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Re: Another stupid error.....
From: Rick Moseley (ramoselpacbell.net)
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2025 08:13:48 -0700 (PDT)
I'm curious as to what the "little battery noise" is...    did you mean starter??  clunk clunk?

Batteries are nothing more than a chemical process but that chemistry comes in a physical form.   Over time the "paste" applied to the lead grids inside the battery tends to fall off... due to age, vibration, sitting discharged for long periods of time.   On the positive plate, that paste (often referred to as "active material") is Lead Oxide - PbO₂.   On the negative plate the paste is just a spongy state lead needed to increase surface area.  ie: sand paper has more surface area then a sheet of aluminum foil the same size when you look at it microscopically.

Eventually this build up of falling paste on the bottom of the battery can/will short out the plates.   One trick shops use is a vibratory tool on the case of the battery near the bottom to get that build up to break up, fall and settle on the bottom of the battery...  the other option is to just pick it up and drop it (gently) onto the floor a few times.   Once you physically get the build up away from the plates.  The battery charges again.  Some do it electrically with a high voltage charge for very short periods.  Some do it with a bigger jolt for just a split second.   Both do the same thing.  Break up the crud and get it away from the plates.   So, give one of these a try.   If you are going to do the "hit the floor" method (easiest and safest), you don't have drop it from more than a inch and if possible drop it on a piece of wood over dropping it on concrete. 

Side note...  For years Sears Die Hard batteries were known for their longer life.   Were they really that much better? Yes, but not for reasons you might think.   The Sears batteries lasted longer because they made them worse to begin with.   The big secret?  The plates in a Sears battery were shorter. So they didn't have as much power when new...  but shorter plates didn't hang as low in the battery casing either.   So, it took longer for the crud in the bottom of the battery to build up to a level it would short out the plates.  

Rick
  
On Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 07:23:06 AM PDT, Michel Savard <mysavard [at] videotron.ca> wrote:


It does say 23 years in my text. That happened yesterday, so it is still charging. Tomorrow after the F1 race,I’ll go check it.
Michael Savard (1981 308 GTSi)

> On Apr 19, 2025, at 10:12 AM, Doug Anderson <dnt911 [at] outlook.com> wrote:
>
> First, Michael, good luck with the sale of your car.  How long have you had your 308?
> Secondly - how did you make out with your second try?
> Cheers
> Doug
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ferrari <ferrari-bounces+dnt=dock.net [at] ferrarilist.com> On Behalf Of Michel Savard
> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2025 8:25 AM
> To: DOUG <dnt [at] dock.net>
> Cc: The FerrariList <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
> Subject: [Ferrari] Another stupid error.....
>
> I was very enthusiastic about getting into my 1981 308 for the first time after a long winter under the blanket. Charger had green light, like it did all winter long when I checked once in a while, unplugged it, hooked the neg. and pos. wire onto the battery, put the spare wheel over the battery, opened the garage door,  pushed the car as close to the pavement as possible without actually getting out of the garage, turned the key….. little battery noise, then nothing. Dead battery. Never happened before in 23 years of ownership.
>
> I did the whole process over again in reverse. When I took the charger out of the box, I noticed the button was at '6 volts' instead of '12 volts'. Somehow last fall I pushed that little button to '6 volts’ as I was manipulating it.
>
> Now the charger is at ’12 volts’, light is orange. Let’s wait and see. I think 48 hours should be enough if my memory serves me well.
> I put my Ferrari on Ebay and somebody asked for a video. That’s why I took it out early. I usually wait until mid-may in Montreal.
>
> Oh well!
> Michael Savard (1981 308 GTSi)
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