Battery Charging Question
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Senior Member
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Battery Charging Question
Not a huge deal, just aksing a question as I've never run across this one.
My battery is on its last leg; I've confirmed this by the tell-tale (random, not daily) gauge sweep for several weeks now and a completely dead battery after sitting for about 9 days.
After the no start incident, I put it on a 1 amp/hour trickle charger. It charged the battery, the battery is currently reading 13.4 volts, and the truck starts just fine from day to day. However, still get the random gauge sweep from time to time so I'm assuming it's just a matter of relative short time before it's done for good.
My question is this though...
The charger has no gauge on it indicating volts or charge. It has an indicator light that stays red for charging, blinks green for charged greater than 80%, and solid green for fully charged/maintaining. After sitting on the charger for 3 days, I had the 13+ volts on the meter and normal starting, but the charger never changed to flashing or steady green. Stayed steady red?
Why would this be? What does this indicate? I'm guessing at 1 amp/hour, the charger can't keep up with the rate of decay of the battery, but that's just a shot in the dark. Any ideas?
Not trying to build any electrons over this one; just looking to see if there's a simple answer out there.
My battery is on its last leg; I've confirmed this by the tell-tale (random, not daily) gauge sweep for several weeks now and a completely dead battery after sitting for about 9 days.
After the no start incident, I put it on a 1 amp/hour trickle charger. It charged the battery, the battery is currently reading 13.4 volts, and the truck starts just fine from day to day. However, still get the random gauge sweep from time to time so I'm assuming it's just a matter of relative short time before it's done for good.
My question is this though...
The charger has no gauge on it indicating volts or charge. It has an indicator light that stays red for charging, blinks green for charged greater than 80%, and solid green for fully charged/maintaining. After sitting on the charger for 3 days, I had the 13+ volts on the meter and normal starting, but the charger never changed to flashing or steady green. Stayed steady red?
Why would this be? What does this indicate? I'm guessing at 1 amp/hour, the charger can't keep up with the rate of decay of the battery, but that's just a shot in the dark. Any ideas?
Not trying to build any electrons over this one; just looking to see if there's a simple answer out there.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,068
Likes: 2
From: So. Cal.
The battery is reading 13.4V when not running? Yep, that's definitely not normal. I would say there is little doubt that the battery is looking for the nearest hill to go over. The only way to know for sure about the batteries actual condition is to load test it. Then you will have your final answer, but I think you already know what it will be.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 10,511
Likes: 10
From: Under the flightpath of old ORD 22R
Check the manual on the charger.
There might be another line for the constant red. This is up to the manufacture to ID what the charging status means, each one could be a bit different. This could be something like what Batterytender does with only ID'ing a sulfated battery. BatteryMinder actually desulfates the battery.
The 13.n VDC level, this very well could have been post charge with the charger off the battery.
I have seen a battery read 13.5 + VDC after getting cooked by some wall wart type chargers. Best to remove the charger and let the battery sit for ~ 2 hours before taking a steady state reading.
You might find that you have a 13.2 ( 13.4 ) VDC reading right after the charge, and 2 hours later a 12.8 VDC reading and after 8 hours 12.6 VDC.
Not too sure if the random gauge sweeps are a confirmed battery on its last legs. If the age of the battery is up there or it can happen after a short drive, I can see this. If the gauge sweep only happens after sitting for a longer amount of time it could be a parasitic loss causing the battery to go flat ( which both battery on its last legs, not holding a charge and parasitic loss could explain the flat after 9 days ).
Could be the end of life is being hastened by a parasitic loss ( the chart above shows what happens when you cycle down too many time ).
There might be another line for the constant red. This is up to the manufacture to ID what the charging status means, each one could be a bit different. This could be something like what Batterytender does with only ID'ing a sulfated battery. BatteryMinder actually desulfates the battery.
The 13.n VDC level, this very well could have been post charge with the charger off the battery.
I have seen a battery read 13.5 + VDC after getting cooked by some wall wart type chargers. Best to remove the charger and let the battery sit for ~ 2 hours before taking a steady state reading.
You might find that you have a 13.2 ( 13.4 ) VDC reading right after the charge, and 2 hours later a 12.8 VDC reading and after 8 hours 12.6 VDC.
Not too sure if the random gauge sweeps are a confirmed battery on its last legs. If the age of the battery is up there or it can happen after a short drive, I can see this. If the gauge sweep only happens after sitting for a longer amount of time it could be a parasitic loss causing the battery to go flat ( which both battery on its last legs, not holding a charge and parasitic loss could explain the flat after 9 days ).
Could be the end of life is being hastened by a parasitic loss ( the chart above shows what happens when you cycle down too many time ).
