Battery life - status?

[mroctopus]

Hi all sifu

I would like to know if there's any equipment i can install to give me a status of my car battery (good, bad..etc)? I experienced a couple of times car break down because the battery run flat. I know it is a good practise to change battery every 2 years but i heard someone has managed to get it to 3 years+, and in opposite, some battery will kong after 1 year.

Just wondering if there's any monitoring equipment so that it give indication or battery condition status to the driver that it is the time to change battery. This will avoid costly breakdown especially going to places where hard to find mechanics. I know many maintenance free battery has indicator on the battery itself but it is troublesome to always open up the bonnet and look at it, and it doesn't provide accurate status as feedback by some of the members. Real time monitoring will be great.

if there's such equipment, pls let me know the product model, est price and where can i buy it. thank you. :_:

 

[papagoines]

You can DIY, use any volt meter then connect it to the ciggie socket wiring...which -ve n +ve, you'd better ask the sifus here...or better yet search the DIY section. I think at that section I got this idea :_:

When u turn the key to "on" position, the voltage should read 12v +- 1v.....after the engine has been cranked on, it should return a value more than that since the car alternator is charging the batt...

As for my lazy self, just go to any acc shop and ask for 52mm (2") volt meter...I got mine for rm80 + installation...just last month got reading like 6v...immediately when to my mech and he confirmed my MF battery kong edi....

hope my story helps u :_:

 

[mag9556]

Normally car battery life span is depends on what car and what things u modified.
Nowdays a lot of people put high power amp, HID light, blinking light (dun know what it call but very ugly), etc etc will shorten the battery life as I have heard an Otai use his battery for nearly 5years as he is using ori Proton Saga.
Actually it is better to alert when your car battery is going to 1 year as bettery nowdays is more towards recycle form from battery also.
Volt meter is also a shortcut way to have a look on your car battery but dun take it as granted as sometimes it doesnt accurate as we do not know whn the battery will Kong..
Good Luck

 

[mroctopus]

yeah... accuracy of the volt meter is also a concern.
i cannot DIY Volt meter... i'm a technical dummy.. heh.

My car is just very original without any mods except for changing the player only. Actually it is less than a year old. I used to get about 3 years life span on my previous old car which is non-mod as well.

anyway sound like volt meter is affortable solution...

 

[bryan90s]

i was told.. you actually can 'see' it coming
stand infront, looking downward to the battery. observe the 2 edges. whether got 'swollen'

if is still |ooooo| then is good
if is this (ooooo) then is running weak already.

 

[william chan]

u just need to check ur batery water level at least min all the time.
n dont let ur car park till 2 weeks.

then u can get u battery life more than 2 years.

 

[mroctopus]

if use maintenance free battery... no water to check wor

 

[addicted2flc]

if im not mistaken, there's a point for you to see wether your battery still alive anot..green means active..black means need to recharge and red means kong..
btw im using falcon battery ns60 which cost around 170 bucks just for the dried battery..any good brand recommended? and will last longer than those normal battery? im confuse...

 

[mag9556]

Hei Addicted,
Better use Panasonic brand battery as its imported from Japan.. hehe.. Last long a bit..

 

[addicted2flc]

Panasonic? its more expensive rite? and normally those normal workshop they only sell those average type of batteries..

 

[SkYwAlKeR]

Energizer last longer la dei... apalah, gone offtopic 9 9...

easiest way is to use voltmeter lah... if at home u have some sort of digital multimeter, no need invest in another voltmeter in ur car lo... once in a while monitor ur battery life.... if u dont have, try invest in a voltmeter... yeah, it might not be 100% accurate... but i'm sure its anyway better than ur homemade DIY voltmeter rite??... unless u are professional electronics engineer lah... if not, better buy one cheap cheap one...

 

[mag9556]

No la.. who said it to u?
try to source it at the market just abit expensive only...
of course, a lot of shop dun have as this battery is quite new in market..hehe..
somemore if this battery just have abit of profit.. so a lot of shop dun 1 2 sell it..

