[alfa] Re: The electrons keep falling out of my car

[Alcon98340@xxxxxxx]

Peter,
Batteries can be mysterious beasts. A couple of thoughts on the problem
with your Verde. First, batteries discharge when just sitting. If there is 
some
sort of current draw (clock, etc) this process will occur more quickly. I 
would
recommend disconnecting the battery during storage. Also, I would invest in
a low amperage "smart" trickle charger. Batteries tend to sulfate if they sit
too long, and I think temperature extremes exacerbate this. Either way, lower
amperage over a longer charging period is supposed to be better at getting
rid of sulfation. If you have it hooked up to a "smart" charger, it will 
monitor
the battery for you regarding voltage and keep the battery at full charge, 
all you have to do is check the levels of electrolyte in the cells (top up 
with 
distilled water) unless it is a sealed/gel battery. Most batteries I have had
experience with are happier if you have them at full charge before you put
a load on them. Even if they are new from the store, they probably have
been doing some discharging. To recap, disconnect the battery for storage 
(along with running a fuel stabilizer through the car for 10-15 minutes), and 

leave it connected to a trickle charger that will keep itat full charge. 
Second, 
Alfas get cranky when they're not driven. I think your Verde is trying to 
tell you 
that she doesn't like being ignored. I didn't drive my GTV6 for about 11 days 

while I was out of town and she was really grumpy with me until I took her 
out 
for a good drive. 

Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions for your Spider woes at this time.
My windshield wipers don't work on my '72 Berlina, but it's because there are
currently no motors. I would suggest the generic advice of checking fuses and
grounds. Alfas are supposed to be quite picky about grounds. It may be that
when it gets cold enough, the metal contacts somewhere shrink enough to give
you intermittant functionality. This is merely a guess, so take with a 
cow-lick-sized
grain of salt. Good luck tracking down your electrical gremlins. Please let 
me/the
digest know if the battery advice works for you. Thanks.

-Josh
'71 1750 Berlina
'72 2000 Berlina
'84 GTV6
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