Power problem, Battery? PO said it was new. - Page 2

Ojbikemoto · 03-03-2013, 05:02 PM

Yep, must be the battery. Everything else checks out fine. Battery was at 12.10 and never climbed while attempting to charge.
Thanks for the help. Glad everyone had my back.
Buying a new battery tomorrow, then headed to Sedona and Moab!!!
Thanks!

Ojbikemoto · 03-03-2013, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stymlie

12.11 volts -- isn't that 40-50% charged?

Just to double check I plugged the battery back up and still nothing works. But when the van is running everything works because the alternator is connected to the house wiring via the isolator. Let me know if I am missing something. I would rather NOT buy a new battery!!

Ojbikemoto · 03-03-2013, 05:58 PM

Just because I have a little time I brought the battery to Autozone to get checked and charged. Their little gizmo (tester) said the battery is at 35% charge. This is starting to get frustrating. I guess when I pick it up tomorrow they are going to load test it. If it has a charge (power) then why do I not have 12v in my van? I've checked the power panel all fuses are fine. Not sure what else it could be.

Thought the problem was solved.

time2mtbike · 03-03-2013, 06:53 PM

The battery can show a relatively good charge around 12 volts and still have a bad cell in it. The best way to know for sure is to check the specific gravity in each cell of the battery. You can get a temperature compensating hydrometer at auto zone for under $20. After the battery has been off the charger for at least 20 minutes you can check the electrolyte (acid) in each cell. You should be at 1.265 specific gravity if the cell is good. If it's not temperature compensating you will have to do a little calculation to compensate for any temperature above or below 80 degrees.

*edit* after re-reading your post you said you have a gel battery, so there will be no electrolyte to check but can still have a bad cell/cells.

MadScience · 03-03-2013, 11:01 PM

A 35% charge, when you had a 14V charge current over night, is not a good sign.

Did you have anything significant using power while you were charging over night?

I'd still have them load test if they will do that for you, but unless you're using a lot of power while charging, I don't suspect the outcome will be good.

carringb · 03-04-2013, 01:08 AM

AGM batteris often can't be recovered hooking them up alone to to a charger. The recommended method is to hook in parallel with a lead-acid battery, and charge both at a low amp charge (2-4 amps) for a long time.

**daveb** · 03-04-2013, 12:29 PM

Are you sure you have a Gel-cell battery? Gel-cell batteries suck IMO. When they first came out (before AGM's) I installed them in my bass boat. Even with the correct charger specifically designed for these type batteries that needs to be used, I went through them so fast that I quickly switched back to flooded batteries. Gel-cell batteries are prone to heat and can be destroyed by common car battery chargers. Most common RV inverter/chargers do not have a setting for gel-Cell batteries.
I had a similar problem that you're having and these batteries; they would not hold a charge after a standard charging session or had no longevity when a load was applied. They might show voltage until you apply a load then quickly fall off.

Now days I really think AGM (absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are the way to go. They need special handling as well, mainly not allowing them to drop below 12.2 resting voltage before fully charging them but they last a long time, hold a good shelf life charge for several days when not in use, handle heat and cold well, and charge quicker than a flooded battery. AGM's are more costly than flooded batteries but because you don't have to mess with water levels, all you have to do is keep them charged correctly and make sure you go below 50% DOD.

[edit] If you don't have a gel-cell battery and really it's an AGM, 35% should be hiigh enough to recover the battery. Of course it depends on how many times it has been taken that low, for how long, the age of the battery, and a few other factors. Try to use a charger designed for AGM use and charge it for a few days. If it kicks off the charger the battery might still be OK and needs the proper method as stated above to get it to charge. There are a few other ways to bring em back from the dead, but sometimes it's time to put them to rest.

Ojbikemoto · 03-04-2013, 05:19 PM

Update! Yes is was the battery. FYI Autozone was useless (everyone knew that but me). Picked up the battery and brought it to Batteries Plus, they had the proper tool to tell me that the battery was in fact a goner. I am guessing after dropping the battery and inspecting the terminals and the way the battery was just floating around in the for lack of a better term "cage". I am certain that it got bounded around too much on the dirt road I had to take to get to a mountain bike race (24hrs of Old Pueblo). It bounced and grounded itself so much that the negative terminal was coming off and was almost broken in half. The cells probably didn't fair so well either. I replaced both terminals with brass ones and got a reconditioned Deka battery from a wholesaler for $100!! It has 12.9 volts and 1200 amps so just as good as a new one. I hope

. The place is in Tucson and called "the battery factory". They have ton's of those high end Deka's. 90 day warranties. Even if it just lasts a year its still worth it to me rather then spending $500!!
Now for the install: I reversed the direction the battery was facing to give the terminals more clearance and so the wiring could sit nicely across the top instead of hanging all around which was done by the PO. And I also put a nylon strap at either end of the battery to keep it from going airborne during my off road trips.
Everything is back to normal. Now I can enjoy my trip back home with lights and frosty beverages!! I will be in Sedona tomorrow and in a few days Moab if anyone wants to meet up for a ride and or beer!!

OJ