Why do car batteries always fail at midnight?

cardaddy

cardaddy

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Well dontcha' just hate it when your fairly new car battery decides to check out at 11:00pm and nothing is open to get a new one?

Thought last night was going pretty well. My daughter (she's 24) has been dating her new boyfriend for some time now. Well last night she was at work when the wife stepped outside to take out the trash and the boyfriend was in the driveway. OK, that's cool maybe he wants to ask what she really wants for Christmas, or maybe what I want. (More AG stuff!)

The wife asks him in and he's like "I just thought I'd come by and talk to you guys". Uh oh, I'm thinking this might get uncomfortable. So we three sit down and start just talking general stuff, his work (he's a Ga Tech grad, Electrical Engineer btw), her work, friends, family, etc. Then he looks at me and says "Well, I want to know if it's OK with you that I ask her to Marry Me? I've been thinking about it for a couple of months now, and I just know that she's everything to me, everything I have ever wanted and I really want to ask her".

I look at my wife, she at me, both at him..... So my wife says "When do you want to ask her?" He replies "Well, I talked with my Mom about it a couple of months ago, and I asked her if she would help me get a ring." My wife says "Really?" "Yes mam, I've actually had it for a month or so now and had my mom put it up for me because I knew if I had it I would want to give it to her." (my daughter)

So I say "And when do you plan on actually asking her then?" Like I was going to be surprised when he said "Uh, Christmas". :dblthumb2:

We decided then that it's high time we got down to business and figured out what the heck is going on. Can't complain, he's a good kid, a smart kid, (builds micro circuits by hand for space / defense industry), loves music, plays in his church band, has a big supportive family AND most importantly, she really loves him.:cry:
Well there ya' go, looks like I'm gonna have a son in law!

He left the house around 9:00 and went to take her some late lunch as she wasn't getting off till 11:00.

About 11:10 my daughter calls when she gets off (she's a retail store manager) and her battery is dead! Are you freaking kidding me!!! It's an AC Delco, SEVEN YEAR battery that just turned 27 months old. I grabbed a jump box and jumped in the Denali to run get her. That darned thing was so dead I ended up borrowing a set of cables from Security to jump it. Arrrrrgggggghhhhh

Why does this always happen on a weekend night when the darned parts department is closed till Monday?!?! I mean, sure, Wally World is right across the street and has one, but this one wa $135 or so and IS still under the "free replacement warranty" so there is no way I'm gonna' buy something else at midnight on a Saturday night.

Fast forward and I get the car home, the wife is sleeping to my left, the daughter to my right, the Christmas tree is all lit up and I'm watching car programs on a 73" TV at 4:00am. All is good in the world. :)
 
It is always when you want to go somewhere. It is usually in the morning for me.

I never get more than 5 years from a battery no matter what the warranty is and the sellers know it. They just you to come back get a small credit for unused time to get another one.

I did have a Walmart battery to die early but they refused to cover it claiming their tester said it just needed charging. It had some issue where it would lose the charge over time (several days). I checked the current drain on the car to be sure that was not the issue.
 
I think it's in the design.....:laughing:

Congratulations on the news! :props:
 
I agree that interstate batteries or even optimum batteries are good as well. As far as the engagement goes if he is good to her all you can do is hope the upbringing of your daughter will help her decide if he is rally the one. All you can do is show your support for your daughters decision. My Mother-in Law was real skeptical when I asked to Marry their daughter. I also remember that my wife's grandmother always told her parents that I was a good hard working guy. My In-Laws agree. It only took 23 years of marriage and three grand children.

Ed

:autowash: :buffing:
 
Murphy's Law I suppose ... be glad its only a battery !
 
Because midnight/first thing in the morning is the coldest time of the day and batteries are at their lowest power when they are cold?
 
cardaddy said:
Are you freaking kidding me!!! It's an AC Delco, SEVEN YEAR battery that just turned 27 months old.
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I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Delco doesn't make batteries anymore. I have been a Delco man forever, but I think I have bought my last one. In what is becoming a new American tradition, companies with iconic names (Delco, GE, Honeywell, AT&T, etc.) find it is more profitable to simply license out their name to other companies (for certain products, not all), rather than make it themselves (because it's about the money rather than about making good products, right?).

So the AGM technology that Delco pioneered in automotive batteries in 1976 with their Freedom battery, featuring no filler caps, is no longer is used in Delco batteries, because Delco batteries are made by various other suppliers under license to use the name. You can find more about it if you search the internet.
 
