I need help from our more astute EOCer's...I'm at a loss to figure this one out.
In August 2007 we replaced the battery with the Optima 34. Everything has been great up until a couple of weeks ago. The E started to have a bit of trouble starting...it felt like the battery wasn't charged up, and was having trouble starting in the morning...but it would still turn over, and run fine. Since I travel about 160 km (100 miles) a day, there was no question in my mind that the battery should be getting fully charged, every day.
Then a couple of weeks ago, it sat most of the long weekend, and wouldn't start on the Tuesday morning. I had to boost it to get it started (it started right away with the boost), and ran to work and back with no problem. It ran all week with no problems. Then, on Sunday morning, it wouldn't start again. So we took it to Walmart to have them check it out (we bought the battery at Sam's, but they've closed all the Sam's on Ontario, so we had to take it to Wally World) I put it on the charger for a few hours before we took it in. They tested it, and said the positive cable was a bit loose, and tightened it up, and everything was fine again.
This past weekend, we came out on Saturday morning, and again, it wouldn't start. I put it on the charger, and left it there most of the day, until the charger said the battery was fully charged. Took it back to WallyWorld, and this time they tested it with their tester, and said it was ok. ( I had a bit of a discussion with them, because they only do a volt test on it, and I told them, repeatedly that it was on the charger all day, so of course it shows 12.66 V!!!)
I was really ticked off, so we took it home, and I read thru all the posts here, and everything I could find.
Sunday morning it wouldn't start again, so I took the battery out, and looked at all the cabling, and everything I could see. The ground to the engine, and the body looked a little green, so I thought 'screw it', and went out and bought 2 new cables, and replaced both grounds. Cleaned everything up, made sure I had shiny metal everywhere, and hooked it all back up. I had the battery on the charger while I was doing all this, out of the car.
It still wouldn't start. Now, this is where it gets a bit weird. It isn't a matter of it won't start at all...I chuggs then clicks...like the battery is dead, or not enough charge to start the vehicle. I let it sit for a minute, and I get just the dead battery whirring....
If it sits for a couple more minutes, it starts, like nothing is wrong.
So, since I'm now thinking it sounds alot to me like a dead cell (ya, I know...Optima...I read that thread, but I know what a dead cell sounds like...) So I took it out of the E, and over to Canadian Tire, because they have a machine to do load tests. The result is that the battery is good, fully charged, and showing 13.4 V So I put it all back together again...
Monday morning it starts, and off to work I go. Around noon I go to the bank. I starts fine again. I come out of the bank, and it won't start. Try again, it won't start. Again, same thing. Open the hood, look around, nope, close the hood, and it starts.
The E runs just fine. There are no warning lights, the charging light comes on just as it should, and goes out when the vehicle starts, everything runs just fine. There is no lights dimming, or normal warning signs that would indicate a fault with the charging system, even when we put everything on, and apply load to the system.
I'm thinking the next step is to take it in, and have it tested, but I think it will be a waste of money, because if there was a problem, it should indicate, and at least throw a code...which it's not doing.
Anyone wanna offer some advise?