The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Battery charging?

So I thought I'd ask for some help preparing for an argument. So I've got the truck in the shop for several large repairs/replacements and it's taking a while. I stopped in to check on progress and while there asked the mechanic to please put a trickle charger or battery maintainer on my 12 volt battery while it's in his possession. He told me he would. Next trip by he still had not put on the charger. Told me that he measured it and it was at 12.33 volts and didn't need a charge. Said he started it about every 3rd day.

I have always kept a battery maintainer hooked up to my cars batteries year round and thought this was a good thing to do. Can someone point me to a good shop article or website that explains what happens to a battery when it is inactive and why you should keep a charger on it to help extend it's life? I'd appreciate it.

Chuck

It sounds like your mechanic knows exactly what he's doing. Do you also tell your doctor how to run his business?

"Maintainers", trickle chargers, etc. can often do much more harm than good. If you're that unsure about the guy's competence, why not pull the vehicle out and do the work yourself? A customer of any shop I ran would find his car parked on the street with a request to take it elsewhere if he pulled a stunt like that.
Jerry

If you mean arguing with the mechanic, not advisable to upset a cook or a mechanic. He is doing fine with checking the battery and starting it. He needs his charger or doesn't want a cord in his way or does not want to be told what to do. It's OK. If you mean some other argument with someone else, Trickle chargers prevent sulphide build up, this should extend life but they can be bad for a battery if they do not have a automatic shut off. Continuously charging a batterry to 100% is not good. Make sure it shuts completely off after reaching near 100%. Year round on several cars? What's the electric cost for that? Buy a good free-replacement battery and you won't need a trickle charger. I guess it depends on your MTBF.
As far as a good web article, you can find yea or nay on anything on the interweb. You can search and read all night on that one. I know you are not trying to be a pain and are just asking him for a favor. Your battery may discharge while he has it, but it won't hurt it and he will make sure it starts before you pick it up. No worry.

".... what happens to a battery when it is inactive and why you should keep a charger on it to help extend it's life ...."

nothing happens, especially for a few days or a few weeks, if it's not extremely hot or extremely cold, providing it's not left in a state of deep discharge

nothing can "help extend its life" one day beyond the warranty period and only real abuse will make it die before then

Bill

I've got disconnects on all my batteries for 2 reasons. Theft (which is covered under a different thread) and to keep the tiny drain off the battery. They never loose a charge and last for many years, even in the Florida heat.

My last cheap-o Walmart battery lasted 11 years due to a battery shut-off switch and charger. Each I get out, a simple twist of the switch shuts down the whole truck, make a great security system as well.

Joe

Joe, 11 years? Call Guinness. Here in AZ, a battery lasts 3 years no matter what you do.

Have an 05' chrysler 300 rwd with the v6. Bought it in the fall of 04', still has the original battery in it. I myself am truly amazed, have never had a battery last that long!Nine years!

I had a 97 F--- f-150, sold it in 2012, NEVER touched the battery for those 15!

Wanted to clarify my original post. I wanted advice in preparation for an argument with a car club friend of mine who says nothing bad happens to a battery left in an old car that's not run. Says when it's started it will recharge & will be fine. I had read where there is a build up of sulphide which degrades the plates & overall performance of the battery. I thought using a trickle charger reduced the chance of this happening & therefore extended the life of the battery.

Yes, batteries do self-discharge when left idle for long periods, and the lead sulfate that begins as a spongy material initially forms a hard crystal if the battery is left in a discharged state for weeks, or possibly months. Once that happens, it is extremely difficult to redissolve the sulfate by charging the battery.

I have reclaimed sulfated batteries by slow charging for several hours, then totally discharging by using a headlight bulb or other drain. Recharge- - - -discharge- - - -etc. sometimes as many as 20 times. The sulfate crystals dissolve slowly and go back into solution to for m sulfuric acid. A battery hydrometer and a voltage-controlled charger are pretty essential to reclaim a battery in that condition. Simply starting the vehicle and running it for 15-20 minutes once a week should prevent the crystals from forming, or connecting a low-rate charger overnight once or twice a month for long-term storage would also work.

Jerry

I must say I always learn so much reading Jerry's posts. Someday I'm going to make the run from Mush Island, AL to Dellrose, TN to meet him. Maybe when I get something running (if I could ever concentrate on one vehicle).

I am in the leave it alone camp and only top off the charge every few months if the vehicle is not used. Trickle chargers are not necessary. Many modern computer controlled automatic battery chargers have a de-sulfating setting.

Lefty, you're welcome anytime! Just don't be shocked to see the messiest shop in middle Tennessee! A 30-year accumulation of other people's junk and castoff vehicles isn't pretty! Glad I've got a hundred acres to hide the stuff on!
Jerry

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I still will feel better if I have a slow trickle charger on my batteries. Don't see how it could hurt.

Jerry's remarks, remind me of my Uncle. Back in the 50's he bought a new car. They still had gens and vr's. He did not do much night driving, so in the daytime when he went into a store he would leave the headlights on. He said this was to drain the battery some and keep in in good condition - plus keep the voltage regulator working good.

Interesting- - - -and he wasn't too far off the wall with that idea. Back in the 1930's some of the charging systems with 3-brush generators had a compensator circuit built in to increase generator output when the headlights were on to prevent the battery from being drawn down during night driving.
Jerry