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Starting Batteries

Starting Batteries. How do batteries work? Each cell has a number of positive plates made of lead (sponge lead?) And negative plates of ???. How do batteries work?. When the two dissimilar metal plates are immersed in acid they create a voltage

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Starting Batteries

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  1. Starting Batteries • How do batteries work? • Each cell has a number of positive plates made of lead (sponge lead?) • And negative plates of ???

  2. How do batteries work? • When the two dissimilar metal plates are immersed in acid they create a voltage • This voltage is created by the concentrating Negative Ions on the negative plates and Positive Ions on the positive plates

  3. How do batteries work? • As batteries discharge the acid is turned to water and the lead plates are turned into lead sulfate • When both plates are turned to lead sulfate the battery is discharged or dead

  4. How many volts does one battery cell produce? • 2.1 volts • How many cells in a 12 volt battery? • 6 cells • How many volts in a 12 volt battery? • 12.6 • How can you get 12.6 volts out of a bunch of 2.1 volt cells? • wire them in series

  5. What comes out of a battery? • Electrical POWER • what is power? • Watts = volts X Amps • How do you get more volts out of a battery? • add more cells in series • How do diesel vehicles get 24 volts for starting • wiring 2-12 volt, or 4-6 volt batteries in series

  6. What happens as all the amps get used up? • The electolyte turns to water and... • ...the lead and sponge lead plates turn to Lead sulfate and... • ...the acid will no longer strip electrons from the positive plates… • ...and add them to the negative plates • The battery will go DEAD

  7. How can we build a battery to supply more amps? • add more lead plates to each individual cell • more lead plates in a cell will increase…? • ...cranking amps • …amp hour rating

  8. So what battery should I use? • 1) A battery with the proper voltage… • ...6 volt, 12 volt, 24 volt • 2) A battery with enough amp capacity... • …Cold Cranking Amps, or amp hour rating • 3) A battery with that will fit in the carrier… • ...BCI Group rating

  9. BCI Group rating • How tall is the battery • How wide is the battery • How long is the battery • Where are the terminals located

  10. If the battery is the correct BCI Group... • …is it correct battery? • NO! it must meet vehicle specific capacity • Manufacturer will specify a minimum CCA... or Amp hour rating • Adding plates to a cell increases the amp capacity • Adding plates (surface area) will lengthen the service life of the battery • Adding plates increases price.

  11. Deep Cycle batteries • Some RV and Marine batteries are different • They are intended to operate smaller electrical loads (lights, 12 volt accessories, trolling motors etc.) for long periods of time without being recharged. • They are called Deep Cycle batteries as they can withstand many cycles of long slow discharging followed by long slow charging.

  12. Deep Cycle batteries • Rapid discharging (like the hundreds of amps pulled by a starter motor) will ruin a Deep Cycle battery… • ...it will overheat the plates.

  13. Starting Batteries • The function of the battery is to start the engine • Then the generator will run all electrical loads. • Some Recreational Vehicles use both a starting battery and a deep cycle battery. • The deep cycle battery is not hooked to the starter motor.

  14. Starting Batteries • If you allow a starting battery to slowly go dead it will “SULFATE” • This happens when lead sulfate (formed when a battery discharges) crystallizes on the surface of the lead plates. • This will not allow the battery to fully recharge • Sometimes a sulfated battery will not recharge at all.

