"Maintenance Free" Battery?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Cupertino, CA
"Maintenance Free" Battery?
Doh. I checked it this evening; it was down to 11.28. The charge I gave it yesterday was rather brief, but...that wouldn't affect its voltage, would it? Does it sound like this battery is pretty close to the boneyard?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,214
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From: Minneapolis, MN
"Maintenance Free" Battery?
A brief charge on a weak battery will definitely make a difference on the voltage. The surface charge you get right away will bleed off after a short time.
First thing to do is to get a good charge on the battery, any way possible. In a vehicle will work (hard on the alternator) but a charger is better. Then test the acid level (hydrometer) to make sure the cells are even. Kinda' like a compression test. You don't want a lot of variation between cylinders/cells. If that checks good, give it a load test. (Measure the torque.) If that checks OK, let it sit for a week and check everything again. If it still checks out good after a week, the battery should be good. If any test in the process fails, get rid of the battery before it leaves you stranded. Of course, this all depends on getting a good charge into the battery.
First thing to do is to get a good charge on the battery, any way possible. In a vehicle will work (hard on the alternator) but a charger is better. Then test the acid level (hydrometer) to make sure the cells are even. Kinda' like a compression test. You don't want a lot of variation between cylinders/cells. If that checks good, give it a load test. (Measure the torque.) If that checks OK, let it sit for a week and check everything again. If it still checks out good after a week, the battery should be good. If any test in the process fails, get rid of the battery before it leaves you stranded. Of course, this all depends on getting a good charge into the battery.
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