Electircal Tuition

[JoeM 7,620]

Tuition; a sum of money charged for teaching or instruction by a school, college, or university, in my case a sum of money spent for not checking it all the way out!

Was running the worker C and it started to miss bad, didn't make it to the barn but did get to the drive way. As it turned out the battery was stone cold dead.

Two weeks ago I had an issue with this machine and it would not start, dead battery. Opened the hood and seen the year date on the battery 2014, just figured it died of old age.

I run this thing a lot and I figured on putting the best battery I have in it. Had one that was new in the spring and installed it.

Ran it off and on for two weeks until the missing issue.

Turns out when I replaced the battery this time I checked the charging voltage, almost 16 1/2. voltage regulator was bad.

When the first battery died I should have checked the charging system...........nope!

Tuition paid, two batteries!

[bc.gold 3,399]

If you cab add distilled water to the newly ruined battery you can probably save it, Just don't over fill it, once the battery is opened up fill to the bottom of the ring with two slots in it.

 

The slots are there to permit gas to pass while charging, an over fill will bubble out liquid.

[953 nut 51,624]

5 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said:

Tuition paid, two batteries!

Graduate Level Tuition would have been an exploding battery or magic smoke being emitted from electrical components! Glad you only paid Undergraduate fees.

[JoeM 7,620]

1 minute ago, bcgold said:

If you cab add distilled water to the newly ruined battery you can probably save it, Just don't over fill it, once the battery is opened up fill to the bottom of the ring with two slots in it.

 

The slots are there to permit gas to pass while charging, an over fill will bubble out liquid.

Yep, the newer one is a maintenance free style, would have to drill holes.

[bc.gold 3,399]

14 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said:

Yep, the newer one is a maintenance free style, would have to drill holes.

 

You can prize the tops off, not my video but this is how I do it

 

 

[ZXT 2,394]

42 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said:

Yep, the newer one is a maintenance free style, would have to drill holes.

Running a battery dead once really shouldn't kill it. I can't count how many dead car batteries I've had that have been run completely down at least once. If nothing else, if it did die, it should still be under warranty. 

[adsm08 1,431]

10 minutes ago, ZXT said:

Running a battery dead once really shouldn't kill it. I can't count how many dead car batteries I've had that have been run completely down at least once. If nothing else, if it did die, it should still be under warranty. 

 

If the battery was overcharged (he said generator output was 16.5V) then it boiled off a good portion of its acid, which is why it is "dead".

 

Most warranties don't cover failure due to outside causes, only material defect.

[ZXT 2,394]

3 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

If the battery was overcharged (he said generator output was 16.5V) then it boiled off a good portion of its acid, which is why it is "dead".

 

Most warranties don't cover failure due to outside causes, only material defect.

I was (attempting to) multitask when I was reading this and missed that part. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.. My brain does not work well at times. Adding distilled water should fix it. On another note, oreilly's and other stores do sell sulfuric acid should it need more electrolyte. 

[bc.gold 3,399]

7 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

If the battery was overcharged (he said generator output was 16.5V) then it boiled off a good portion of its acid, which is why it is "dead".

 

Most warranties don't cover failure due to outside causes, only material defect.

 

Sulfuric acid is hydrophilic only the water has boiled off.

 

As the water boiled off the concentration of the acid became greater by topping up the water this will bring the acid back to its proper concentration.

Edited September 14, 2019 by bcgold

[adsm08 1,431]

18 minutes ago, bcgold said:

 

Sulfuric acid is hydrophilic only the water has boiled off.

 

As the water boiled off the concentration of the acid became greater by topping up the water this will bring the acid back to its proper concentration.

 

 

Fair enough.

 

Trying to use a battery that is low on electrolyte makes it explode. Ask me how I know.

[bc.gold 3,399]

32 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

 

Fair enough.

 

Trying to use a battery that is low on electrolyte makes it explode. Ask me how I know.

 

I've been dealing in scrap metals and battery's most of my 70 years, I've handled thousands of battery's. in the early days we would get paid more for a dry ( drained ) battery.