  15. What type of battery do I sell to the customer? • Proper BCI Group number • So it will fit in the vehicle • The proper type battery • Cranking or Deep Cycle • The more CCA the better • Make sure it meets the minimum required by the manufacturer

  16. When do I add battery Acid? • Only for filling dry charged batteries • Do not add acid to a battery already in service • Some batteries are assembled but the acid is left out until it is ready for sale (Dry Charged) • The acid is added just before it is installed in the vehicle

  17. Storing Batteries • When a battery is new the lead and acid will begin to react and it will slowly discharge. • Any battery that sits unused for several months will slowly go dead and begin to sulfate. • This will ruin the battery.. • All batteries be periodically recharged. • New batteries, awaiting sale, are given a “trickle charge” on a regular schedule

  18. What do I add to a battery with low electrolyte? • Distilled (or de-mineralized) water. • Adding tap water will encourage electrolysis • This will speed up the loss of that water when charging and discharging • It will also encourage corrosion on the battery cables

  19. How full do I fill the battery • Fill until the electrolyte just touches the fill ring • Practice this…You can see just when it touches • If you overfill…You can pull the extra out… • …it your syringe is clean (use a hydrometer)

  20. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN • Be sure any item that touches the electrolyte is washed • Clean battery hydrometer with plenty of water after each use

  21. How can I make the battery live longer? • 1) make sure the battery hold down is solid • …vibration will knock material off the lead plates, lower the amp capacity, and short out cells. • 2) keep the battery clean • …as the battery cycles acid gets all over the case, • this will corrode the cables… • ...and also provides a path for current to slowly discharge the battery between terminals • (this can be measured with a volt meter)

  22. 2) Keep the battery clean • Always clean the battery with the vent caps on to avoid contaminating the cells. • Baking soda and water works well to neutralize any battery acid as do battery cleaning spray cans. • Rinse with lots of water after neutralizing the acid • Soap and water works great to clean a battery

  23. How can I make the battery live longer? • 3) keep the battery full…...use distilled water and do not over fill. • If the battery is extra low check the charging system for overcharging • If low electrolyte with no removable vent caps... • ...replace the battery after double checking the charging system.

  24. How can I make the battery live longer? • 4) Keep the battery fully charged… • ...make sure the cables are not corroded • 5) Check for parasitic drains .....A parasitic draw of up to .050 amps is acceptable. • 6) Do not allow the battery to freeze… • ...a dead battery can freeze at +15 F • …a fully charged battery will survive –50F

  25. Frozen Batteries • DO NOT ATTEMPT TO JUMP START OR CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY • A charging battery forms Hydrogen gas that will be trapped by the ice and can cause the battery to explode. • A frozen battery is ruined due to the ice breaking up the sponge lead plates • Once thawed out it will soon fail.

  26. Frozen Batteries • Replace frozen batteries. • A frozen battery will have a bulged out case that will not reform • An overcharged battery can also cause the case to bulge or distort. • If the case looks distorted test the battery and the charging system

  27. How can I test the battery? • #1) you can only accurately test a fully charged battery • An undercharged battery might fail the load test • Load testing an undercharged battery may lead to unnecessary battery replacement

  28. How do I determine the battery State of charge? • Use a hydrometer and compensate for the temperature of the battery • As a battery discharges the acid turns to water • Acid is thicker and will float the hydrometer scale higher • A fully charged battery cell has a “specific gravity” of 1.265 at 80 degrees

  29. Hydrometer Testing • A colder battery will measure higher as cold liquid is thicker • A cold battery may look charged actually be undercharged • Check each cell… • …If the lowest cell is .050 points lower than the highest cell the battery is defective • If water has just been added to the battery it will give a false hydrometer reading

  30. What if there are no removable vent caps? • Some batteries include a built in hydrometer. • This checks one cell only • Indicates the battery is at least 75% charged when green (or not black/clear) • You can also test a battery state of charge with a volt meter

  31. Testing the battery state of charge with a volt meter • 12.6 V = a fully charged battery • 12.4 V = 75% charged • 12.2 V = 50% charged

  32. My battery reads 13.2 Volts…...Is it overcharged? • Some recombinant batteries maintain a slightly higher open circuit voltage • Normal batteries will also register a surface charge. • This is not an accurate reading of the state of charge

