Can I charge a Low CCA car battery or just replace it?

Question

We have a 4 year old van with original battery and Jiffy Lube & Sam's Club confirmed that it produces 410-420 CCA instead of the rated 580 CCA and that it needs a replacement. The voltage is 12.7, I think. So will my car charger help to "rejuvenate" it or should I just replace it to prevent starter or alternator problems?
The van still starts without any problem or hesitation. Thanks.

Answer 1

You've gotten the average life out of it, and a new battery would protect your alternator and keep you from a breakdown along the road somewhere that could cost as much as a new battery in my opinion. So I recommend buying the new heavy duty battery now. Also have the alternator charging voltage checked at the same time to be 14.0 volts or higher. The actual battery manufacturer date on the battery may show that the battery is over 4 years old since it takes time for batteries to be delivered to the car manufacturer. Make sure the new battery is FRESH by checking the date of manufacture on the battery. I like Interstate and Johnson Controls battery manufacturers which produce different battery brand names. The very best battery is a spiral core battery like the ones from Optima (an Interstate battery owned brand) available at Sam's Club, but twice the price of a standard heavy duty battery.

Answer 2

Car Battery Cca

Answer 3

Nope your battery is on its way out and is in process of dying it definitely will be giving up the ghost within 6 months I would say First a proper resting OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) should only be taken after your battery has had about a 20 minute rest since its last active charge Second after that rest the result for a proper good battery should be 12.65 minimum full charge to 12.80 maximum if its either above or below these readings you have problem and other testing would show you have failing cells and which ones etc. (but only to a very competent and knowledgeable technician like myself) you have put this battery thru a lot, a battery with stripped and non-tight connections should never be used, you are just asking for headaches and problems... Also how could you ever expect it to properly charge or discharge? It can't do its job if you handicap it?

Answer 4

1

Answer 5

i'd replace it with what's supposed to be in. the 12.7volts will ultimately mean nothing once a load is applied. the only reason to apply a charger would be because your alternator unit is faulty. as soon as you start having the slightest starting hessitation or the season is getting cooler-colder, replace it.



an alternator should not be putting out MORE than 14 volts. 14 should be the MAX when the vehicle is running or you take a chance of your battery either boiling dry or bulging leading to bad cells. Unless you live in colder climates, I personally don't believe in spending the extra money on an Optima. I've bought store brand lead acid batteries with one year warranties that have lasted me 4-5 years before. That was by luck, but there's no guarantee that even a more expensive battery IS going to last through the warranty. How many more years will an optima last to justify the extra cost difference unless you live in really cold weather. True, I believe the spriral cell optimas are a better design, but unless the warranties are double the life of other cheaper batteries' warranties, i see no reason to spend the money on them.



As far as when the battery on the shelf was made, so you get a newer battery, here's a link to some good info: http://www.batteries-faq.com/activekb/questions.php?questionid=53



basically "A4" would mean January, 2004

Answer 6

Just replace it, you can charge an old battery but you can't rejuvenate it. A four year old battery is near the end of its life and it's not worth risking getting stranded for the few dollars worth of life it might have left in it. 12.6 volts says nothing about the condition of the battery. Even a totally dead battery will put out 12.6 volts without a load on it (unless it has a shorted cell). The voltage in a bad battery drops rapidly down to less than 8 volts when you apply a load. The voltage drop under load is how you tell a good battery from a bad one.

Answer 7

New Battery Reconditioning Course!

Answer 8

You're best bet would be to place the battery on a battery charger, doing a 24hr trickle charge.

Depending on your alternator isn't a reliable way, especially if the CCA is less than the rated CCA.

Depending on what car you have the CCA of 410-420 is enough to start it.

Answer 9

if the battery is still original, its time. a charger might not do any thing but give it a shot. a battery from the factory usually lasts about 5 years. die hards are good batteries.