# Battery System CBM can't 'eat' car batteries

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482>\
**Category:** The Garage\
**Created:** [September 25, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482 "2019-09-25T01:38:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_Blay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/paul_blay/32/6803_2.png) [@Paul\_Blay](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paul_Blay)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/1 "2019-09-25T01:38:24Z")

</div>

You can’t use 'E’at to charge your bionic power with the Battery System CBM from car batteries or storage batteries. Maybe it’s because they are ‘VEHICLE PART’ not SPARE PART unlike the other batteries. Is that ‘as intended’ or a bug?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Axema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/axema/32/10822_2.png) [@Axema](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Axema)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/2 "2019-09-25T02:41:25Z")

</div>

```
{
    "id": "light_battery_cell",
    "type": "MAGAZINE",
    "category": "spare_parts",
    "name": "light battery",
    "name_plural": "light batteries",
    "description": "This is a light battery cell, universally compatible with all kinds of small devices.",
    "weight": "50 g",
    "volume": "75ml",
    "price": 3500,
    "material": ["iron", "plastic"],
    "symbol": "=",
    "color": "yellow",
    "ammo_type": "battery",
    "capacity": 100,
    "looks_like": "battery",
    "flags": ["NO_SALVAGE", "NO_UNLOAD", "RECHARGE"]
},
{
    "id": "battery_car",
    "type": "MAGAZINE",
    "category": "veh_parts",
    "name": "car battery",
    "name_plural": "car batteries",
    "description": "A 12v lead-acid battery used to power car electrical systems.",
    "weight": "18000 g",
    "volume": "6250 ml",
    "price": 4000,
    "material": ["plastic"],
    "symbol": ":",
    "color": "light_cyan",
    "ammo_type": "battery",
    "capacity": 2500,
    "//": "58Ah @ 12VDC. Could supply ~700 watts for an hour",
    "flags": ["NO_SALVAGE", "NO_UNLOAD", "NO_RELOAD", "RECHARGE"]
  }

```

Yeah, you can’t “eat” a car battery (or any battery for vehicles) because of their size…

EDIT: wasn’t suppose to eat it XD

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bobchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@bobchaos](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bobchaos)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/3 "2019-09-25T04:04:18Z")

</div>

Cable CBM + portable geny if you want to use vehicle parts for bionic power effectively.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_Blay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/paul_blay/32/6803_2.png) [@Paul\_Blay](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paul_Blay)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:03am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/4 "2019-09-25T06:03:32Z")

</div>

May I make a small change suggestion to the CBM text then?

> [@](#):
>
> You have a battery draining attachment, and thus can make use of the energy contained in any battery small enough to stuff in your face. Use ‘E’ to drain charge from a battery. _“Hmm, minty!”_. Can be toggled on and off at will.

😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Axema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/axema/32/10822_2.png) [@Axema](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Axema)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/5 "2019-09-25T06:50:19Z")

</div>

Well, sorry for my misunderstanding… I dig deep into the source, so it might explain the whole “thing”:

```
bool player::can_feed_battery_with( const item &it ) const
{
    if( !it.is_ammo() || can_eat( it ).success() || !has_active_bionic( bio_batteries ) ) {
        return false;
    }

    return it.ammo_type() == ammotype( "battery" );
}

bool player::feed_battery_with( item &it )
{
    if( !can_feed_battery_with( it ) ) {
        return false;
    }

    const int energy = get_acquirable_energy( it, rechargeable_cbm::battery );
    const int profitable_energy = std::min( energy, max_power_level - power_level );

    if( profitable_energy <= 0 ) {
        add_msg_player_or_npc( m_info,
                               _( "Your internal power storage is fully powered." ),
                               _( "<npcname>'s internal power storage is fully powered." ) );
        return false;
    }

    charge_power( it.charges );
    it.charges -= profitable_energy;

    add_msg_player_or_npc( m_info,
                           _( "You recharge your battery system with the %s." ),
                           _( "<npcname> recharges their battery system with the %s." ),
                           it.tname() );
    mod_moves( -250 );
    return true;
}

bool player::can_consume( const item &it ) const
{
if( can_consume_as_is( it ) ) {
    return true;
}
// checking NO_RELOAD to prevent consumption of `battery` when contained in `battery_car` (#20012)
return !it.is_container_empty() && !it.has_flag( "NO_RELOAD" ) &&
       can_consume_as_is( it.contents.front() );
}

```

The only “edible” power source is the battery ammunition without `NO_RELOAD` flag. Car batteries (and such) has `NO_RELOAD` flag, which makes them not “edible” to “eat” 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MutaMan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mutaman/32/7000_2.png) [@MutaMan](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/MutaMan)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:08am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/6 "2019-09-25T08:08:38Z")

</div>

I always thought it was a battery acid thing, in the case of you absorbing the potential chemical energy stored in the acid by breaking it open and “drinking” it. Guess I was wrong.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Victor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3e96dc/32.png) [@Victor](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Victor)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 9:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/7 "2019-09-25T09:40:40Z")

</div>

Do we still have this CBM with the same description? As I remember, Battery System CBM allows to “eat” old-fashion batteries, the ones which were an “ammo” for flashlights, welders etc. But now we have modern battery system with rechargeable small, medium and heavy batteries, which are some kind of “magazines” and can be loaded with “ammo” charges on recharge, but their “ammo” cannot be unloaded. Thus, that CBM became useless, or at least it was in one of spring experimental builds which I played.

Not sure about fresh experimental builds, is it possible to consume any battery at all with Battery System CBM?

Just to note: I saw something like “floating battery charges” few times, I believe those were renamed old-fashion unloadable batteries, remainings of some outdated disassemble recipys.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_Blay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/paul_blay/32/6803_2.png) [@Paul\_Blay](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Paul_Blay)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 11:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/8 "2019-09-25T11:47:55Z")

</div>

> Not sure about fresh experimental builds, is it possible to consume any battery at all with Battery System CBM?

Pretty sure everyone in this thread was talking about the fresh experimental builds. I certainly was. For all that it says 'Eat’you just suck out that juicy battery charge. Only electrons (and possibly spit) are exchanged.

With that image in mind, I hope everyone keeps some wet-wipes around to clean the terminals before sharing batteries with their NPC companions. 😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bogdanlazy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/bogdanlazy/32/8399_2.png) [@bogdanlazy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/bogdanlazy)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/battery-system-cbm-cant-eat-car-batteries/21482/9 "2020-03-24T13:45:25Z")

</div>

Yea in experimental just use battery charge only battery get really eaten(discarded) if is disposable battery normal battery can be used as long you recharge them afterward