I purchased the maintenance free battery from Restoration battery for my 66 and took delivery of it on May 30th of 06.

I was told on the phone before I bought it, that it was new technology, and this battery should last me 10-11 years. I went ahead and bought it thinking this is great, because these are not an inexpensive battery.

I love the battery, it looks fantastic and worked perfect. I only put 1000-1200 miles a year on my car, and it gets started and ran/driven at least once a month in the winter. My battery went from operating perfect one day to almost complete loss of power the the next. It wouldn't take a charge. I was instructed by Restoration battery to try and put a constant 10amp charge to see if it would charge back up.

I borrowed my buddy's professional charger that you can dial in the amperage, and it would ramp up to 8-9 amps and then kick out on a overload condition. I was then instructed by Restoration battery to call Antique Auto Battery and get an RA number and send it back to them and that they would check it out.

I thought that odd, beings I purchased it from Restoration Battery. I was told the same thing about the 10-11 year thing from both companys, but in the same breath telling me my warranty period is 4 years, so that concerns me a tad, so I shipped it back and that cost me another 20 dollars, so they have had it since last week and I haven't heard from anyone yet.

Has anyone here had one of these go bad literally overnight! I really had never looked inside of it, I took a light and looked in, and it resembled a red Optima inside.

Was wondering if anyone has had a smiler thing happen with one of these. I'm just waiting to hear from them to see what if anything they will do about it.


Rocky

at the end of the day its just another batter like you see in wal mart. only its made to look like your original. on all of my dads and I old cars we use the Battery Tender Plus. it keeps the battery up and fully charged. chance are when any battery goes completely dead they wont come back regardless of what name brand they are.

I had a similar situation with an R59 I bought a few years ago. If I recall, the instructions were to put a 2 amp charge on it for X number of hours. I did this over and over again, but it still would not charge properly or start the car. I phoned the supplier who said do the 2 amp again for a certain length of time and then hit it with 10 amp charge until the "charged light" appears on the charger. That worked. No problems since.

Good luck.

Yes... I have had two of these batterys go bad in less than a year. One in my 70 & one in my 67. They were both less than 6 months old when they went too. I live pretty close to Restoration Battery and he took care of it right away. He even gave me a loaner battery to use because the R79W side post was on back order for my 70. I had the loaner about two months before my replacement came in. IMO the batterys are not that great but his customer service with me has been spectacular... I would suggest if you haven't already, buy a battery maintainer and leave it on the battery at all times when the car is not in use. Good luck.

I had a similar situation with an R59 I bought a few years ago. If I recall, the instructions were to put a 2 amp charge on it for X number of hours. I did this over and over again, but it still would not charge properly or start the car. I phoned the supplier who said do the 2 amp again for a certain length of time and then hit it with 10 amp charge until the "charged light" appears on the charger. That worked. No problems since.

Good luck.

Interesting. I have one I bought from a place in OH a couple of years ago, still works fine, I keep a tender on it all the time.

I noticed a NOS battery on ebay a couple of weeks ago, it went from something over $300. The only difference I could see in it and my battery was that the wording DELCO was in yellow.

When a battery discharges, the plates collect buildup. When the buildup gets to thick, the battery wont take a charge.

My experience with batteries in general over the last 45 years is that a good one (min 72 mo guarantee) will usually last about 5 or 6 years if maintained well. Some more, a few less. I use a battery topper on a NAPA maint free battery on my Chevelles 1. Because I'm cheap and 2. Because I think the repros aren't as good of quality as a good parts store battery. My first one on the SS was a repro R59 and it lasted 4 years. Recently my NAPA 84 mo bettery began not holding a charge at 82 months (what timing). After charging with a 10 amp charger it would be OK for a couple hours but that's it. After that, not enough amps to start the car. I got a new NAPA for $90, peeled the decal off the back, cut off the strap holders off the sides, slapped the topper on it and good to go. I know nothing less than a repro battery is good enough for some cars but for us tightwads there is an alternative.

When a battery discharges, the plates collect buildup. When the buildup gets to thick, the battery wont take a charge.

& using a 'Battery Tender' is supposed to eliminate that buildup from happening.
I have one on the Chevelle & my John Deere tractor.

On the JD I used to replace the battery every spring & now for the last 3 years since I've use the tender.....same battery.