Since I added a Battery Tender charger to my equipment, haven't had an issue like that. Keeps it charged to 100% and you can plug it in and forget about it. Odessy batteries look very good.
 
Bunky said:
It is always when you want to go somewhere. It is usually in the morning for me.

I never get more than 5 years from a battery no matter what the warranty is and the sellers know it. They just you to come back get a small credit for unused time to get another one.

I did have a Walmart battery to die early but they refused to cover it claiming their tester said it just needed charging. It had some issue where it would lose the charge over time (several days). I checked the current drain on the car to be sure that was not the issue.
Click to expand...

Wow, 5 years these days is a lot. I got 6 from my G35, but it sits inside mostly. Averaged about 3500 miles a year, only on good weather days, till this year. Now that the boy has his 4Runner I'm shooting for a max of 1500 miles a year.

At least this battery has a full 3 years of FREE replacement before the "pro-rated" warranty kicks in. IE, that's why she paid as much for it as she did. ;)
 
BobbyG said:
I think it's in the design.....:laughing:

Congratulations on the news! :props:
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Me thinks you're right Bobby! ;) Remember when you went to Sears and just got a Die-Hard and they LASTED?!?! I've not had anything last like that since the late 90's.

Yup, I think this may be good news too. I know I told him if it doesn't work I can deal with it, people sometimes figure that out. HOWEVER..... if he EVER lays a hand on her, or if he ever hurts her (by cheating on her) "Your a$$ is MINE!!!" :bat:
 
Flash Gordon said:
I've had to replace the battery in one of my customers 4 year old Suburban twice now (that makes a total of 3!) the first one we replaced was an AC Delco as was the one that came with the truck. This last time I went with an Interstate battery

Congrats on the engagement (I think) It concerns me he had his mother pay for the engagement ring(s). In my head that makes me wonder if we might not have a "Momma's Boy" on our hands? If this is the case your daughter will be in for more then she bargained for

Like Al (Bunky) my battery always seems to fail in the a.m.. I drive a stick though so Usually I can bump start it if needed
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This will be her 3rd, in a 2006 G6 GTP. First one (of course) wasn't under warranty because it came with the car. Even though had we bought it, it'd still have been during the free replacement period. It was Sept 2010 when she bought this one, go figure.

Nope.... the thing with his 'mom' was he wanted her to help him *find* one (IE go shopping with him to pick it out). I in NO WAY would deal with a momma's boy, not gonna' freakin' happen! OTOH his family is really close, uncles, aunts, cousins and all. Mine is mostly dead or scattered all over the country. I can really appreciate the 'family unit' that they have.

He is so much like my baby girl though. They both read a lot, prefer quite times over loud times, have a fantastic work ethic, and are career minded. Enjoy music of all kinds, from classic masters, to new wave stars. (IE she likes James Taylor, Tom Petty & BB King just like her old man, and so does he.) Both are deep thinkers over impulsive actors. They are both able to understand religion and faith is vital and important in our lives. And that the 2nd amendment, (and many others) and are all needed, in unison with faith at the same time even. ;)

Guess we'll find out how it goes come Christmas day huh? :props:
 
AeroCleanse said:
Since I added a Battery Tender charger to my equipment, haven't had an issue like that. Keeps it charged to 100% and you can plug it in and forget about it. Odessy batteries look very good.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how that would help with a DD. I mean she drives a ton, and drove to work just fine. She actually went out on her break and moved her car from behind the building to a spot out front so it started earlier last night. (Although she said when she tried to set the alarm the lights didn't want to flash and it acted weird.)

I do keep my Caddy on a trickle charger though as it doesn't get driven hardly ever. Even wired a plug that hangs down behind the grill so I don't have to pop the hood for access. It I didn't, I'd be putting new batteries in it 2 or 3 times a year.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
Murphy's Law I suppose ... be glad its only a battery !
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For REAL! I mean I was thinking all the way down there, "Please God let this only be the battery". Her car is a 06 GTP Coupe with over 92K on it. That girl drives, and drives, and drives. She's not afraid to work on it either. She did her own plugs, has been known to change her own oil, AND put drilled & slotted rotors on it by herself. (With my supervision of course) Plus pulled the calipers apart and painted them and the hats on the rotors while she was at it. Even knows how to use my tank style pressure bleeder to flush the brake system.

