01 Jan 70 00:00, Mark Hofmann wrote to Roy Witt:   
      
      
      
    RW>> I had one on mine too, but the battery died because of it. Either   
    RW>> that or batteries made exclusively for HDs don't live long at all.   
    RW>> It wasn't even a year old when it gave up. It looks like new, I   
    RW>> still have the original unused since I brought it home box and   
    RW>> intended to take it back, but never got around to it.   
      
    MH> So far, the trickle charger I am using on the HD has kept it in great   
    MH> shape. I believe the batter is around 6 years old right now.  Lasts   
    MH> longer than any car battery I have ever had.   
      
   OTH, the HD battery in my XL has died from being on a trickle charger.   
   According to the local HD dealer, HD gell cells aren't meant to be on a   
   trickle charger? Dunno why not, since my Optima (gell cell) was always on   
   a trickle charger and it lived a very long time that way.   
      
    RW>> That's how my Silverado acted. Then it sat for 4 days and it   
    RW>> wouldn't start when I returned to drive it. The Optima battery had   
    RW>> gone south and it was a fairly new one. O'Reilly replaced it under   
    RW>> warranty.   
      
    MH> I might be testing out the Sears warranty this weekend if I can't   
    MH> start the Monte Carlo.  I don't know the exact date I bought it, but   
    MH> it was in September of 2009.  If it fails in less than (3) years, it   
    MH> is a free replacement. Otherwise, it is pro-rated up to 100 months.   
    MH> We shall see, soon enough.   
      
   Sounds interesting.   
      
    RW>> Not coke! Baking soda, water and a tooth brush...the baking soda   
    RW>> neutralizes the battery acid, the water gives the baking soda a   
    RW>> medium to travel on and the brush makes sure that you clean every   
    RW>> surface. Then a good garden hose flush and you're done.   
      
    MH> Coke works great for stomach acid, too.  :)   
      
   Sure it does, for a while. Then the acid gets the upperhand and then you   
   need Zantach 75 or better to resolve that issue.   
      
    MH> The baking soda, water and toothbrush sounds like a cleaner way to   
    MH> clean the terminals.  I'll give that a shot the next time I see the   
    MH> acid buildup.   
      
   You could also buy a spray-on acid neutralizer from an autoparts store. I   
   used that stuff when I was doing roadside service and would tell the   
   customer to rinse with fresh water from a garden hose as soon as they   
   got home. I often wonder how many followed that advice...   
      
    MH> The problem with coke is that it makes things sticky unless you spray   
    MH> the around down with water afterwards.   
      
   It's a good idea to rinse anyway. That ensures that there's no battery   
   acid residue left in the car to rust things out later.   
      
    RW>> Doesn't the person with the most body-hair have priority in parking?   
    RW>>   
    RW>> He does here. 8^)   
      
    MH> :)  We have been parking the new cars in the driveway and the older   
    MH> vehicles are on the street.  We are in a cul-de-sac, so it isn't   
    MH> really that big of a deal to have the parked out there.  They are   
    MH> probably safer in the street than in our driveway when the kids are   
    MH> playing basketball!   
      
   Unless your driveway has a grade to it. Then the car parked behind the old   
   car in the driveway has the possibility of crashing into those on the   
   street. My 57 Chevy convertible did that to a friends 57 Nomad. I   
   attributed that to jealousy on behalf of the convertible, but maybe   
   they were in love and needed a touchy-touchy...   
      
    RW>> Yeup... I had a 'Chicago' brand trickle on the HD and I have a brand   
    RW>> name trickle on the Camaro. Both batteries weakened and died, but   
    RW>> the HD went first.   
      
    MH> I have one called "Battery Tender".  They work like a champ.   
      
   That's what I used on the Camaro. It too has died...   
      
                   R\%/itt   
      
      
   ... Mark Owen: "Hey, did you ever hear anything about that beer?   
   ... Fellow SEAL: "You believed that shit, I bet you voted for change too,   
   ... SUCKER."   
      
      
   --- GoldED+/W32 with D'Bridge 3.82   
    * Origin: Texas Lone-Star - Texan, American, USAian  (1:387/22)