The new converter is on its way. I'm continuing to have conversations on line about my battery experience, and one person yesterday rather emphatically asserted that my battery is fried. Or toast. Or words to that effect. I haven't thought so: I charged it up a little while back, took it to AutoZone, and their little machine said "Good Battery."
But heck, I've got time. So I brought the battery home last night and put it on my charger overnight. Yes, it takes that long.
And this morning, damned if the charger wasn't flashing an error code indicating that my battery has an open cell. Might be "sulfated." Say what?
So now in the early morning I'm researching batteries. Deep cycle marine batteries. Did you know you can lay out more than $350 for one of those suckers? The real price jump seems to come with the "maintenance free" batteries. Sealed: never have to check the water level. Seriously, folks, when was the last time you checked the water in your battery? I just did, this minute, wondering if I'd missed an obvious cause of my problem. But no, the plates all seem happily covered in a rather murky-looking fluid.
And Oh, Lordy! Turns out there's a whole category of products which offer to prevent or reverse the dreaded sulfation. Check this out.
My battery was replaced about 3 years ago. My mechanic tells me that's about what to expect from a battery in this climate, regardless of how much I spend. So maybe I'll start with a clean slate. New converter, new battery. Unless there's some subtle issue with the wiring from Point A to Point B, that should cover the bases. Right?
A more or less ordinary deep-cycle battery will run me about a hundred bucks. That should do it. Should't it?
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