ReVolt Battery Exchange

I don't think I need to tell anyone this but, Times have changed. More people are using their cars like RV's because they have no place to live. More people are living off their jump boxes, more people are driving older german cars with all kinds of issues because they have no money. These are sad situations that we can not fix. And this leads often to a car that won't start and a dead battery many times. If you are on your 3rd replacement battery in the last 3 months, the battery is likely not the issue. A battery is like a bucket for power. Just because the bucket is empty doesn't mean the bucket is bad. Hence a dead battery is not always a bad battery. If the battery will still take a charge and hold the charge and then give out enough power to start the car, there's a fair chance the battery is still good. Or, it's not a bad battery, but it might be a bad battery for your situation. But you say, "well the new one lasted a lot longer". Yes, if you have a degenerative situation a new one can usually survive whatever assault it's taking longer, but it can still be ruined before you're ready to pay for another one.

Here's a couple of things to keep track of or consider that might help you solve the problem:
1) Discharged batteries don't magically all of a sudden get energy. If you think your battery is dead because the starter won't turn over the motor, but find that just 5, 10 15, or 20 minutes later the car magically starts, there's a 98% chance it is not your battery. It is likely a bad connection and the battery held its energy the whole time. And it is not necessarily a connection to the battery. The battery doesn't just start the car, there's a whole bunch of things the battery has to power that can fail or break to get a car to start the car and if one of those things has a weak or faulty connection, then that can explain your experience and why after you're 4th battery you're still facing the same issue. In many cases, the starter itself is the issue. "But I just replaced the starter!" So? If you think the battery can be the problem 4 times in a row, why isn't possible for it be the starter twice in a row? Now, the starter may not have the problem, it might be a problem in the systems that drive the starter or a connection to the starter and yes it can also be another bad starter. If you've ever seen someone tapping their starter with a small hammer - that's someone who has figured out what their problem is but hasn't replaced their starter yet.

Again, discharged batteries don't magically get energy again. It comes from your alternator when the car is running. When your car is off, everything you do in it that takes energy takes it out of the battery. If you take too much out of it, it may not have enough left to start the car. That's not the battery's fault. It's whatever activity you're doing and not stopping to think to run your car again before you cross that line of no return that is the issue. Now, there are degrees of that which can become the battery. As it ages, it will lose capacity and at a certain point, it can only provide a short time of energy for you. For example, if all you have on in your car is a phone or a laptop or your radio (AND I DO MEAN RADIO - not some modified arc welding sound system) and you can't go longer than 30 minutes, you may have other things on that you're unaware of, or it's time for another battery.
2) A bad connection to your battery can often be temporarily be overcome by attaching a big strong clamp to your battery connections like those of jumper cables, causing the battery to reconnect and start the car, but the jumper box gets the credit and the battery gets the blame.
3) Something is sneaking power away from your battery when your car is off and parked and draining it all the way down. A light that stays on is the obvious example of this but it can be many things, often today it's an amplifier a phone charger, an inverter, an accessory motor, the dash computer, etc. This will be most obvious overnight or longer because given enough time, even a small LED light can completely drain your battery. If you think this is your problem, disconnecting a lead to the battery when the car is parked is a temporary solution. That way whatever is draining from in the car - can't.
4) Yes, the alternator. It can completely fail - you'll know that real quick - your car probably won't run for more than an hour, then after you jump may run for between 5 and 15 minutes. But many times, like starters, they don't just fail. They can get weak first or intermittent (sometimes they charge, sometimes they don't) - these are the hardest to diagnose if they happen to be working when they're being tested. But I just had the alternator replaced! Refer to #1 for how understand this. :)

There are many more things but these are the most common we are seeing today. One last thing. If you got a great deal on a fancy European car that's older than 5 years, chances are you won't feel that way after your first $1,000 in frustrating electrical problems.

All this being said, we are just a battery shop. We are not mechanics if you ask us questions we can only answer them to the best of our knowledge which isn't qualified for most of the problems people ask us about - and that is just about everything. Let's get through 2024!

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! To celebrate the day, our business is GREEN! (OK, actually our business is GREEN every day.)

ReVolt Battery Exchange Reno: Recycled Used Car Batteries ReVolt Battery Core Exchange Reno Sparks: Recycled lead-acid car battery reconditioned and refurbished. Discounted used batteries with money-back guarantee.

10 Degrees = Frozen Battery?

Yes, at these temperatures, your battery can freeze solid! Flooded batteries that are discharged or weak can freeze solid at these cold temperatures. That is because a discharged battery has mostly water in it, and most of us know what frozen water does - it expands, and breaks stuff! If your battery is a flooded type (most inexpensive car batteries are flooded types) And it is weak or dead, and has been sitting out in the cold at these temperatures, it probably froze solid at one point and may still be frozen.

Do not charge it! A frozen battery can explode when charging, but most likely you will just permanently ruin it. Instead, thaw it out. Let it set at room temperature for 24 hours and then try to charge it. If you need to thaw it quicker, you can place it in the microwave for about 30 minutes. NO! Just kidding! Don't do that! But you can place it near a heat source (that is not too hot) to try to accelerate the thaw. After it is thawed, you can attempt to charge it. But check for leaking or cracks, because as said early, frozen water breaks stuff. You can also try shaking to see if you hear any sloshing, or pop the caps if it has those and check to see if you see ice near the top.

If you know your car will be setting in the cold for a long time, and you want to save your battery, #1 make sure it is fully charged! #2 removed it and store it somewhere safe and warmer until your ready to use the vehicle.

For more on this and other microwave battery recipes, talk to your guys at Revolt Battery Exchange. :)

Happy December! Just a reminder to everyone, we will be closed Saturday, December 24th, and Saturday, December 31st for the remaining holidays.

Remember, when it's cold, your battery is more likely to leave you stranded than when it is warm. Plan appropriately when you're leaving your car parked overnight outdoors. Cold batteries fail to start cars more often than warm batteries. Our higher-grade (A & A+) batteries perform in cold weather better. Stay safe everyone!

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Due to enforcement personnel shortages, we ask everyone to please drive safely - especially around intersections! The roads are becoming more dangerous as more people are violating traffic laws due to a lack of enforcement.

We will be closing early Wednesday the 23rd of November at 4:00pm and closed all day Thursday the 24th for Thanksgiving! Time to recharge our bellies!