Battery question

[00greenls]

Hello!! I have 2000 ls v-8 do i need the factory battery for this car in order to avoid problems? Do our cars use special battery? Only reason i ask is because i have gone thru 3 batteries in a year and right now i have a huge battery in there that takes up the entire battery tray and low and behold i went to start damn thing and nothing...no click or anything! I'm so sick of this already!!!
Responds would be greatly appreciated!!! Also how do you test our alternators??
Where is the lead or plug that it can be tested? Thanks!!! BTW-batteries i went through are not factory batteries but they were from advance auto. i just compared the size and dimensions and cranking amps and went from there. They also all have the vents on them! Right now i think i have battery made for truck or suv and it has more cranking amps than the factory and it just took a poo i think,i can get car started but i have to try 10xs or jiggle ignition or flip key. This battery is huge!! Thanks again!!

 

[Mechanicboy]

You say the batteries had the vents on them you meant that it connected to the vent tube right?

I use a volt meter to test the charge at the battery and check the voltage. I prefer to use a load tester with an dial indicator and hook it to the battery. I test voltage prior to cranking, cranking voltage and charging voltage(if any). If I have a fully charged battery I also load test it.

I think you either have an undercharging problem or too much of a current draw while the car is off.

 

[jolinc01]

Do you have subs or any audio equipment? If you do check you amp to make sure it's actually turning off when the car is off. Also I've read on here about the LS having issues with current draw while off, as Mechanicboy said. IIRC it had something to do with the factory alarm.

 

[00greenls]

Thanks for responses. No i do not have any subs or amps factory or aftermarket. I replaced the cd player long time ago but thats it. When referring to my battery it is not a factory battery just a battery i got off the shelf at advance auto and the battery has the vent thingy on the top but is a little different than factory but works i just had to extend my vent tube slightly. so yes the venting tube is hooked up and functional. I just don't get it already.
This battery has more cold cranking amps and everything else than what factory one calls for and i can't believe this one can be dead after only a couple of months. Is it possible this car has an electrical problem of some kind?
I had advance auto and other places tell me to just get the stock battery from dealership because our cars may only be able to use that 1 and that is why they don't carry it,they say it may be a special battery that is only designed for our cars and that is why the aftermarket ones don't work or last. Never heard of that one before but i'm starting t wonder after going thru all of these damn batteries already! I just don't see paying 150.00 for a battery!! I tried starting car today and it started. I took it for ride but didn't shut it off because i didn't want to be stranded so i'm dumb founded with this bloody thing. Could it be my alternator and where can i test the alternator from? I see no plugs or leads to hook anything up to test it.

 

[Alax7]

Aftermarket batteries work on an ls. People use yellow tops and others.

 

[LS4me]

Aftermarket batteries work on an ls. People use yellow tops and others.

As long as it's vented.

 

[Alax7]

Yeah. I'm thinkin of either going yellow top or if I save up more an oddessey cause they dont vent

 

[Right on the Mark]

You check the ALT right at the battery. Take volt meter and put 2 leads on the battery and make sure its reading around 14.5V while car is running.

 

[00greenls]

Alternator is good but battery is losing charge. car fired up fine today but didn't go anywhere but i've been down this road before and replacing battery was only option and cure. I do not want to spent 200.00 for an yellow optima battery that is just plain crazy!! I may be getting rid of this thing soon any way but need it to run first,lol! Also have misses going on so i can bit good old coil issue and valve cover gasket pass side is leaking again after already being replaced like 9 months ago. Might be getting a 2001 mustang gt with low miles but we'll see. Gas mileage is :q:q:q:qty too like 17 on highway,yuck!!!
Had plans on modding this further but after all this crap and the 1600 i spent on fixing it last summer i'd rather wash my hands of this car already!! Hell i don't even have 70,000 miles on it yet!! i have custom exhaust with cherry bomb extreme mufflers the red ones shaped like flowmaster 1 chambers and an aftermarket cai i was going to gut the cats but not with all these damn problems!! it sounds sweet and i get compliments and even a few thought it was a mustang and couldn't believe it was me,lol!! Exhaust is all 2 1/4 except for the mufflers and turn downs which are 2 1/2. Woke the car up big time!!

