Like 70.00 to install a battery, LOL
That is crazy, places like Advance Auto install them for free, of course you can only get the Duracrap ones from them...
I'd rather have an Optima, Interstate battery, Diehard Gold is good also.

Picked up the new diehard gold and installed it today , took a whole 15 minutes . I started it up and the battery was fully charged in 2 minutes . According to the date on the old battery also a diehard gold , it was 6 years old . Hopefully with the new battery , alternator and serpentine belt , I won't have any starting problems this winter . I will test it with my fluke meter over the next few days to make sure every thing is working as it should .

TheReaper!

Hi,

good to know. We can only get the ACDelco batteries here. The last one served me well though, about 5 years with summer temperatures up to 120 F.

Anyhow, I got a question about the in-dash gauges.

For a long time the in-dash voltmeter in my '96 PA (now about 178k mls) shows between 12 ~ 12.5 V while idling and driving, and drops below 12 when the engine is off. Since this got me worried I checked
(a) ODB2 live data and
(b) a multi-meter across the battery terminals.
The ODB2 reported values are the same as what is shown in the dash, but the multi-meter measures 13.8 V in idle and about 12.5 with the engine off. in other words, the in-dash meter is showing pretty much what is reported by the ODB2, which is about 1 ~ 1.5 V below the real values.

A few months ago I replaced first the alternator since it stopped charging and making grinding noises (well, 20 years old...), and a little later I replaced the battery as it wouldn't charge any more. The car cranks and starts within the second and drives reliably. The in-dash meter however shows no real change, shows too low voltage before and also after the replacement.

Has anybody noticed the same?
Is this possibly a problem specifically with the PAs?
Or is there maybe another issue lurking, ready to spring at me?
Any advice what could be the cause and whether I should investigate or just leave it?

I have an issue with the seat adjustments though (relay clicking noise but not moving when operating the switches), which could be a problem with the power seat/memory module. I'm not sure if it is in any way related.

Thomas

It is rare that the in dash gauge reports exactly what the system is seeing, but I guess there are some occasions where it does.
With your batt it sounds to be a slight bit undercharged, if it is 12.5 though it is not undercharged my much.
Not sure why the alternator is not making it read higher than 13.8v, usually it is about 14.3v-14.4v
I don't think I'd worry much atm, unless you start seeing lights flickering, have hard starts, etc...

I would consider getting something like a Battery Tender Maintainer, they are easy to install (the wiring harness quick connect is) and they are well worth the money, especially if you do not drive a lot every day..

Most of the time the car'* gauges are fairly accurate and can warn you some thing is wrong or going wrong . But for accurate measurements personally I trust my Fluke 87 a lot more . Keep in mind I am not a mechanic .

TheReaper!

Thanks for the advice. I think the alternator is doing OK since I don't have any issues with starting, running or lighting. I believe it was always like this but I could be wrong.

I was already considering this, only trouble is that my parking is in the basement of a multi-story garage, with no access to a power source. For the same reason a solar trickle charger would be of limited use, although especially interesting with about 330 sun-days per year...

T.

Thanks. That is what I experience in many other cars, but not in my PA. Maybe it is an exceptional but not to worry.

My old multi-meter died a few weeks ago, just the other day I got a new (Mastech). Will repeat the measurements asap. Let'* see. For now I have more urgent issues

T.

I was wrong the battery wasn't fully charged in 2 minutes , the voltage fooled me . It appeared to be charged but the next morning it was only showing 12.1 volts .So I took one of my motorcycle battery tenders and left in on the Die Hard for several hours until the light turned green which shows a full charged battery . Now it is fully charged and when I check it in the morning it'* right up there between 12.45 and 12.60 volts . Since I'm retired and drive my motorcycle 95% of the time my car gets little use . I think I'm going to hook up a permanent battery tender on the Buick'* battery before winter , so when it'* just sitting the battery won't need to be jumped .

TheReaper!

A little update all'* well with the new battery , alternator and new serpentine belt . All were top of the line parts . Now after starting it it'* running 14 to 15 volts on the dash board gauge . Should be fine now when the cold weather hits . Thanks for the input much obliged .

TheReaper!