 

Nowadays they want the acid along with the recycled battery.

 

A battery, is not going to explode on its own just by being low on electrolyte if the cables were hooked wrong causing a spark ya have a problem on yer hands.

 

Hydrogen is emitted from a battery while charging this is a very explosive gas, open flame, sparks and static electricity can set it off.

 

If yer worried about batterys exploding always keep a package of baking soda or any base handy this will neutralize the acid.

Edited September 14, 2019 by bcgold

[adsm08 1,431]

5 hours ago, bcgold said:

 

I've been dealing in scrap metals and battery's most of my 70 years, I've handled thousands of battery's. in the early days we would get paid more for a dry ( drained ) battery.

 

Nowadays they want the acid along with the recycled battery.

 

A battery, is not going to explode on its own just by being low on electrolyte if the cables were hooked wrong causing a spark ya have a problem on yer hands.

 

Hydrogen is emitted from a battery while charging this is a very explosive gas, open flame, sparks and static electricity can set it off.

 

If yer worried about batterys exploding always keep a package of baking soda or any base handy this will neutralize the acid.

 

A number of years back I was working at a dealership up in Harrisburg. The mall cops brought up one of their Sport Tracs because it wouldn't start on its own, and the guy working on it tried, and it fired right up (right after being driven). He tried it a few more times, and on attempt number three instead of starting the engine the side of the battery case blew out. What we drained and recovered, vs what we lost on the floor, and where the hole was, we estimated the battery only had about 1/2 of its electrolyte volume. 

[bc.gold 3,399]

7 hours ago, adsm08 said:

 

A number of years back I was working at a dealership up in Harrisburg. The mall cops brought up one of their Sport Tracs because it wouldn't start on its own, and the guy working on it tried, and it fired right up (right after being driven). He tried it a few more times, and on attempt number three instead of starting the engine the side of the battery case blew out. What we drained and recovered, vs what we lost on the floor, and where the hole was, we estimated the battery only had about 1/2 of its electrolyte volume. 

 

The electrical chemical reaction would have been the same had the battery been 1/2 full or 100% full of electrolyte, hydrogen was present.

 

An internal shorting of the plates could have been the cause of ignition, maybe an errant static charge set it off. Much of the clothing we wear these days is made from synthetic fabrics.

 

IT people working on computer boards wear an anti static bracelet.

 

[JoeM 7,620]

looked at the MF battery, not much to work with, shows 10 volts, and not enough juice to light a test light, even dim. liquid level is good. I figure there is a high resistance area internal. Not worth messing with for $29.

I guess the moral of the story is when you suspect a battery is bad check the charging system.

[bc.gold 3,399]

With the battery caps removed under a load test the cells that emit bubbles will be the bad cells, forklift battery's costing in the thousands of dollars are routinely repaired rather than replaced.

 

Ask me how I know this.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,489]

6 hours ago, OILUJ52 said:

looked at the MF battery, not much to work with, shows 10 volts, and not enough juice to light a test light, even dim. liquid level is good. I figure there is a high resistance area internal. Not worth messing with for $29.

I guess the moral of the story is when you suspect a battery is bad check the charging system.

 

Have a 2 amp charger? Low and slow it will likely recover. It there was something wrong with it other than being discharged it would not have 10 volts.

 

Garry

[JoeM 7,620]

I have a manual / auto charger and let it set on 2 amp manual all day, no improvement. The ten volts is with digital meter, I think it is just residual no load volts. Tried it on the older battery and it came back some but will not go to full charge. If I can find my hydrometer, I cant remember the last time I used it, I will check the specific gravity. Might tell us what is up.

 

[bc.gold 3,399]

46 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said:

I have a manual / auto charger and let it set on 2 amp manual all day, no improvement. The ten volts is with digital meter, I think it is just residual no load volts. Tried it on the older battery and it came back some but will not go to full charge. If I can find my hydrometer, I cant remember the last time I used it, I will check the specific gravity. Might tell us what is up.

 

 

Maybe your battery charger has gone wonky.