daed lead acid battery

Chat about all things battery in here.
Need to know what type to use or size or capacity then again place your thoughts here
goochmeister
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:12 am

daed lead acid battery

Postby goochmeister » Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:52 pm

Can any body tell me if it is possible to revive a pack of 3 year old laed acid batteries that have done almost no work.
The car has not been used and has been charged only now and then.
Any info would be most welcome.
GM

ex925
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:13 am
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby ex925 » Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:31 pm

As a non-expert, all I can offer is a partially comparable experience
I bought a Chinese scooter having 3 off 12v 18ah (AGM?) batteries, of the type used in golf trollies
The scooter had (very rarely in 3+ years) been used as a demonstrator, sales had been few, I got 80% discount
Back home, the batteries went flat in 5 miles in a home-made EAPC (which was far more efficient than the scooter)
I connected the batteries in parallel to a 13.8v audio voltage supply unit, and left them for 6 months
About fortnightly, I checked the off-charge individual battery voltage, and once, in a damp winter, cleaned the terminals
I partially discharged them, using 12v 55-watt car headlamp bulbs, twice, during that restoration-charge time
By the time I built the mark III version "Junkyard-Dog" racing EAPC from scrap, the batteries were good for 20 miles

I had bought the 13.8v unit 2 years before, on Paul Compton's advice, to try and revive some very old Optima YTs
It had worked well over a two-year period for the YTs, and I figured it could work for the trolley batteries. It did

All I can say is, it may be worth a try, but such units were c. £40. last time I looked. In (2003 ?) I got mine for £14.99
The revived batteries were abused for 2 years after that. I reckon they were maybe 80% as good as a set of new ones
(based on the distances achieved by my golfing neighbour whenever he borrowed one of the revived batteries)

Probably best check with an expert before spending money?
("me - tight? I'm much more careful than that.....")
HTH
Good luck
Ed

goochmeister
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:12 am

Re: dead lead acid battery

Postby goochmeister » Sat Nov 20, 2010 5:23 pm

Thanks for the advice.
This is my first EV with PB batteries (apart from an IT) also I am not keen on shelling out for a new set so I'm going to have a go at reviving them.
I have just contacted Puremobility (Elbil Norge) who make the Buddy to see if there is a warranty on the batteries .If the cells don't respond and I cannot find a cheap set I will probably sell the Buddy .So if anyone is interested in the only Buddy ever made for the UK then please keep in touch.
If anyone else has any more info on battery CPR then please let me know.
GM

User avatar
ChrisB
Posts: 4657
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:33 am
Location: Hampshire on the Southcoast
Contact:

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby ChrisB » Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:55 pm

Ah they sealed type or flooded ones ??

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

goochmeister
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:12 am

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby goochmeister » Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:14 pm

I believe they are sealed .
I just found out that the batteries are outside warranty (is anything ever in warranty?) Do you think they are salvageable? they have done almost no work, less than 200 miles.
GM

User avatar
ChrisB
Posts: 4657
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:33 am
Location: Hampshire on the Southcoast
Contact:

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby ChrisB » Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:40 pm

Well you can try Ed's idea of holding them at a long term very slow charge voltage and see what happens but I've never had much luck recovering them.

One problem is sulphate is physically bigger and it generally damages the plates and seperators as it grows on the plates :(

Thus even if you do manage to recover them to a degree they may well soon fail again due to plate damage. I had a set of Chlorides that had a really good specific gravity and appeared to charge up but had zero capacity due to the fact when ever you tried to draw a decent load off them the plates would crack and stop the current flow :roll: :(

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

goochmeister
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:12 am

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby goochmeister » Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:53 pm

Thanks Chris ,
I had hoped there would be some good news as I really like the Buddy and would have loved to get it back on the road...but it looks as though I will have to sell It as is. :cry:
GM

User avatar
ChrisB
Posts: 4657
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:33 am
Location: Hampshire on the Southcoast
Contact:

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby ChrisB » Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:19 pm

Nothing wrong with having a play and trying something, it may or may not help.

If you dont try you wont know for sure, I recovered a set of 6volt flooded mono blocks from a Bedford CF van by just by giving them a very long slow charge over 6mths, ok when I say recovered, they went from having just volt or two on each of the 36 batteries, after being left in a field for 5 years :shock:, I managed to get it to a range of about 20-25 miles 8) not quite the orginal 60 miles + they use to have, although the batteries used water like it was going out of fashion, I was feeding them 5 gallons once a month :shock: due to the plate damage.

So its worth a punt before throwing the towel in, just dont expect miracles :wink:

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

User avatar
Peter Eggleston
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:12 pm
Location: Tyne Valley Northumberland

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby Peter Eggleston » Wed Nov 24, 2010 4:09 pm

Have you tried looking on ebay for suitable alternative batteries to use. I am still running my truck on second hand lead gel batteries that I bought 7 years ago on ebay for just £11 per 12 volt battery.
It is worth a look before you get rid of your Buddy.
Peter

goochmeister
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:12 am

Re: daed lead acid battery

Postby goochmeister » Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:57 pm

I'll give it a go if you don't mind me picking you're brains everynow and then!

A couple of years back I advertised my 106 electrique and a local chap came round with an electric CF van ,I'd never heard of them and was amazed to see almost the entire rear deck full of battteries!
He eventually bought a Berlingo and his CF has remained in his front garden ever since.Shame its rotting away I presume they are quite rare?
GM


Return to “All things battery related”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests