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Date:         Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:43:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Battery Sages
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

re The bike's charging system IS working....

It's important ..or wise .. to understand that vehicle charging systems are not really meant to charge up discharged batteries. One can often get away with it . but to say ........put in a known-somewhat-discharged battery into a car or vanagon, .....jump start it.......then drive it charge up the battery ...........not a good thing to do.

on a motorcycle.........I would consider the charging system to be almost a 'maintain charge plus a bit more'.. and not anything like a heavy duty charge-up-a-low-or-weak battery.

and I don't get 'tricked' quite very often .. but I do try to have faith that .....'this part is new, someone paid for it ........it's supposed to be good' .. and .....actually , quite often I find out that's not the case.. what the customer did pay for.............whether work or parts .... fairly frequently .........that's where the problem is ......in new stuff, and just-paid-for-work , so that can be misleading sometimes.

and as I said earlier ...2 amp charger won't really cut it .. I would regard that more as a charged-battery-maintainer almost.

it's likely just a inexpensive little battery .. a bad new one isn't that rare actually. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 9:25 AM Subject: Re: Battery Sages

> Thanks All > > What was fooling me in this case was the battery was almost unused, and > it would take what looked to be a good charge...and it would hold that > charge.(at least for a day) until I hit the starter button....then I would > get just a few rotations before the starter would slow and click..... > Then, > after a little time, I would take a voltage reading and get like a "50% > charged" reading....maybe 12.3v...but the starter would only click. Then > another re-charge and it all 'looked' good again...just no juice to do the > work.... > The battery was used from brand new for one day after fillling with the > electrolyte that came...a 'maintainence free' battery. When I finished > tuning the bike up, the battery must have been run down further than I > knew, > because the bike would still start right up, but I didn't actually ride > long > enough to get a charge back on the battery, I guess. The bike's charging > system IS working.... > I just learned.....little teenie batteries are more fragile, I guess, in > how they are left for a time.... > I do have a trickle charger/maintainer that was being used on another > battery... > $35 dollar lesson...ugg, like I have extra money to waste right now.... > Don Hanson > > On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 9:02 AM, Jon Kanas <kanas@qadas.com> wrote: > >> ** >> Greetings Don & Listers, >> >> Both of your assumptions are correct. Lead / Acid batteries sulfate when >> stored for any length of time with a low charge. A slow recharge (like >> the >> 2A you describe) minimizes the sulfation which has taken place, but the >> life >> of the battery is compromised when it sits in a discharged state for any >> length of time. The symptoms you describe (appears to take a charge, but >> there is no reserve) are typical of this condition. >> >> When I am not using my vehicles for any length of time, I disconnect the >> battery (but leave it installed), and attach a "maintenance" charger. >> These >> automatic, very low amperage chargers, are readily available for around >> $20. On my Westfalia, where the battery is very difficult to reach, I >> have >> built the maintenance charger into the cabinet under the sink and plugged >> it >> into the 120V used by the refrigerator. When I attach an extension cord >> to >> the socket on the outside of the Westfalia, the battery charges. >> Typically, I plug it in for four or five days, once a month, when I'm not >> using the Vanagon. >> >> The battery you describe probably also qualifies as a "POS", since it >> should not have exhibited this level of problem if only a few months old. >> It may have been stored for a long time, discharged, long before your >> purchased it. >> >> *Best Regards, >> Jon Kanas >> Email: kanas<at>qadas.com <kanas@qadas.com> >> Website: http://www.qadas.com/~kanas >> * >> >> Automatic digest processor wrote: >> >> Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:18:48 -0700 >> From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> >> Subject: Battery Sages..Not 100% Vanagon specific, but applicable.. >> >> I have an almost new battery that was installed then sat unused for a >> few >> months with a low charge. Upon trying to start the machine (this was a >> KTM >> motorcycle, but it could have been my vanagon..so there is the >> connection) >> the battery simply clicked weakly. I cleaned all the contacts and put it >> on >> a 2amp smart charger overnight. Next day I put my digi-meter on the batt >> and got 12.96v reading..Poke the starter and it cranks very weakly for a >> very short time. Back to the multi meter and I see 12.4 volts. I put >> the >> charger back on, check the multimeter..it is getting 14.4, appx. Let it >> go >> a couple of hours, remove the charger and again read: 12.8v....Push the >> starter again and RRR rrr r...click. Weak... Charge the batt again and >> leave it overnight..it holds the charge of 12.9 just fine, but when I >> load >> it with the starter...it dies quickly without a start. The machine will >> start right up with a kick...and it spins over well after running...for a >> couple of revolutions, only... >> >> So I am assuming the battery was a POS from the vendor, or that two >> months >> of sitting with a low charge ruined it and I need another new >> battery...am I >> assuming correctly? Batteries are strange... >> >> Don Hanson >> >> >> >>


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