PV Gap

Stacey Said:

Is a dead battery on a new car that hasn't been used normal?

We Answered:

Yes they go dead. Remember that car only has clocked 34 miles and left sitting. Some dealers would disconnect the battery so people don't drain the battery when opening the doors or hitting the horn in the showroom.

But in general they slow go dead by themselves and because of "passive" electrical devices (like the clock). They call them passive because you don't activate them but the stay on all the time.

You will probably NOT get a new battery even if you asked. They may claim you got a new battery when delivered but how would you know?


Good Luck.

Samantha Said:

Can I use a battery charger to jump start a car?

We Answered:

Inexpensive ones won't do it, but when you get in the £50 range you should find some that do. An example is the Schumacher SE-1275A. I have the predecessor, which is slightly more expensive and has only 50 amp boost instead of 75, and I have used it successfully a few times when my daughter left her satellite radio on for a few days. You have to leave the booster on the battery for a few minutes (2-5 minutes, I think) before trying the starter if the battery is dead, but if you are just after a bit more oomph it should be ready to go right off the bat.

Jump starters that are basically portable batteries won't be very useful for extra cranking on cold mornings - they have no more voltage than your battery. It can be valuable to have a charger available from time to time, too.

Juan Said:

if my port dvd player is 9 volt battery, can i buy a 12 volt in-car charger for dvd's for it? explain voltage?

We Answered:

if its battery powered and the rating plate says its 9 volt then only connect it up to a 9 volt supply. It may work with a 12v supply (after all its not that over voltage.. but the problem is that car electrics are nominally 12v, but often run higher (around 14volt to charge batteries, and drop below 12 volt if the battery is low on power (discharged or you are using a lot of current eg trying to start the engine)

however voltage isnt the olny issue.. you alos need to make sure that the current is appropriate for the device... check the rating plate for the DVD player it should clearly say what power input and what curent it needs. Current is usually expressed as xah or xMa... eg 1500Ma..... which means 1500 milli amp hours (or 1.5 amp hours). given that you say the player is currently battery powered (im guessing then it must use PP9 batteries so it can't draw that much current

however all is not lost, you can buy leads that plug into a car accessory socket and they include a bit of electronics that converts the incoming power to what you want... try maplin. I have one from Maplin.. a Uniross "UNI15/M". which will provide regualted power for a range of power outputs. I think it cost about £10

Kim Said:

Where can I find a portable car charger/portable adaptor for an iBook?

We Answered:

What I would actually suggest is a generic AC converter for your car. This way, you can use it for items other than your laptop. This is how I travel, and it's great to have on hand...not just for my MacBook. This is the newer model of the one I use:

http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2553

Shelly Said:

What's a good battery charger for a car?

We Answered:

Schumacher automatic charger. Find one on amazon.com. But more importantly, if your car's battery is discharging overnight for no obvious reason, I'd say just disconnect the battery cable when you're not using the car. This is much cheaper than getting a charger. Of course you have to get the electrical system diagnosed at the dealership nonetheless.

Claude Said:

Portable car charger question?

We Answered:

The battery itself may be no good. If one of they cells are damaged, no amount of time on that charger will make it work. I suggest you take the battery to your local Autozone or Advance Auto parts. They can check the battery for free and give you a definite answer. Also, depending on how new or old that batter is, you may want to take it back to where u got it from. Sometimes they give you a partial money credit for the battery

Tonya Said:

Can you use a portable car battery charger as an uninterruptible power supply for your computer?

We Answered:

Yes, but watch the amperage. A car battery charger is throwing some high number of amps - maybe 35 or 30 - and your laptop only wants about 3.7 or 4.0. Your laptop power supply is supposed to regulate that (but it will get hot!!). You don't want to let the amperage overflow....burn out your machine.

It's OK, but not a permanent solution. Not a wise one anyway,