Joined: Aug 2018 Posts: 281 Threads: 38
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OK, now lets' stop here.
There is nothing wrong with the CAR apart from the BATTERY, I am trying to confirm that the constant trickle charging, on and off over the past 18 month has damaged the BATTERY, I gather there is something that affects the plates, and would a refill of acid cure the issue, or do I have to buy a new BATTERY.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 313 Threads: 9
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Location: TINOPAI NZ
HI,
Just take it down to your nearest Auto Electric shop and have them do a Load Test.
that will take all the theory out of the question
Procrastinating will not solve the problem
Colin
NZ
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,015 Threads: 53
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Location: The delightful town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Flywheel, it could be your two batteries. Batteries don't like standing, and plenty of newish batteries fail even when used daily. The chance that two newish batteries both fail is not a high probability. But it can still happen. If the batteries have failed then my experience says they have to be replaced.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,808 Threads: 99
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with many modern batteries, they dont have the traditional lead plates in them anymore.
its a modern substitute. (suposidly it saves the planet).
if you knacker it or kill the charge, you will never revive it.
not even by replacing the acid.
thats why i asked what type of battery you have,
it seams like you are answering your own question, by dismissing everyone else.
id suggest the same as colin, take it to your local battery supplier. and see what come back on there tests.
Joined: Aug 2018 Posts: 281 Threads: 38
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Auto Electricals here we come, sure they are b*ggered, that will confirm, just hoped there was a way to resurrect them ???
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Flywheel, Colin's advice is perfect, have them load tested it is the only way to be sure.
If as I suspect they are duff then I can only say that they are very poor batteries.
Trickle charging them from time to time over an eighteen month period should not have trashed them.
Personally I use the Exide 80 amp hour batteries and they last me eight years on average.
Mind you I always keep a battery conditioner on them when the car is not in use.
Before I started using a conditioner they used to last between five and six years with no charging in the winter.
Joined: Nov 2017 Posts: 562 Threads: 56
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Location: West Yorkshire
Car type: Type 65 1934 + RP 1932
If the trickle charger has not done its job, you may be suffering sulfation, which is caused by a battery not being fully charged over a period of time. This may be cured by a short term overcharge of about 25% (i.e. 7.5 volts on a 6 volt battery). A lot of large capacity smart chargers have a "de-sulfation" function, which takes the battery slowly up to the overcharged state, but I'm not sure about the small jobs for starter batteries. My experience is on larger installations on narrowboats. If the batteries have been stored in a cold garage that won't have helped, so bring 'em in from the cold and get them charged to 7.5 volts for a few hours. It may not work, but you have nothing to lose.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 637 Threads: 29
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I'm no auto electrician but a fully charged 6 volt should read maybe 7.2v. The old way to test was a drop tester,ie putting a large load on the battery,the tester having 6/12v scales green and red, basically a voltmeter.
If you charge the battery up put a voltmeter across the terminals when connected to the car and energise the starter to see how much it drops,anything less than around 6v and its had it.
I've cooked 2 batteries on trickle chargers unknowingly this year.They kept putting 0.5 amp in not shutting down.
Surprisingly on our moderns the battery on my VW lasted around 14 years my wifes Honda battery has just died at 13 1/2.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
There was a near identical enquiry a year or so ago and replied in detail, including the charging reqmts for the different battery types. You may be able to find.
The Ca Ca batteries lose almost no charge internally and are not supposed to be charged over 14.6v and that not 24/7 so mangement in a Seven and/or with an old unregulated charger is difficult..
If it has stood under full charge and is sulphated a long charge at low current (2% capacity) may revive, although routine trickle charging is considered damaging.
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