Battery issue?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,479
Likes: 17
From: Miami Fl
Battery issue?
Had my windshield changed in Fl took1.5-2 hrs w/ doors hood open. Have a 2 yr old batt which I occ put on a tender. Car wouldnt start after windshield in. Got boosted it started And put it on 1.25 ma/hr tender went green in a few hrs. Went to advance auto for their batt test which read 645 cca and said "good battery". Do i need a battery? Car starts fine now reads 13.6-14.2 v while running, thx battery but in by dealer AC delco
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
It's probably okay. Only 2 years old and doesn't sound like it actually "deep cycle discharged" like might happen if the car wasn't driven for a couple months. It just discharged over a short time period to the point that it didn't have enough to start the car. But, if you know you won't be driving the car for a few days, I suggest you just put the Tender on it for peace of mind. 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,002
Likes: 2,703
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Hint-
The interior lights will time out after 10 minutes, but the 10 minute cycle re-starts every time any door is opened or closed.
The trick is to open both doors and the trunk (and the hood if you have the light) when starting to work on the car, and leave them open the entire time. That way, your battery takes only one 10 minute hit.
Of course, that may not have been practical while doing the windshield replacement.
Also, the voltage you read on your DIC with the engine running is alternator output voltage, not battery voltage. You can hold the Accesory button for 5 (?) seconds to put the car in "ignition on but engine not running" mode, then the DIC is actually reading battery voltage. Since a lot of electrical stuff powers up automatically, my new and fully-charged battery shows only 11.8 volts with headlights on, 12.1 with headlights off.
The interior lights will time out after 10 minutes, but the 10 minute cycle re-starts every time any door is opened or closed.
The trick is to open both doors and the trunk (and the hood if you have the light) when starting to work on the car, and leave them open the entire time. That way, your battery takes only one 10 minute hit.
Of course, that may not have been practical while doing the windshield replacement.
Also, the voltage you read on your DIC with the engine running is alternator output voltage, not battery voltage. You can hold the Accesory button for 5 (?) seconds to put the car in "ignition on but engine not running" mode, then the DIC is actually reading battery voltage. Since a lot of electrical stuff powers up automatically, my new and fully-charged battery shows only 11.8 volts with headlights on, 12.1 with headlights off.
