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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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18-02-2019, 10:43 PM | #1 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Perth, Northern Suburbs
Posts: 5,005
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I have been trying to charge a flat Calcium battery. It's not all that old, a few years, and was a "premium" battery. However it has been sitting (disconnected) for around 18 months.
Put a "smart" charger on it, capable of 20A and 5 or 6 different stages. Normally this charger will react to even a flat battery by throwing a fault and stopping, but there was no such problem. However it started making a very strong sulphurous smell. Like a mixture of HS and SO2. And when I say strong, I mean it flooded the garage and that end of the house. I haven't tried starting the car, but according to the lights on the charger, the battery is ok. Its sealed, and I haven't been able to get the top off to check fluids. |
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19-02-2019, 04:30 PM | #5 | ||
*barks incessantly
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SA
Posts: 1,563
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100% fubar
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19-02-2019, 09:23 PM | #6 | ||
Boss 335
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,330
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Straight in the bin. Had this happen once, the battery terminals were smouldering and the battery had expanded in size and was releasing sulfurous gas. Threw the bin straight into a trash can, drove off without a battery and installed a new one, and was all good.
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20-02-2019, 01:39 PM | #7 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 261
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60c/kg scrap value. About to take in about a ton and a half.
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21-02-2019, 01:04 PM | #8 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Perth, Northern Suburbs
Posts: 5,005
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Obviously there's something wrong with it, my nose told me that much.
I'm more interested in WHAT went wrong and WHY |
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21-02-2019, 02:04 PM | #9 | |||
Donating Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Heading thru Hell (Corner)
Posts: 8,307
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Quote:
As it stands, your original post is just a statement, and people are taking a guess at what information you want.
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Labels are for jars, not for people. Life is a journey, not a destination. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daily: 2013 FGII EcoLPi in Winter White Play: 2015 FG X XR8 in Emperor Show' N Shine thread Gone, but not forgotten: 2015 SZII petrol Titanium Territory in Emperor |
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21-02-2019, 07:13 PM | #10 | ||
Boss 335
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,330
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I gather that one of the cells within the battery has perished, hence diminishing the capacity of the battery itself. Hence overcharging has occurred as the charger keeps trying to force it to hold more electricity than it can physically hold, given the dead cell.
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21-02-2019, 07:23 PM | #11 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 153
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you can't just leave a battery for 18 months and expect it to just charge up to normal. that's why they make maintenance chargers.
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21-02-2019, 11:09 PM | #12 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Roxby Downs
Posts: 69
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Might also pay to check your charger output voltage/ current in case that is the cause as well, before you fritz a second battery.
Sent from my SM-G928I using Tapatalk
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22-02-2019, 01:02 PM | #13 | ||
*barks incessantly
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SA
Posts: 1,563
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22-02-2019, 01:17 PM | #14 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Victoria
Posts: 7,854
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It would need a slow charge to be safer (for the battery that is)
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22-02-2019, 07:37 PM | #16 | ||
Experienced Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Australasia
Posts: 7,657
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21-06-2019, 02:02 AM | #17 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Perth, Northern Suburbs
Posts: 5,005
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Yeah, I went through and charged/tested a couple of "spare batteries" I had, and pretty much all toast. So I stacked em next to the bin, and somebody collected them.
Not 100% sure what happened with this one. It still ran at 12~13V, but couldn't even get close to turning over, so it got tossed also. I suspect "sealed" batteries can't handle this kind of abuse and dry out. |
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21-06-2019, 01:59 PM | #18 | ||
The good, bad and fugly
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,808
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its sulphates that build up on the plates over time that kill the battery, hence the sulphurous gas smell given off when attempting to charge them.
Perhaps the OP should invest in a Battery Desulfator charger. Now there's a good range on the market, perhaps people can rate them and share their success or failure stories for the benefit of all members? This thread may be a better one to add your comments please. https://www.fordforums.com.au/showth...ery+Desulfator |
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21-06-2019, 09:27 PM | #19 | ||
Thailand Specials
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Centrefold Lounge
Posts: 49,433
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That's also how batteries explode - it's venting hydrogen as it boils and is a serious safety issue.
'smart chargers' my *** - I had this fancy workshop charger in my workshop with a zillion stages and electronics that were going to save us from the second coming of Christ and it boiled more batteries then I can count on all my hands and feet. https://www.centurybatteries.com.au/...plosionsv3.pdf This also applies to people with garage queens that spend weeks on end on float charge with lead acid batteries. |
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