I guess the issue here was that this maintenance free battery was touted as new cutting edge technology that needed NO maintenance, and was good to go after extended periods of non use, which was not the case here. Maybe when I bought it, I should have opted for the lead acid battery instead.

When I said it literally died overnight that what I mean. Example, it started the car perfectly fine when I went for a drive on Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon it wouldn't start the car.

I took the old Diehard battery that had been sitting on the shelf for the last Three and half years, and had been in the Chevelle for Four years prior to that, charged it up and it starts the Chevelle just fine.

I was just curious if anyone had a similar experience with the new type maintenance free restoration type battery. But I guess we will see what the end result will be, as they have had my battery since Wednesday of last week.


Rocky

My R59 in the 69 has died for no reason twice :confused:...but so far it's been recharged and held, we'll see how this spring goes...no tender here, just disconnected.

I use a battery topper on a NAPA maint free battery on my Chevelles 1. Because I'm cheap and 2. Because I think the repros aren't as good of quality as a good parts store battery.

My first one on the SS was a repro R59 and it lasted 4 years. Recently my NAPA 84 mo bettery began not holding a charge at 82 months (what timing).

I know nothing less than a repro battery is good enough for some cars but for us tightwads there is an alternative.

Von, you crack me up. :D:thumbsup:

I have 2 maintenance free restoration batterys for my cars. I always put the batt tender on them if they sit for more than a week or so, especially off season. One is 4 yrs old, and the other is 2. No problems so far. I don't think they even make the resto acid batterys anymore. Thats what I was told, when I bought the last one. I also keep a batt tender on my trailer battery, because that sits all winter too.

& using a 'Battery Tender' is supposed to eliminate that buildup from happening.
I have one on the Chevelle & my John Deere tractor.

On the JD I used to replace the battery every spring & now for the last 3 years since I've use the tender.....same battery.

:yes:

This all very interesting info. I just called to order a R59 battery from Antique Auto battery in Hudson, OH and the woman at the ordering desk explained to me that a Battery Tender was a waste of time with their batteries. She said that they didn't produce enough amps to charge properly and said they had one that the manufacture produced. Never heard before that the Tender would not be sufficient to maintain. She also said that if the car was not started for 2-3 months that I needed to disconnect and charge for 2 hours at 10 amps. Please let me know how to properly take care of these batteries as there seems to be different thoughts on this matter. Do not want to purchace these very expensive batteries very often.

This all very interesting info. I just called to order a R59 battery from Antique Auto battery in Hudson, OH and the woman at the ordering desk explained to me that a Battery Tender was a waste of time with their batteries. She said that they didn't produce enough amps to charge properly and said they had one that the manufacture produced. Never heard before that the Tender would not be sufficient to maintain. She also said that if the car was not started for 2-3 months that I needed to disconnect and charge for 2 hours at 10 amps. Please let me know how to properly take care of these batteries as there seems to be different thoughts on this matter. Do not want to purchace these very expensive batteries very often.

See, that where the problem lies with my battery. In the winter months, the car never goes beyond three weeks, much less two to three months without being started and ran/driven. Mine was, it was good on Saturday, bad on Sunday. Never in my life have I ever seen a battery that didn't give indication of going down first before dieing.

But like I said, I'm in a holding pattern to see what they say.

Rocky

Mine was, it was good on Saturday, bad on Sunday. Never in my life have I ever seen a battery that didn't give indication of going down first before dieing.



Rocky

I got that beat, started the car pulled out of the garage shut it off....then that was it dead, couldn't for the life of me figure it out, no shorts, nothing drawing...just dead.
Trickled it over night...no problem since.:confused:
The first time it was dead after sitting for a few months, charged it, again...fine.
Gremlins I think ;)

Now if you boys lived a cleaner life you would not have this problem:D

Now if you boys lived a cleaner life you would not have this problem:D

I guess I'm destined to have a dead battery the rest of my life than :D


Rocky

I guess I'm destined to have a dead battery the rest of my life than :D Rocky
That would be a Rocky Road for you Rocky l:):D

I really had never looked inside of it, I took a light and looked in, and it resembled a red Optima inside.


There's the vast majority of your problem. ;)

I have a maintenance free AC Delco battery in the coupe, same battery since 2000 and it still works great.