She's almost as good claying and waxing as me even. Quite the opposite from her 19 year old brother that I have to threaten to even wash his 4Runner. She's used my older (weak) 6" and 10" DA polishers to get her car done nice and slick but not the new GG yet. That'll change once the holidays are over and she doesn't have to work so many hours. (BTW she's a retail store manager in a outlet mall and has brought her stores numbers to the top of her district, outselling much larger stores AND was even the top store in the nation last month.) Even with chains hurting and closing stores left and right she's a motivated, merchandising machine. :laughing:
 
DaytonaJae said:
Because midnight/first thing in the morning is the coldest time of the day and batteries are at their lowest power when they are cold?
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And it has been the coldest nights of the season the last two in a row. Also the first good hot day will short out a battery big time. The cold zaps the power but the heat literally shorts them out. As the plates sulfites build up on the plates during the winter months, come a nice warm spring day and they'll drop loose, settle on the bottom, and short 1 to several plates out literally as you drive. Then WHAM next time you get in the car it fails to start.

Setec Astronomy said:
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Delco doesn't make batteries anymore. I have been a Delco man forever, but I think I have bought my last one. In what is becoming a new American tradition, companies with iconic names (Delco, GE, Honeywell, AT&T, etc.) find it is more profitable to simply license out their name to other companies (for certain products, not all), rather than make it themselves (because it's about the money rather than about making good products, right?).

So the AGM technology that Delco pioneered in automotive batteries in 1976 with their Freedom battery, featuring no filler caps, is no longer is used in Delco batteries, because Delco batteries are made by various other suppliers under license to use the name. You can find more about it if you search the internet.
Click to expand...

Weird thing about the no filler cap style batteries, (doesn't have to be AGM in particular). This whole 'no maintenance' thing caused more problems than it helped. As it spawned a whole line of 'low maintenance' batteries where people thought they were one in the same. Time after time batteries were allowed to run low on water and of course that destroys them.

In the 18 years I ran my towing business (from Jan 1985 till mid 2003) I've seen more than my fair share of both types of failure I mentioned above. Funny was last night when I went to leave and the wife asked if I was taking any jumper cables with me. 'Uh, nope.... remember the only ones I have were hard-wired to the trucks system, plug on one end, ONE pair of clamps on the other with a 24' cable." I grabbed the fairly heavy jump box that sits charging in the garage but even it wasn't enough. (Especially with the godaweful side terminals) Once I finally got a security golf cart to stop he had a decent set and we were good to go. :)

Checked her car today and the alternator is good. Battery water was a little low all around, but not exposed plates (not even close). It's on a electronic charger that'll go from "FUL" to 4.1, 4.0, 3.8, 3.2.... down to .2 amps and back to "FUL" and in a few minutes go back into charge mode. It is crapped out for sure.

Now it's cloudy and my wife is at the MIL's wrapping gifts. The girl is driving Mom's Denali. The boy is shopping in the 4Runner with his little girlfriend. (Surprised her parents even let her go btw) Then me.... I'm needing to go get something and the Caddy is out of gas! (Funny how the wife will drive it till it's got .3 gallons in it and park it where the fuel pickup isn't sucking.) I'd take the GTP but who's gonna' come jump ME when I need it????? :dunno:
 
Am I a lucky guy? Never had an issue with a battery.Last year I went to Canada to visit family and friends during Holiday Season and the temperature was -28oC king of cold let me tell you.....
FrozenMan.jpg
 
cardaddy said:
I'm not sure how that would help with a DD. I mean she drives a ton, and drove to work just fine. She actually went out on her break and moved her car from behind the building to a spot out front so it started earlier last night. (Although she said when she tried to set the alarm the lights didn't want to flash and it acted weird.)

I do keep my Caddy on a trickle charger though as it doesn't get driven hardly ever. Even wired a plug that hangs down behind the grill so I don't have to pop the hood for access. It I didn't, I'd be putting new batteries in it 2 or 3 times a year.
Click to expand...

Depends on how far its driven to work. The drain on the battery might be more than it gets recharged. Its also possible the battery is getting sulfated, which a BatteryMinder would take care of.

Is is a sealed unit or can you access the electrolyte?
 
That's awesome news.

It's funny how they never stop being our little girls.

My daughter is 24 and calls me for help or with good news before she calls her husband...
 
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