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Dummy drained the 4D battery

S

slauder

Regular Contributor
"All winter I was carefull to

"All winter I was carefull to visit and charge with my honda 6000 generater (130 pounds is my 4D)... She was fully charged a week ago, when I hooked her up to lower the trim tabs so to scrap and ready for paint. Yes the dummy left it hooked up for a week and is dead now. The caps come off and I could service it with new acid? I brought her home and put on the charger for a day... what to do? any hope?"
 
"Add distilled water, not acid

"Add distilled water, not acid, and try a recharge. You might be okay.

Jeff"
 
"I's also suggest a load t

"I's also suggest a load test after charging. if the battery accepts the recharge, you also need to figure out what drained it."
 
"How do you do a load test?

"How do you do a load test?

I must not have made it clear... I left the power switches on for a week as I was in a rush to leave the a week ago.
The 4D I usually leave off at the switch and turn it on for starting the boat only. It has great cranking amps but should not be used for the radio, lights, refig, etc... I have a multi for that stuff...

Actually brings me to my next question... (new post?)... how do I add a second multi battery to extend "on the hook" time. I need to add amps not volts... How do I wire that? Is that the difference of parallel vs. series?"
 
use a load tester - a giant va

use a load tester - a giant variable resistor that will dissipate a lot of energy (without burning up) with a current meter integrated.

Guess I assumed the you only left the "battery switch" on - this time you mentioned "power switches" being on. Can you provided an idea of what was 'left on'?

Not sure what a 'multi' is - dual purpose battery? I'd suggest adding a deep cycle for the on the hook time. You'll probably get a variety of answers to the 'how to hook up' question - I'd encourage you to search this site as i have found many posts on this topic. I'd also suggest investigating the methods that will get you close to 'dummy-proofing' the mod.

You also need to ensure you have a way to maintain the 4D's charge - what do you use now?
 
"Conecting in parrallel (&

"Conecting in parrallel (+ve to +ve and -ve to -ve) maintains the same voltage but doubles the amperage, connecting in series (+ve to -ve) then connecting the load to the 2 open terminals will double the voltage, the amperage will be limited to the battery with the least cca or mca reading.

This assumes that the 2 batteries are identical which they should be. Don't mix deep cycle with starting, gsm with wet-cell etc, they should also both be the same vintage, otherwise scavenging may occur and screw up the charging."
 
If you want to get a quick che

If you want to get a quick check on your battery just hit the starter and watch how low the battery voltage goes. It shouldn't go much below 10v for a good battery.
 
Harbor Freight sells a battery

Harbor Freight sells a battery load tester for under 10 bucks. Use mine all the time.

Jeff
 
"my honda 2000i has a DC charg

"my honda 2000i has a DC charge option and I thought I had it running for a day, but must had stoped after a few hours. The battery read 12.1 volts after sitting for a few days. I started up the charger and volts read 12.7 while on charge.

The cells look full but will get some distilled water to top them off. How far up is too full?

What is a full charge reading... just under 14 volts?

I have to see about the load tester... another tool sub 10 bucks is fine...

TIA, Scott"
 
"Scott:

Read this, it will

"Scott:

Read this, it will answer most of your Q's:
http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_battery.html#6

regarding filling, after the caps are removed, look down into the cell. Each cap 'hole' should have a thin 'ring' at the bottom, with one or two slots up the sides. The electrolyte should be up to that ring and no higher. the plates should be submerged."
 
"D4 has charged for a day on h

"D4 has charged for a day on honda eu2000i dc charging plug, and read 12.7 to 12.8 at the end of the charge (ran out of gas after 12 hours). I'm using the honda 2000i and am not sure how many amps flow when charging (i was told a slow low amp change is better). after a couple days sitting it reads 12.2 to 12.3.

any hope for this D4? all cells have water. i see a thing called "nanopulser battery conditioner" on defender site for $87. will this really reverse the damage?

RE:
"Regenerates old sulfated batteries by desulfating slowly and gently without damaging electrode plates."

TIA,
Scott"
 
"Also...
1. if i have to repl

"Also...
1. if i have to replace the batteries, is gel cell better then wet cell?

2. is it better to have two smaller deep cycle in parallel or one big D4 with same amp hours?

3. I see battery monitors for sale. they have alarms and digital readouts etc... they cost money, but do we really need them?

i dont want to keep replacing battries every 2/3 years which seems to be what i'm getting now!"
 
"Scott; the 4D is, by your cu

"Scott; the 4D is, by your current post, the starting battery. A couple of points. The honda is not getting you enough charge voltage. You need to see close to 13.8 volts at end of charge, you are a full volt shy. Put the 4D on a slow charger for a full week, and make sure you reach 13.8 to 14.2 volts. Take off the charger, and let the battery sit for a couple of days. Measure the voltage with no load. If under 12.5, its time for a new battery."
 
