RW> When the battery has to go through temperture changes like the transition
RW> from summer to winter weather, they have a tendency to live a shorter
RW> life. Of course they can be better maintained by using a trickle charger
RW> that has a voltage detector in the circuit to take it to the high limit
RW> and maintain it there and not over charge it. This would work to keep
RW> your
RW> Monte and/or the Charger batteries well maintained, while one sits and
RW> the
RW> other is used on a daily basis.

Here in Maryland, this time of year (September-November) is the peak time for
car batteries to fail.  The temperature change does wreak havoc on them.

I have a nice trickle charger that I use for the HD battery.  I wired a fast
connector off the battery under the seat and all I have to do is plug it in to
the charger.  Keeps the HD battery from failing over the winter or extended
times when it is sitting.

RW> My recommendation is such a device, rather than replace a battery that is
RW> only 3 years old. Especially such a great battery as the Sears Diehard.

Neither the Monte Carlo or Charger will be sitting for longer than 7 days,
since I am alternating driving them every other week.  I didn't think 7 days
would cause the battery to fail, but it is apparently weak.

I have been driving the Monte Carlo all week and it has been starting right
up, so I'm not sure what to think.  I had cleaned the terminals before
charging it this past weekend (using a can of Coke).  

Will wait to see what happens after it sits for a week.  I would plug it into
the trickle charger if there was an easy way to do it.  The HD is in my garage
with a fast connector to the battery.  Easy to hookup.  The Monte is on the
street (since the 2-car garage and driveway is full of vehicles, etc).  

I wonder if it would be of any value to remove the battery from the Monte and
let it trickle charge for a few days to see if it then keeps it's charge going
forward.  The problem sometimes becomes that you get a bad cell.

RW> Before I moved my workbench out of the garage, I maintained two batteries
RW> on one trickle charger as I mentioned above. One of those two was out of
RW> my 2001 Rodeo and came out of a Honda previous to being installed in the
RW> Rodeo. It had to be at least ten years old at the time. The trickle
RW> charger kept it at peak voltage, but when removed, it quickly died to a
RW> level of 9 volts.

Sounds like a bad cell.  I had one in my old HD battery.  I would charge it
all the way up, ride it somewhere, stop and get gas, and it wouldn't
re-start.  It just couldn't hold a charge very long at all.  

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.50 
 * Origin:  http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (1:261/1304.0)