 

[Alax7]

17 on the highway is pretty bad unless you're driving at 100 mph. I get 15-17 on city driving. 22-27 on high way depending how fast I drive

 

[1LoudLS]

i have gone thru 3 batteries in a year

if you are going through batteries faster than fuel, then something is draining them or not charging them

I use a volt meter to test the charge at the battery and check the voltage. I prefer to use a load tester with an dial indicator and hook it to the battery. I test voltage prior to cranking, cranking voltage and charging voltage(if any). If I have a fully charged battery I also load test it.

I think you either have an undercharging problem or too much of a current draw while the car is off.

Alternator is good but battery is losing charge.

if you know its not a charging problem (alternator is good) then you know what needs to be done

I do not want to spent 200.00 for an yellow optima battery that is just plain crazy!!

a yellow top will not fix the battery draining problem, you need to find out what is draining the battery first then fix it, throwing batteries at it will never fix the problem

 

[pektel]

Aftermarket batteries work on an ls. People use yellow tops and others.

As long as it's vented.

like this:

 

[00greenls]

That's a nice vent job you did there! Where is that bottom vent attached to? Can't see it but it looks like its attached to the top one to into the single vent outlet tube to the bumper? I see those batteries here sell for 199.99 but that's a lot for a battery!!! They now have the top posts instead of having both.
When i bought my car i had factory battery that lasted 2.5 years and then died and ever since then I've been getting aftermarket ones and had 1 last 8 months,1 3 months and now i have an even bigger battery in there that takes up the whole battery tray and this lasted 6-8 months! I also noticed i replaced 2 bulbs in the tail light too! Scary thing with that is first 1 blackened some wires and the bulb.wiring is fine though but i wonder if i have a serious electrical problem or something for this to keep happening! I can say last 2 batteries were tested and found to be defective! Haven't had chance yet to get this 1 tested to see whats going on but i will this week!

 

[joegr]

...that takes up the whole battery tray and this lasted 6-8 months! I also noticed i replaced 2 bulbs in the tail light too! Scary thing with that is first 1 blackened some wires and the bulb.wiring is fine though b...

Have you really tested your charging system? I ask because you have some classic symptoms of a charging system that is overcharging. You need to ride around a while with a voltmeter connected. If the system voltage is going over 14.5 volts, then you have an overcharging condition. This could be caused by a faulty regulator in the alternator, a bad connection on the voltage feedback wire to the alternator, or by a PCM fault (unlikely).

 

[pektel]

That's a nice vent job you did there! Where is that bottom vent attached to? Can't see it but it looks like its attached to the top one to into the single vent outlet tube to the bumper? I see those batteries here sell for 199.99 but that's a lot for a battery!!! They now have the top posts instead of having both.
When i bought my car i had factory battery that lasted 2.5 years and then died and ever since then I've been getting aftermarket ones and had 1 last 8 months,1 3 months and now i have an even bigger battery in there that takes up the whole battery tray and this lasted 6-8 months! I also noticed i replaced 2 bulbs in the tail light too! Scary thing with that is first 1 blackened some wires and the bulb.wiring is fine though but i wonder if i have a serious electrical problem or something for this to keep happening! I can say last 2 batteries were tested and found to be defective! Haven't had chance yet to get this 1 tested to see whats going on but i will this week!

I removed the old vent tube all together. I epoxied another one of those plastic fittings over the hole where the stock vent tube exited the trunk floor. I have since painted the 2 gray fittings on top of the battery yellow to match the yellow top. The rest remained gray.

All of those pieces were bought in the plumbing section of a local hardware store. I think it set me back 9 or 10 bucks.

 

[tireman]

WOW love that plumbing job!

It's a beauty! Thanks for the idea on the plumbing job.