  33. How do I accurately get an open circuit voltage reading ? • To remove the surface charge place a 250 amp load on the battery, or crank the engine (without starting) for 15 seconds, • Let the battery recover for five minutes, with the key off and all accessories turned off. • A vehicle that has not been run for several hours will have an accurate open circuit voltage reading

  34. Do I really have to do all this before testing the battery? • Only if the battery fails the load test • If the battery passes the capacity or load test… • ...the battery is good. • If the battery fails the load (or capacity) test… • ...let it sit for five minutes… • ...recheck the open circuit voltage. • If voltage is below 12.6 volts, recharge the battery and run a second load test

  35. How do I recharge the battery? • The best way is with a slow (or trickle) charge. • Leave the charger unplugged when connecting the battery, to avoid sparks and potential explosion • Batteries are most prone to explosion after load testing, jump starting, or cranking th engine • Trickle charging will give the most complete charge and is easiest on the battery

  36. I don’t have time for a slow charge!What’s wrong with quick charging? • Nothing… • ... IF YOU FOLLOW SAFETY PRECAUTIONS… • …to protect the battery and the vehicle • To protect vehicle computers from high voltage... • ...you should unhook the vehicle ground before turning on the charger

  37. What can go wrong when I unhook the battery ground cable? • Insure the ignition key is turned off. • This will protect the computers from a voltage spike when power is unexpectedly interrupted • Be sure to supply an additional power source to the vehicle to protect the computer’s learned operation strategy

  38. Back to fast charging • Once the battery is isolated… • ... you can turn the charger on high… • ...after connecting the charging leads.

  39. How long do I leave it on fast charge? • Leaving a battery on high charge is risky. • If it is sulfated the voltage will quickly rise above 15 volts and overheat the battery. • Also if the battery has a shorted cell the voltage may stay low it will begin to gas excessively • This will create hydrogen gas that may explode.

  40. I take vent caps off when charging, Is this O.K.? • Vent caps have built in flame arrestors • These can keep a battery from exploding should sparks or flames come close • Leave the caps ON while charging • MONITOR the battery during a fast charge

  41. How do I monitor the battery? • Check the voltage across the terminals with the charger on. • If it gets over 15 volts turn off the charger or slow the rate of charge. • Feel the case of the battery, • if it gets hot it is overcharging • all batteries will get warm, • practice to know hot from warm

  42. How do I monitor the battery? • Look listen and smell for gassing. • If you see lots of bubbles through the battery case (white case) turn down the charger. • If you smell the gas, turn down the charger. • Leave the vent caps on. • Turn off and unplug the charger BEFORE removing the charging cables from the battery.

  43. Do I need to monitor the battery if my charger has a voltage regulator? • Yes • A shorted cell in the battery will fool the voltage regulator and may lead to damage

  44. O.K. Now I have a charged batteryHow do I tell if it’s any good? • The best test is the load or capacity test. • To perform this test you must measure battery volts and amps

  45. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • #1 hook up the test leads • #2 look up the capacity of the battery... • ...that should be placed in that vehicle • It will be in Cold Cranking Amps… • ...or in Amp Hours

  46. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • #3 Place a load (high drain) on the battery • the load should be ½ the Cold Cranking Amp rating • ...or three times the Amp Hour Rating of the battery • ...look it up to be sure

  47. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • #4 Watch the voltage of the battery. • It should not go below 9.6 volts within 15 seconds • do not load the battery longer than 15 seconds. • A strong battery will maintain 10 volts.

  48. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • #5 If battery barely passes or fails the test… • ...leave everything off for 5 minutes or longer. • Recheck the open circuit voltage, • if it is under 12.5 volts recharge and test again.

  49. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • If the battery recovers up to 12.6 volts… • ...and it barely passed the load test… • It is O.K., but close to the end of it’s service life • …Recommend replacement if in a cold climate.

  50. Load Testing orBattery Capacity Testing • If the battery recovered to 12.6 volts… • ... but dropped below 9.6 volts during the load test • Recommend a new battery

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