Batteries

[kenmac]

What is it with batteries these days ? Many yrs ago, a battery going bad would turn the engine over just enough to start it. Now, when they go, they seem to just go all at once.
I sometimes wonder if the battery companies have a switch to kill a battery when the time is out ..
Yanmar started fine yesterday. This am, it's a no go.
I look on the battery and it's stamped 9/13. it's a 4 yr battery.
They knew when the 4 yrs were up. They flipped the switch and turned my battery off !

Yanmar now has a fresh new battery. My bet is it will be turned off in 4 yrs ! LOL

 

[FleetMan]

Did you clean the battery posts and cable ends before replacing the battery? Mine died a few years back with no warning, I tried everything I could think of before finally cleaning the connections. Wa La, it started right up. I have had to clean those connections al least once since then. The fine layer of corrosion is not readily visible but it was enough to inhibit a decent electrical connection. The ground or negative post was the culprit both times.

 

[Neat 1500]

They do tend to do that, the Optima that's in my Yannie is 13 years old and still going. The one in my YM14 is about 8 and still going too (wet cell supercharge). I've probably now put the moz on them both.....

 

[kenmac]

This is the 2nd battery I have put in this yanmar. After the original went, I installed one from carquest auto parts. When It went bad, It really went. It exploded ! I replaced it with a deep cycle. Now this one

About the connections.Yes, I keep them clean. One would never find any corrosion on any of my batteries.

this one was so dead, My 200 amp jump starter wouldn't make it budge ! LOL

 

[the old grind]

Deep Cycle? Most are not rated as 'cranking' batteries. RV and Marine batteries may be both. All 'wet' batteries will self-discharge over time, and SLA/AGM/Gel do at the lowest rate. They will also dry out over time, but some can be topped up with water and charge if you can pry open glued or welded access plugs/caps.

Time spent below full charge ages all 'wet' batteries, why the more frequently used (car truck) batteries last the longest and mower, blower, motorbike, and boat batteries die soonest w/o a regimen of topping up during off-seasons.

Worst case I know is a neighbor that, when a vehicle won't start, declares "I'll fix that this weekend". A mistake is walking away from a near-dead condition and then waiting days while lead sulfate accrues within. Batteries don't need topped up just before you use them as much as they needed it when stored/parked. Some have a shorted cell and can't be recovered, but some can be brought back to say 50-70% of what they once were.

I did some looking (for the team) and condensed good advice from British and Gold Wing groups online. I tried, and agree, that Battery MINDer, and Accumate will indeed help desulfate batteries. Trick is that the charging cycle 'patterns' end with a 'float' charge (self regulating). Simple solution is to disconnect/restart the maintainer/desulfater several times. We're watching for the 'charged light' on the worst batts, then allowing to 'soak' o'nite before reconnecting. t o g

 

[clemsonfor]

I had I think a power start battery (looked them up and if that's the right name I just pored they were in Atlanta). It lasted 7 years. I got a $49 walmart battery thus time not sure how the cheap one will last but past walmart batteries I have had lasted 7 or 8 years. I do keep one of those harbor freight solar trickle chargers on it.

 

[void777]

the old grind
Like you I use a battery minder got 2 from northern tool $ 5.00 ea on sale keep it hooked up to the tractor works great.

 

[Thomas]

Like a lot things today they offer good and cheaper have to read closely.

 

[fried1765]

the old grind
Like you I use a battery minder got 2 from northern tool $ 5.00 ea on sale keep it hooked up to the tractor works great.

2 "Battery Minders" from Northern Tool @ $5.00 each?
Maybe some sort of trickle chargers, but the "Battery Minder" brand?
Really?

 

[kenmac]

I had I think a power start battery (looked them up and if that's the right name I just pored they were in Atlanta). It lasted 7 years. I got a $49 walmart battery thus time not sure how the cheap one will last but past walmart batteries I have had lasted 7 or 8 years. I do keep one of those harbor freight solar trickle chargers on it.

$49.00 battery ? LOL I couldn't find one that cheap at walmart. I bought 750 cca @ walmart and paid about $125.00 for it