Cheapest Place for Car Batteries | GTAMotorcycle.com

Cheapest Place for Car Batteries

Rohan27

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Started driving a 2002 Toyota Corolla today. The car was stored for about 2 years. The battery seems like its toast (drove it for quite a while and the battery seems like it's not holding a charge). Probably going to have to replace it and im looking for a good deal if I can find one. Anyone have any suggestions? How much would the battery cost?

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Before you spend the money on a battery, get your alternator tested first.
 
Pretty sure the alternator is fine, the car stays running after the jumper cables are removed. And the battery charged a bit (enough to power the dash, but not enough to crank the engine) but I was driving for about 100-150kms so im thinking if the battery isn't charged after that, its toast

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to test your alt, start the car and turn everything off heater and all accessory's and pull the ground cable off the battery, if the car stays running then the alt is good


This idiot maneuver could get REAL EXPENSIVE quickly. It may have been a valid test when we had generators and points... but you're not old enough to remember that.
When you remove the battery from the circuit; you have remove the reference to "zero" (no electrical potential) that the regulator uses, causing the voltage to spike... taking out everything and anything electronic in your car. OOPS!

... and DON"T beat on the starter when it won't start. All you're doing is wrecking the starter by smashing the magnets.
 
Normally Costco. Great Northern Battery in Stoney Creek is worth a try too. They are a family business with great prices.
 
Do not follow this bad advice, a AVR test is what you need, that will test your battery and charging system

(to test your alt, start the car and turn everything off heater and all accessory's and pull the ground cable off the battery, if the car stays running then the alt is good )
 
If the battery light came up on your dash that means your alternator is toast. Simple.
Also removing the negative terminal is a valid test that will not ruin any electronics in your car.
I've done it a few times and never had an issue afterwards.
If you're certain that your alternator is fine, just get a battery from any of the stores mentioned above.
If you're on a budget, there are private shops that sell refurbished batteries for 30-40$ +/-.
 
Don't places like partsource do tests on your battery/electric system for free?
 
no it won't. who told you that ****. the alt only put out 14 volts max, if it is bad it put out less.


HMMMMmmmmmmmmm
The vast majority of regulators in car alternators are manufactured with a target voltage of 14.5 volts...

I don't remember IF anyone "told" me that... but in the approximately 20 years that I worked in an auto electric shop I have SEEN it many, many times.
... but then having a basic understanding of electricity I think it is easy to predict it happening. (Start with Ohm's law and work up from there).
 
Don't places like partsource do tests on your battery/electric system for free?

I suggest you go to a auto electric shop; like "Start Auto Electric" or "Dundas Starter".
That way you get someone with a clue doing the test. Electricity, as seen from these posts, is not always intuitive.

I find the printout you get from Canadian Tire amusing... six pages of test results that tell you absolutely nothing meaningful. (On Wednesday a guy came into the shop with a printout from Crappy Tire, he wanted a new alternator and battery... cuz that's what Crappy Tire told him.
His negative battery terminal was loose.

"Refurbished" batteries are a waste of good beer drinking monies.
 
This idiot maneuver could get REAL EXPENSIVE quickly. It may have been a valid test when we had generators and points... but you're not old enough to remember that.
When you remove the battery from the circuit; you have remove the reference to "zero" (no electrical potential) that the regulator uses, causing the voltage to spike... taking out everything and anything electronic in your car. OOPS!

... and DON"T beat on the starter when it won't start. All you're doing is wrecking the starter by smashing the magnets.

no it won't. who told you that ****. the alt only put out 14 volts max, if it is bad it put out less.

What Bitzz is saying is true in my experience, I've tried this in older cars and it use to work well. In my bike which is 2004 & my car which is 2000, this method does not work. What happens is it just stutters and die. I was really amazed and dissappointed by that.

As for OP get a motomaster battery from Crappy tire, I got a 800CCA for $120. Not bad at all. Plus the battery comes with roadside assistance and warranty, I've had it for 1.5yrs now.

Merry X mas
 
Correct me if I am wrong but automotive alternators don't have permanent magnets. They have rotor winding that have to be energized with DC. Now depending on design, some might need the battery some might not after they get going. Same with voltage spikes, depends on design. I dont work with this stuff every day so I could be off.
 

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