battery charging
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 699
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From: George West, Texas....
battery charging
Just a quick question..
I need to recharge my batteries... I am going to clean the terminals at the same time.
Is there any special order to charge them, like left or right first ?
I need to recharge my batteries... I am going to clean the terminals at the same time.
Is there any special order to charge them, like left or right first ?
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
They work together, they should be charged together.
Get good quality charger, not the one that will boil the batteries at 18V.
Make sure the key is out of the ignition. Computers don't like 18V neither.
Get good quality charger, not the one that will boil the batteries at 18V.
Make sure the key is out of the ignition. Computers don't like 18V neither.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
They work together, they should be charged together.
Get good quality charger, not the one that will boil the batteries at 18V.
Make sure the key is out of the ignition. Computers don't like 18V neither.
Get good quality charger, not the one that will boil the batteries at 18V.
Make sure the key is out of the ignition. Computers don't like 18V neither.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
After they are fully charged, go down to napa and buy a battery hydrometer (around $20) and then you can check each cell for condition... If any of mind are weak, I replace the battery.. (but be sure the batteries are fully charged b4 checking.. )
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Just to expand. To avoid spurious differences, batteries ideally are "rested" disconnected for 12 hours before testing. If you choose not to rest them, be sure to remove the surface charge by briefly loading them with the headlights or some other load Differences of more than .05 between cells using a hydrometer are significant and suggest one or more cells are failing.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
Just to expand. To avoid spurious differences, batteries ideally are "rested" disconnected for 12 hours before testing. If you choose not to rest them, be sure to remove the surface charge by briefly loading them with the headlights or some other load Differences of more than .05 between cells using a hydrometer are significant and suggest one or more cells are failing.
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
I found hydrometer testing unpractical. When the battery is bad -it is bad and pinpointing the bad cell is not going to change it. In the past when the batteries were expensive and had cells individually build -you could repair the bad cell, but now it is not possible.
If you deal with batteries a lot, get one of those testers.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
If you deal with batteries a lot, get one of those testers.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
I found hydrometer testing unpractical. When the battery is bad -it is bad and pinpointing the bad cell is not going to change it. In the past when the batteries were expensive and had cells individually build -you could repair the bad cell, but now it is not possible.
If you deal with batteries a lot, get one of those testers.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
If you deal with batteries a lot, get one of those testers.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