Rocky

I think what truly has you upset is a bit of false advertising. I think any battery that lasts 4 plus years is about as good as one can hope for. That said, I've had my maint free one in my 66 for about ten years.. I've lost track. God knows, I don't drive it much nor do I start it just to start it. It's not been started since early Nov. I do use a tender and I am always confident that when I do want to start it... It will.

Part 2 of your frustration is the sudden failure :( and to that I am not sure I have an answer other than even people sometimes drop dead with no signs of a health issue. And of course there is the small chance you just got a fluke.

I would not even for a second think they are going to call you and tell you good news :(

Personally, I think I would have saved the $20 shiping it back to them and put that toward a new one. I would get that one back and just drop in at car shows for the Look. Use a diehard for just joy driving your car. It is a lot of money to spend, I understand your frustration.

Rocky

I think what truly has you upset is a bit of false advertising. I think any battery that lasts 4 plus years is about as good as one can hope for. That said, I've had my maint free one in my 66 for about ten years.. I've lost track. God knows, I don't drive it much nor do I start it just to start it. It's not been started since early Nov. I do use a tender and I am always confident that when I do want to start it... It will.

Part 2 of your frustration is the sudden failure :( and to that I am not sure I have an answer other than even people sometimes drop dead with no signs of a health issue. And of course there is the small chance you just got a fluke.

I would not even for a second think they are going to call you and tell you good news :(

Personally, I think I would have saved the $20 shiping it back to them and put that toward a new one. I would get that one back and just drop in at car shows for the Look. Use a diehard for just joy driving your car. It is a lot of money to spend, I understand your frustration.

Most peoples 4 years usage are not exactly what I would call on par with my 66. Yes I know the the warranty is 4 years, but I put as many miles on my truck in 2 months, just going back and forth to work, as I put on my Chevelle in a whole year!!

wherein lies the rub. The battery as far as batterys go, was pretty much treated with kid gloves, never used hard. It wasn't 4 years old yet and it had a heart attack. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad or anything, because it was warranted for 4 years and it it died just two months short of it's expiration date, but you are correct in the fact I am a tad peeved that as it seems the place I purchased the battery from, and what appears to be their supplier, extolled the virtues of this wonderful new technology that would last me 10-11 years.

So like I said, in a holding pattern waiting. Hoping these people do what I would consider the right thing.


Rocky

Well they have had my battery since the 24th of February, no response to my email on March the 3rd. It's looking like Customer service is not exactly on the top of their list. But I'm still waiting patiently.


Rocky

Rocky

I think what truly has you upset is a bit of false advertising. I think any battery that lasts 4 plus years is about as good as one can hope for. That said, I've had my maint free one in my 66 for about ten years.. I've lost track. God knows, I don't drive it much nor do I start it just to start it. It's not been started since early Nov. I do use a tender and I am always confident that when I do want to start it... It will.

Part 2 of your frustration is the sudden failure :( and to that I am not sure I have an answer other than even people sometimes drop dead with no signs of a health issue. And of course there is the small chance you just got a fluke.

I would not even for a second think they are going to call you and tell you good news :(

Personally, I think I would have saved the $20 shiping it back to them and put that toward a new one. I would get that one back and just drop in at car shows for the Look. Use a diehard for just joy driving your car. It is a lot of money to spend, I understand your frustration.


I guess persistence does pay off. Lets say there could have been a small novel written with all the email correspondence. Will hold no ill will, and no bashing, But this story had a happy ending!


Rocky

Glad to here they made things right. I am having a problem with inline tube and their interpretation of end to end in making an intermediate parking brake cable. Looks like I would have to make a diagram and send it to them.

Glad to here they made things right. I am having a problem with inline tube and their interpretation of end to end in making an intermediate parking brake cable. Looks like I would have to make a diagram and send it to them.

Do not get me started with them :sad:. I've had minor problems with them twice, and both times, the customer is always wrong.

Glad to here they made things right. I am having a problem with inline tube and their interpretation of end to end in making an intermediate parking brake cable. Looks like I would have to make a diagram and send it to them.

Glad to hear that you got service after all.

Jim, I bought an inline tube parking brake (not installed) would like to hear the onging story before I install mine. (if ever :()

do not get me started with them :sad:. I've had minor problems with them twice, and both times, the customer is always wrong.

x2