"I was very surprised when I w

"I was very surprised when I was setting up my inverter/charger for the new electrical system we put on the boat. The unit can be programmed to so many variables as required by the MAKE AND MODEL of the batteries you have. It makes sense to insure you have complied with all of the charge requirements for this battery.

Marks' post above does provide some of the parameters you will need to look at. I got lucky, I gave all of the operating specs to the battery manufacturer and they suggested which ones would be accommodated within those variables. It is now my 3rd season and they all show no signs of use or abuse...."
 
"[b] 1. if i have to replace t

" 1. if i have to replace the batteries, is gel cell better then wet cell?
Depends upon how you define 'better'. Gels are more expensive but require less 'attention', once their installation is 'correct'. Biggest concern is to ensure your charging system will accomodate them, correctly (regulator set points).

2. is it better to have two smaller deep cycle in parallel or one big D4 with same amp hours?
I prefer one due to "less that can break" - one battery has half as many connections that could corrode and fail...the exception is when there isn't enough space for one bigger battery.

3. I see battery monitors for sale. they have alarms and digital readouts etc... they cost money, but do we really need them?
I'd say 'No', in general. Some find that the alarm features are 'needed' and will part with the $$ to have it. Most are nothing more than volt meters; I find the hand held ones much more versatile.

You should be able to get much longer than 2-3 years out of a battery. Make sure your charging system is providing what the battery needs. also check your installation...mine came from the factory installed right against the exhaust hose....and heat isn't good for battery life."
 
Sears is doing a free charge a

Sears is doing a free charge as a comp.
I just got a 2AMP trickel charger for $30 there.
 
"diver dave,
So sears did a 2

"diver dave,
So sears did a 2 amp charge for 3 days and it was 13.8 at end. It has been off the charger for 24 hours and it now reads 12.8. Sears did a load test and it passed. Lets see what it reads in another day or so... sure dropped fast in 24 hours...

TIA"
 
"Makomark ,
RE: Biggest conc

"Makomark ,
RE: Biggest concern is to ensure your charging system will accomodate them, correctly (regulator set points).

I have a herth inverter and charger. How to make adjustments? I dont think you mean the altenator when engine is running?

I dont know how to adjust either. I would like to know how to measure the amps pushing to system when charge is on... I'll hit the website to look for manuals on adjustments.

All tips welcome?

TIA,
Scott Lauder"
 
..."It has been off the ch

..."It has been off the charger for 24 hours and it now reads 12.8."

Too low.

"Sears did a load test and it passed."

Shame on them!

"...sure dropped fast in 24 hours..."

That's the indicator you need to pay attention to. Better toss it out.

Jeff
 
"That's a big investment t

"That's a big investment to just scrap,
If it were me, (frugal, cheap, call me what you will), I'd go ahead & add that second battery to the system as back-up ,, #2 on a battery switch. Then go ahead and use your 4D as you normally have in the past, for a better evaluation. While still having a good time, assured that the 4D can't leave you stranded, having added a solid back-up battery to your electrical system.

Batteries are rated at 2.2volts per cell. Times 6 = 13.2volts.
That 4D is setting at 97%, I wish that I were doing that well!

Fred 156-M"
 
"I like the 12.8 volts; It me

"I like the 12.8 volts; It means good specific gravity, and no cells shorted. If Sears did a high current load test to simulate starting, you should be good to go.."
 
"Did you try Joe's idea? &

"Did you try Joe's idea? (crank the starter).

Back in the day, that was our load checker.
Ground out the coil wire , so the engine won't start.
Crank the engine for 10 seconds while watching a volt meeter hooked up to the battery.
A drop to 10.6volts IS acceptable.
I would presume that your 4D should pass that test with flying colors.
If it doesn't, then I'm with Jeff.

Fred 156-M"
 
"Freshwater Fred,
Didnt yet.

"Freshwater Fred,
Didnt yet. Boat is still on jacks stands and 100lb 4D is at home. Trying avoid lifting an extra 100#s 10 feet up. Seems like a waste of energy (specially if the cells are bad)... if there is hope for it I will... lets see in a couple days how many volts i have... still at 12.7 (thought that was 100% but dont have S.G. for fluid)..."
 
"the hydrometer (specific

"the hydrometer (specific gravity) is a better indicator than the voltage...what you have for voltage doesn't sound bad to me; more like normal.

Use can only use the hydrometer if your cells have removable caps. Also, both SG & 'fully charged' voltage are temperature dependent.

The Heart stuff I've seen is 'fully compatible' with most types of batteries, you still need to make sure you have enough time between uses to replenish the energy you consume. this is also true for the alternators (adequate capacity and run time) but the battery type compatibility is a bit more involved with the OEM systems."
 
"Hi Chris Carroll,
Looks like

"Hi Chris Carroll,
Looks like I will get a second wet cell deep cycle and connect in parrallel (+ve to +ve and -ve to -ve). I will get the same CA and CCA if possable. The one I have is a year or two old but is holding at 12.8. Can I get away with a two year difference?"
 
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