What is battery size / group code for 300m ???

- S
- Steve
  
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posted
16 years ago

Fri, Mar 28, 2008 3:26 AM

Correct. Which means that batteries last much longer in cold climates than in hot climates, but people erroneously get the impression that cold weather does them in because the final failure *usually* shows up on a blistering-cold night. In a hot climate, the battery can show up dead as a post any time of year and often without the slightest warning.

I give more credit to the comparatively cool (though painful to get at) location on that vehicle. That location has to knock at least 50 degrees F off the average temperature of the battery compared to putting it up in the top of the engine compartment as usual.

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- Steve
  
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posted
16 years ago

Fri, Mar 28, 2008 3:31 AM

When its -20F out, I wouldn't be going out to start the car anyway. I'd be loading the truck to move south... :-p

When I was in Seattle (Keyport/Poulsbo/Bremerton, actually) last year, it seemed to be old car heaven in general. I've never seen so many older vehicles in daily use. The one that took the prize was a (formerly) white '69 Charger covered in green moss and tree sap humming happily down the road. It passed me in about the same spot several days in a row. Same for a circa-1955 International pickup truck- except it was a little (ok, a lot) cleaner.

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- MoPar Man
  
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posted
16 years ago

Sat, Mar 29, 2008 2:36 AM

Heat, vibration and deep-cycling kills batteries.

In summer you have heat.

In winter you have deep cycling, and you have way more vibration if you drive on hard-packed snow that doesn't get cleared, and you also have more pot holes.

You generally also have more use of electrical accessories in winter (glass defoggers, seat heaters, etc) and more use of headlights (because of reduced daylight in the winter). All that extra use promotes deep cycling.

I've already replaced my front sway bar bushings once, and they need to be done again. That tells you how much vibration I've experienced in 8 years of driving my 300M.

I live in a climate where the daytime temp doesn't go above 40f for 4 months of the year. I doubt that's the primary reason my battery has lasted 8.3 years.