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Routine Battery Charging.

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awemawson:
Last week I came to start my 2001 Landrover Discovery which due to lockdown and other diversions has sat unused for quite a while. The battery was so flat I couldn’t even unlock the doors with the remote and of course using the normal key brought on the imobiliser.

Battery was so flat even jumping it with a huge tractor battery I couldn’t start it, battery at 8 volts drawing vast current from tractor battery so presumably at least two cells dead shorted. We had a very cold spell last week and I suppose it’s possible that the battery froze.. OK new battery ordered and steps taken to preserve the radio code, and when fitted all was well, radio OK and engine starts just fine but . . .

This has triggered me bringing forwards my regular (usually December) charging of various bits of ‘idle plant’ that sit around waiting to serve when called on, so far :

Benford pedestrian roller

Thwaites dumper truck

Karcher steam cleaner

JCB 803 mini digger

Ford 4000 tractor

Road compressor

And at the moment the Ford 4600 tractor with the hedge flail permanently attached is on charge and I’m on the third day of this program. So much so that it’s prompted me to order another charger to speed up the process next time.

OK I probably have more of this stuff than most but this is getting silly , anyone else have this problem?

(By comparison three CNC machine controllers keeping their parameters safe is a doddle!)

kayzed1:
Yes. 11 motorcycles :doh:

vtsteam:
Yes, two tractors, a pickup truck being stored for winter, a power boat and a standby Listeroid diesel generator which I adapted to electric start with an old Ford auto starter motor.

My 1951 John Deere Model M tractor has never had a functioning charging system, so needs charger attention maybe once a month. I did work on the regulator and generator last summer, but still no charge -- at least when I tested it last. Though, come to think of it, it has been going a couple months now without needing a charge. Hmmm.....maybe it worked...

Anyway I bought a bunch of small inexpensive ($10) 12V 1.3A trickle chargers from Ebay, and that has helped reduce the number of trips needed with the big charger. I also use them to charge a small lead acid batt I use for my fishing depth sounder in my foam boat "Flier".

Haven't had any problem with the chargers other than one that arrived DOA.

Muzzerboy:
A colleague of mine went to Brazil on business for a month (poor bugger), leaving his BMW530 in the work car park. This was around 2000. On his return, the battery was flat, so he couldn't even open any of the doors or the bonnet. The key had no direct mechanical connection to any of the locks. We were at least able to open the boot and recharge the battery slowly through the boot lamp until finally we were able to open the car the next day. If we'd popped the fuse, things could have got pretty messy.

I was engineering director at a company that specialised in battery chargers, so have a fair bit of knowledge of lead acid batteries. Once they are dead and /or sulphated, there really aren't any miracle cures, despite what people tell you. Equally, keeping them trickle charged doesn't do them a lot of good although more so than being completely flat.

Best thing is to fit a disconnect switch so that there is zero external current draw. Then you can leave them for several months without them going flat. IIRC, you can get relay devices that fit on the battery post to enable the battery via a small control switch if you don't want to fit a motorsport style Big Red Switch. Somewhere I have a Jaguar one that they used to fit to vehicles for export so the batteries could be disconnected while they were on the boat to the USA etc.

vtsteam:
I don't continuously trickle charge. These chargers taper charge and stop charging once full and don't restart until it drops below a certain value. They have indicator lights to indicate when charging. I usually disconnect them once the light is green anyway, and wait a month or so before reconnecting.

The big advantage in these chargers for me is that they are in or near the equipment at all times, and don't require me to shift a big charger around. And their gentle charge rate is better than forcing amps into a nearly discharged battery so you can move on to another needy piece of equipment. And you can't overcharge with them.

A battery disconnect switch isn't of any use here keeping battery charge up in Vermont with -20F temps and 6 months of winter, and some equipment stored outside. Vehicles need to start when called upon, as does emergency generator. Besides a '51 John Deere and generator have no draw with the ignition off anyway. These little chargers are a lot better than having to remember constantly what needs what, what is finished charging, and where to bring a charger next. I've had them for a couple years, no problems, and I haven't had a battery goof-up since. I had a few before with the big charger method, both flats and overcharges.

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