 

[burnner]

just change them la if already too old. At least you got some peace of mind when ever you are travelling long distance....

 

[mroctopus]

yupe.. i'm currently searching for voltmeter. i saw those with light when turn on the light at night as advertised on website. Is it expensive? any brand/model of recommendation? Is it easy to install btw how much does the accessory shop will charge? i need to prepare budget, will install in 2 cars.

 

[ju onn]

auto gauge will cost u around RM50-60 including installation. If u DIY it, u can save RM10-15. Its very easy thu. Check DIY section for the instruction. After installing voltmeter, pls also try the vaccum meter, A/f ratio, RPM & shiftlight, turbo timer bla bla bla... hehehe...:X-:

 

[papagoines]

yupe.. i'm currently searching for voltmeter. i saw those with light when turn on the light at night as advertised on website. Is it expensive? any brand/model of recommendation? Is it easy to install btw how much does the accessory shop will charge? i need to prepare budget, will install in 2 cars.

As I said, the brand autogauge one sell at min rm60...shop around :X-:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e346/papagoines/Cars/My%20Ride/0902metercluster.jpg
I got those 2 including the meter holder for RM150 brand new including installation :X-: .

 

[papagoines]

Hei Addicted,
Better use Panasonic brand battery as its imported from Japan.. hehe.. Last long a bit..

Are they ready for the tropics?

if im not mistaken, there's a point for you to see wether your battery still alive anot..green means active..black means need to recharge and red means kong..
btw im using falcon battery ns60 which cost around 170 bucks just for the dried battery..any good brand recommended? and will last longer than those normal battery? im confuse...

Agreed, dun have to check every day...once a week shud be fine...at the same time u can check ur coolant/oil level :_:

FYI, Maintenance Free (MF) Battery its not dried battery or "sel kering" as most pomen will tell... the battery is still the same as the normal once i.e. the ones that you have to keep topping up the water. The different between normal and MF ones is that MF are sealed so the water contained will have lesser chance of being boiled away by the engine bay heat.

For MF tends to die silently more than the normal ones....most ppl I've met said that normal battery is far more long lasting than MF

my 2 sen

 

[mroctopus]

papagoines, the holder and meter look matching! :regular_smile: nice looking.. but how come on the left side? it will be easier to reference on the driver side i suppose.... btw thanks for your advise on the MF vs non-MF. My current car original come with MF battery, so the next round i'll change to non-MF.

ju onn.. good tips. thanks!

 

[KeV-TEC]

Energizer last longer la dei... apalah, gone offtopic 9 9...

to tell u d truth duracell last longer... buahahah...

kla... cant do much on d battery thing 1 leh
just keep on pouring water in dun let it dry will do de...
nowadays last 2 years is normal de... so many car also electronic base...
u know ar... ppl say those batt no need put water 1 ar... very good quality can last long...
but wth who know... last 1 year nia! mahai i go ask d mechanic how come this happen...
he tell me shit that depends on how u use your car... stupid asnwer...
then buy another also same last 1 year...
now pakai those masuk air 1... last till 1 year de still bagus condition

 

[ju onn]

papagoines, the holder and meter look matching! :regular_smile: nice looking.. but how come on the left side? it will be easier to reference on the driver side i suppose.... btw thanks for your advise on the MF vs non-MF. My current car original come with MF battery, so the next round i'll change to non-MF.

ju onn.. good tips. thanks!

Er.. From what i understand we only need to refer the volt meter at the moment we turn the key to ignition position. The needle should move to 12 which is mean the battery is in good condition. After start, no need againlah. While the vaccum meter only need to refer when the car engine is in idle. The needle should be pointing 15-25 hg and must be in steady position (not vibrating). When start driving, the reading of both gauges wil be no longer relevan. unless u have RPM/Shift light.... or boost meter, ext temp, oil press and etc. those meters need to read while driving if i m not mistake. So must place it as close as possible at the drivers view.:regular_smile: