fun that the same size/type battery can be found w diff. model #s . don't know why the diff. manufacturers can 't just use the same #

L1142 Battery is interchangeable with: 186, 1176A, 186-1, G12A, GP86A, L1142, LR1142, LR43, RW84, V12GA, GP186, L1142F, 10L124, G12-A

It's been like this for a long time, but luckily there are charts that show equivalences.

A popular engineers' joke is: The great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.

haha good one. of course I go to CVS & wind up with a cpl 301/386 batteries, which on the back also have SR43 & SR43W ... rolling my eyes ... if it fits, it fits I guess. these are just for a cpl cheap bike computers

For several years I have been using the tables at this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes

Most computer browsers allow control F for a search, you can quickly find your equivalent sizes with a search that way.

And another complicating factor is that some batteries come with different chemistry. For example, I have a watch that has about a dozen screws to open it up, and it takes four batteries. Thus, it takes a lot of time to change out the batteries in that watch. So I want the Silver batteries, not the Alkaline batteries. Costs a bit more but the longer lifespan of the batteries is worth it.

Hmmm... I'm not sure I've used that model.

CR2032 is non-rechargeable. LIR2032 is very similar, and rechargeable, and can generally be swapped.

had a head scratcher last night. recently bought another cheap bike computer. same kind been using for years. this one tho came with a different mount & a thicker wire & bigger spoke magnet. the battery was already installed [Vinnic L1142 (H)]. but wouldn't operate. thought the battery might be covered with a clear film as I've seen before. but nope, but I did see some modest accumulation of corrosion. cleaned that out & it worked fine. the computer had a small label marked 2005. thinking the batt was 13 yrs old, I bought what I thought would be a proper replacement (Duracell 301/386). a test at home worked fine. started riding & the computer began flashing a weird display. reset the computer & re-entered the wheel factor. looked fine but when I started riding the display freaked out again. rode w/o it. got home pulled the original batt out of the trash & tested it w/ the front wheel spinning, seems to work fine. put the new batt back in & display freaked out. tested both batts w two separate testers. one said the new batt (Duracell 301/386) was OK, the other showed it was actually barely OK. both testers showed the old batt [Vinnic L1142 (H)] was way stronger. opened another new batt I bought (I bought 2) & it too was weak. guess I'm keeping the batt that came with the computer [Vinnic L1142 (H)] in for now! bought the new batts w cash & threw out the receipt. also these were CVS' lat 2 batts that matched up. guess I'll buy a cpl new ones somewhere else... weird tho cuz these computers usually just get weak by showing a weak display or none at all when the batt dies. been using this type for years. never saw the display freak like that

here's a watch battery cross reference chart that jives with what I've seen so far
https://www.batteriesinaflash.com/wat...ross-reference

You could've gotten old, bad cells, but my chart from Maxell says the 386 is silver oxide, and the L1142 would be alkaline. I can't say myself, but some devices and testers may be more chemistry dependent than others (voltage, current draw, internal resistance, etc).

Usually, I keep several spare cells on hand, and I'll certainly try an equivalent size cell if I don't have the exact replacement, and usually it works fine.

Maxell chart:
https://biz.maxell.com/en/primary_bat...erence_16e.pdf

another clue but maybe not