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Now it's 78%.Obviously, they're working. 92%. Though I haven't yet gotten to a point where the audible alarm would sound, there is no reason for me to believe it would not considering everything else works as advertised and with excellence. In September, 2008 I attached the BB-SBM12 to the Optima battery (new in August, 2006) in my 2003 S-10 at which point the cranking health read 87%. Since then that value has dropped to 81%.In May, 2009, I attached the BB-SBM12-PS to the Deka battery (new in August, 2008) in my 2004 Kawasaki Z1000. The Battery Bug is worth every penny.
Failed to provide timely warning of imminent battery failure. I feel this device is a gimmick not worth putting on your car, just check your battery once in a while as you should.It does provide voltage info, and that is the only reason I gave it two stars. The device does not do what it is supposed to do. Also I could not get it to provide some of the information it was supposed to provide according to the instructions.
A logging voltmeter clipped to the battery terminals while cranking was always an effective way to judge how much life was left in the battery. As an example of this, I bought a brand new car which came with a bad battery (1 dead cell) - I had to overcharge it to drive it to the dealer where they used their dealer approved battery checker that indicated "battery is fine" since I had just finished overcharging it to drive the car. And no more beeping.-===end of update===-Prior to the battery bug the most common way to judge a starting battery's health was to measure the minimum voltage while starting the engine. It's unbiased report is much appreciated since a battery charger doesn't affect the % life remaining readout.
With the engine running the display shows the charging voltage on the battery to help rule out any problems with the alternator, and continues to show the battery voltage with the engine off.What I particularly like about the battery bug is that it does not produce erroneous lifetime readings based on the state of charge. How did I notice this. I drove home, left the headlights on for a few hours, then jumpstarted the car and returned to the service department where the company approved tester showed "battery is bad" which was required to get a warantee replacement.The battery bug does display the battery voltage, however the life remaining calculations are made based on the voltage drop during engine cranking so you must connect it then start the engine to get a % life remaining calculation. Before calling the bomb squad I popped the hood and my 35% had suddenly dropped to 0% remaining, yet the car still worked fine.I found the loose negative, caused by installing the bug late at night, fixed it (BTW - leave it off a battery for 30 seconds as it counts down to 00 and it thinks you changed batteries). As a result, in a few months it vibrated a bit loose to the point it could be rotated by hand. This thing beeps when your battery life is near (or at) zero. Then I put a high quality charger on overnight and started it the next morning.First start was 50% remaining, 4th start was 42% remaining and it's stayed there ever since. The battery bug effectively does this and alot more.
After that the voltage and %life numbers are updated every time you start the engine.For the price (about 1/10 that of a logging voltmeter) and simplicity this offers an easy to read and accurate representation of your battery's state. UPDATE - 3+ months of usageI bought this and installed it per the instructions - found an easy place to wedge the + and - cables in.What I did not realize was I inserted a.050" gap on the negative lead going to ground. Alot of stuff in my house beeps, but every day leaving the car I heard a beeping - finally found it under the hood of all places. When the engine is not running the display alternates between battery voltage and % life remaining (my 2004 battery in 2010 shows 35% remaining which is about right, I know its time to buy a new battery based on age).
I ran a 6 amp charge for 3 hours and that solved my problem. Be careful working around hot batteries because they will arc and spark if you cross the leads which is easy to do if you're in a hurry or not paying close attention to what you're doing. I've observed that that method of charging will raise the battery's charge by 2-3% per hour in milder conditions. Now you start your engine and come out to see your battery strength as a percentage and the charge voltage. I would not recommend leaving this device attached to the battery as you are courting a malfunction exposing it to the elements and engine temperatures.
Once you've made the connection it will begin a 30 second countdown. It recently helped me to get out in front of a 70% charged new battery that barely had enough juice in it to turn over my Subaru Outback Wagon in bitter cold -6 degree F weather. The 2 amp charge was hardly registering in those cold conditions which is the method of charging I would have normally used. It's best used as an intermittant tool to gage battery health and save time by getting you out in front of potential problems. This small,relatively high priced item hooks up quickly to a standard post car battery.
The 1st number tells you if you need to charge your battery or run your charging system and the second number tells you how well your charging system is operating. If you have an internal post battery like older Chevy's use then you can use gorilla tape on the battery bug's leads to achieve contact and go through the same procedure.
Stuff like that. Such as: is the battery reaching the end of it's life. I have two of these things, and they work just like the advertising says they will. The quality is good, they are easy to install, and they will solve some of those vexing battery problems that you wonder about. Should I replace it before I get stranded.
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