ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour?

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 00:20
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - edlithgow

Caved in and finally bought a replacement (GS 46B24L (NS60L) 45Ah/20hrs) GF (doing the Taiwanese talking) said the "black hand" was just putting "liquid" in it when I arrived, which, if true, suggested it should be shiny and new.

My understanding is/was they were effectively charged at that point, certainly they are capable of starting a car, but when I got it home I thought I'd give it a top-up.

Didn't, unfortunately, put a voltmeter or hydrometer on it before I started.

Charger (3 stage "smart" charger, allegedly) has three output settings "moped" (about 2 amps indicated usually) "motorcycle" (about 4-5 amps indicated usually) and "car" (about 6 amps indicated usually).

When I hooked it up on the "car" setting it was showing 8 amps, the highest I can remember seeing it do, suggesting the battery was pretty low.

Had to go out in a hurry and didn't want to leave it that high, and put it on the lower setting (instead of the lowest setting, which would perhaps have been better)

On return (11 hours later) it was still showing 5 amps. Turned it down.

Been on the lowest (showing 2 amps) setting overnight, just turned it up to mid, (where its still showing about 5 amps but wobbling a bit).

So by my reckoning its had about an indicated 70Ah at this point.

So a couple of questions

Is this normal for a freshly flooded battery, which this was supposed to be?

Whats the optimal charging regime for a new battery? As low current as possible, as I've usually done with "dumb" chargers in the past) or trust the chargers alleged smarts and set it to "car"?

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 09:35
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - Peter.N.

Is the battery or any part of it getting warm while its on charge?

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 10:29
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - edlithgow

Is the battery or any part of it getting warm while its on charge?

Not that I noticed. However, I've since come across this:-

support.rollsbattery.com/support/solutions/article...d-

Wish I'd seen it earlier, especially this bit, which I didn't like much (and not just because its got Fahrenheit in it):-

"The electrolyte temperature will rise dramatically during activation. Do not place on charge until the temperature drops below 115° F. Activation may take several days."

This makes sense if a chemical reaction follows the addition of acid to the cells. I'd bet this stricture is widely ignored in commercial practice, but it suggests that for maximum battery life you should just let it sit for a day or two.

I put it on charge about 20 minutes after purchase and it'd allegedly just been activated at that time. I didn't measure the temperature.

Duh.

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 10:38
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - edlithgow

l.5 hrs after the above (on the middle "motorcycle " setting at an indicated 5 amps, the "charged" light was on. so it took about 75Ah before going on "float" charge.

Prior to putting it in the car, I turned it back on at the full "car" setting.

Time / Indicated Current(amps) / Volts (DVM on battery terminals)

09.10 6.5 15.10

09.20 6.5 15.20

09.30 6.0 15.32

10.20 6.0 15.31

10.44 6.0 15.29

11.30 1.0 (also when off) 13.09 (Light indicates "Charged")

Don't like using the hydrometer because there's always some acid loss/dribbling, and its very difficult to read numbers off it, but all the cells were in the green zone, though the two closest to the negative terminal were pretty close to its upper edge.

Now I don't have any headlights. Probably coincidence, unless running on a very marginal battery has subjected the lighting system to damaging voltage spikes.

Edited by edlithgow on 09/11/2017 at 10:42

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 10:42
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - gordonbennet

I should think only old school sparkies would remember, it seems like something from 30+ years ago a chap actually filling a new battery with acid at point of purchase, you just hope he's read the chart properly and puts the correct concentration in.

Every new battery i have fitted for many years now has come more than sufficiently charged, and as for access to the cells, a hammer and chisel would be needed.

I'm not even sure if motor factors keep their stock of new batteries charged up periodically any more, in theory yes, they used to carry a charge date code but not sure if they still do.

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Thu 9 Nov 2017 20:51
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - edlithgow

I doubt this was a actually a dry battery activated with acid.

Based on this charging behaviour,and my experience of Taiwanese culture, I think its much more likely this was an old stock deeply discharged flooded battery topped up with water (hopefully distilled) just before sale.

I think I've been sold a pup. I can only hope the plates werent exposecd.

I could have got one from a specialist battery place in the nearby city which would at least have been likely to have a higher turnover, which is what I did the last time.

Went with local garage for guanxi (goodwill) since I don't have another source of parts and might need to get them to order some for me.

That's what I get for trying to be acculturated.

Anyway, 'tis done, and now my headlights don't work,so I'd better move on.

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Fri 10 Nov 2017 08:57
ANY - New Battery Charging Behaviour? - bazza

I think you'v got a dud there. I had a dry lead acid battery delivered 3 or 4 years ago, for a m/bike. Quite a bit of fiddling about with concentrated sulphuric to reach the correct dilution and SG, then a day on charge and it was fine thereafter. Far easier these days with the ready-to go ones from the motor factors but appreciate you're in a different culture there.

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