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Post by Eric R on Jan 31, 2019 19:41:56 GMT
Sorry to raise this yet again but ........ First battery replaced with a Bosch lasted about 5 years before a further replacement. This lasted two years or so before being replaced again. Simon Bcc Lifetime Optmizer installed as the car is used so little - should be a fit and forget. However the battery wasnt charging and there became a bad (sulphuric?) aroma in the garage. Optimizer replaced under warranty but no report given as to whether a fault was found. Appeared to be working. Now this third battery is also cooked with no obvious reason. I have a battery isolater fitted but I doubt the monitoring will work without it. Seems the only option is to disconnect this and just remember to charge the battery from time to time or use a jumper box. In any case id doesnt seem right not to know the cause of new batteries failing almost without use. It it is just leaking the optimizer should balance that? Any ideas please?
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Post by Phil Nottingham on Jan 31, 2019 22:05:06 GMT
I do not think these modern batteries are suited to older less used cars especially with Dyno's I use budget 069 from Tayna batteries which last well. At least 10 years and very rarely need extra recharging
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tonys
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 419
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Post by tonys on Feb 1, 2019 7:36:51 GMT
When I first read the thread I thought you meant that the battery was overcharging, ie 'cooked' but, after re-reading I presume you mean that they're not holding their charge? I agree that modern batteries seem to work, or suddenly not work, with limited, if any, advance warning. I've been using three of these charger units for many years and did have a problem once after a power-cut, which obviously switched it off. When the power came back on I didn't check the units and then realised that at least one of them wasn't 'charging' because I hadn't set which mode it should have been in, ie 6v or 12v. Unfortunately, on that particular car the alarm has a relatively heavy drain and it was only when I couldn't start it after a long lay-up that I found the cause. I did forget to turn the mains plug switch on one day, but that's another story
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Post by Eric R on Feb 1, 2019 8:09:51 GMT
the car monitored was updated from a dynamo to an alternator many years ago. If the batteries are not holding the charge for whatever reason I would imagine the monitor would be working overtime to maintain it? There was no alarm indicated on the monitor but as stated it was replaced anyway. The smell indicates gases given off - on removal of the battery now it appears not to have any water in it. I hope to visit barden-uk.com/ today - maybe they can shed some light on the matter.
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Post by Brendan69 on Feb 1, 2019 14:26:03 GMT
You wont go far wrong if you fit C-teks latest model which I have 2 running and they are excellent units and trouble free. Model is MXS 5.0 and they retail for around the £60 mark with a 5 year warrantee. This model also has a little fan built in to it to keep it running nice and cool as previous models used to get a tad hot.
Also if a decent battery is fitted this helps a lot.
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Post by Eric R on Feb 1, 2019 14:50:54 GMT
thanks Brendan - I judge Bosch to be a decent battery. Advice at Barden suggests the Lifeline monitor (made in China) overcharges. They have suggested the CT/56-972 is the best alternative at £71.95 and I have bought one to complement the next Bosch battery. I will also employ the battery isolater from time to time. My thanks to those who kindly contributed to this.
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Post by lagain on Feb 1, 2019 19:10:14 GMT
Is the charging system on the car working correctly, if the battery is cooked dry and there is a smell of sulpher it is being over charged at quite a rate. Would a battery charger be able to over charge at such a rate ?
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Feb 1, 2019 19:30:35 GMT
Is the charging system on the car working correctly, if the battery is cooked dry and there is a smell of sulpher it is being over charged at quite a rate. Would a battery charger be able to over charge at such a rate ? I cant see how a battery conditioner would fry a battery either George? yes a high current battery charger if the battery has a problem ie short circuit cells?
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Post by djm16 on Feb 2, 2019 0:31:54 GMT
There are all sorts of issues here. The first is the robustness or lack of it of modern batteries.
The most robust battery is re-fillable, has relatively thick plates and a relatively low CCA. This is otherwise known as a Marine or Deep Cycle battery. It can stand deep discharges, will tolerate over-charging, but requires regular topping up, even (especially?) if left on a stand-by charger.
The least robust battery is sealed. It has thin plates to give a high CCA, but in conjunction with poor tolerance of deep discharge. It has no ability to deal with overcharging. If the charging voltage exceeds 14.8V, the hydrolysis of electrolyte to H2 and O2 proceeds faster than they can recombine to reform electrolyte and the gases are vented causing the battery to dry up.
A N70 (Landcruiser) battery in refillable Marine type is more than adequate to turn over any of our Rover engines and will be cheapest in the long run. But! If you have it on a standby charger, you will be constantly converting water into H2 and O2 and will need to top up.
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Post by Warwick on Feb 2, 2019 6:30:39 GMT
... However the battery wasn't charging and there became a bad (sulphuric?) aroma in the garage. .... Rotten eggs, perhaps, Eric? When a battery is rapidly flattened, completely, it can generate hydrogen sulphide (H 2S), otherwise known as rotten egg gas. I discovered this the hard way about 6 or 7 years ago when I accidentally destroyed our off-grid home power supply batteries. I'm not sure if it can be produced by over-charging, unless perhaps the cells are 'boiled' dry. I don't know. Anyway, if anyone else experiences a similar situation, be very very careful. Stay out of the area until it has cleared. Ventilate the area thoroughly before returning. Hydrogen sulphide is extremely toxic, even in low concentration. Fortunately, we can easily smell it at much lower concentrations. Unfortunately, once exposed to it for a short period, it deactivates our sense of smell, so we can no longer smell it and we tend to think it has cleared.
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Post by Brendan69 on Feb 3, 2019 19:00:25 GMT
No worries Eric. Yuasa are also excellent batteries these days and are available in many sizes and ratings to suit all cars of all ages.
When my heavy duty Bosch battery gave up on my Aston Martin V12 last year the AML dealer wanted nearly £400 off me to supply and fit a new battery like for like which they obviously marked up and TRIED to BS me about " special procedures " required when removing and re-fitting a new battery which I told them was a load of crap and BS to try and fool/conn me.
Joanne's cousin is a director at the local Yuasa battery factory in Swindon and I just text him some pictures of my duff Bosch battery and by the time of 5pm he was at my door with a like for like Yuasa battery with a no quibble warrantee and a bill for £57.
My Aston starts and runs perfectly and is constantly connected to my C-Tek conditioner unit.
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Post by enigmas on Feb 4, 2019 9:15:28 GMT
Similar experience to my brother in law who a few years back owned an up-market Mercedes Benz sedan. It needed a set of wiper blades and the local MB dealer was happy to fit a set of Factory wipers for the princely sum of $400 AUD. He told his drinking mates at the local pub where he often puts betts on of the situation. Most of them being taxi-drivers and working blokes nearly fell off their chairs in hysterical myth. I tend to think a lot them thought it was a self inflicted situation by virtue of the marque. My brother in law soon tired of the excessive service fees and brought a Toyota 4 wheel drive dual cab utility (for a third of the price of the MB) as he lives in the hills near the ocean...and he just loves it...the car that is!
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