Jul 2006 at 20:00

alextgreen said:
I would hazard a guess that sporadic use has more to do with your battery's early demise than its nationality.

What, you mean with the battery out of the car and connected up to a conditioner every time I take it off the road?

Maybe. I'd still have liked it to last rather more than 3.5 to 4 years though. Hell, the little Exide battery in the Fiat has had 6 years of constant abuse and is still okay.

***edit***

One thng I can't work out. This car has seen some serious abuse in it's time, it's on the original gearbox despite having an intergalactic mileage, the engine has never had a rebuild. It's rusty, it's battered halfway to hell, and yet every last drop of oil I stuck in it over a year ago is still in there. How??? Nearly every modern car I come into contact with that does similar mileage uses oil a lot faster than the BattleWagon.

Man. If it wasn't for the fuel costs then this car would be very cheap to run