What is the plastic surrounding my battery?

[TJartist]

I noticed that my battery has a bubble wrap like pouch arround it. I found a electrical plug which I assume is for an engine block heater as opposed to a battery heater? I have not been able to find time to trace the electrical plug down. I assume it is for a freeze plug engine heater. So is the bag like thing around the battery to protect it from heat? does everyone else also have one. I never saw one listed in aftermarket parts places.

 

[DaveF]

PIC? I haven't ever seen anything like what you're describing so would love a pic.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Some came with a bubble-pack like wrap which helps insulate the battery from engine heat. The electrical device that sits underneath the battery is a temperature sensor that tells the alternator, via the PCM, when the battery is overheating and to slow down the rate of charge.

 

[TJartist]

ok thanks, I will post a pic of it for others later when I get outside.

 

[tr21triton]

my 2014 ram ecodiesel has a insulation wrap that also covers the top. i think it might be more to keep them warm more than to protect from heat. batteries lose power if they get cold.

 

[J.Pierce]

They make a battery heater that looks similar to that too.
I can't tell from the photo, if that's a heated wrap or just an insulated wrap.
But cord or no cord will answer that question.
Most of the heated battery wraps I've seen have been orange.

 

[TJartist]

yes I could not really see any cord to the battery without taking it out. its getting cold here and don't really have a garage to work in. I guess I should plug my electrical cord in to see if it heats the engine or the battery. Seem obvious, but with little time I can't always play on the jeep.

 

[J.Pierce]

yes I could not really see any cord to the battery without taking it out. its getting cold here and don't really have a garage to work in. I guess I should plug my electrical cord in to see if it heats the engine or the battery. Seem obvious, but with little time I can't always play on the jeep.

You really only have one logical choice you can make, quitting your job should free up enough time to dedicate toward Jeep ownership.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

yes I could not really see any cord to the battery without taking it out. its getting cold here and don't really have a garage to work in. I guess I should plug my electrical cord in to see if it heats the engine or the battery. Seem obvious, but with little time I can't always play on the jeep.

If there's a 110vac electrical cord and plug hanging from your engine it's for the block heater. There is no heater for the battery.

 

[bucky]

Batteries are fine in the cold as long as they are properly charged. Heat and improper charging are what kill batteries.

 

[tr21triton]

just googled the blankets and it said they're for keeping insulating it from the heat and cold. your right bucky the cold in SOCAL and here in GA. doesn't have much effect on car batteries, but the cold they get in the far north sure does....i found this on yahoo! "

• It is a fact of life: cold weather is a battery killer. At zero degrees, a car's battery loses about 60 percent of its strength, yet the engine needs about twice as much power to start! Add to the mix extra items we plug into our cars (cell phone chargers, upgraded audio, and GPS devices) and a battery's life can be drained even faster.

 

[tr21triton]

another thing i found out a few years ago. had a battery from wally world that i bought at home (i live as far north as you can go in GA.) battery crapped out on me in south GA. and i needed to exchange it. my battery had a N after the size and the ones down there had nothing. WTF , turned out mine was a north battery and it had a thicker case and thicker lead plates , never knew there was a difference....

• The North batteries emphasize cold-cranking amps (a measure of how well the battery starts an engine during extreme cold weather), whereas the South batteries have higher electrolyte-to-lead ratios that bolster durability in the heat. Most stores carry the appropriate battery for the area they’re located in.

 

[bucky]

I pull all my batteries when I leave North Dakota in Oct and put them in on a battery maintainer. When I return in the spring they are always good to go. Using a block heater to keep the oil warm makes it easier for the battery to turn over an engine.

25 and feels like 12 in ND and it is still Fall here in SoCal 95 and feels like 90. Worth the BS to be here now.