Popular mythconceptions

[sixdogs]

I dunno, I remember seeing a lot of rotted out battery trays in cars back in the 60s. Of course with the amount of salt they put on roads here, the cars themselves didn't last more than 5-6 years back then either.

How true. I worked in a garage in the 1960's and battery trays, supports and hold downs were all rotted to crap. Batteries leaked all over and since the bottoms of the trays were rotted I'll say the bottoms leaked as well. Fairly new cars had battery leakage. So, any time you went near a battery you had to be extra careful or you would have acid holes through the clothes. What a mess. It's those memories that have me use Optima batteries in my tractors and trucks today.

 

[/pine]

If left unconnected all lead acid batteries will lose up to 1% of their charge per day...it doesn't matter where or on what the battery is sitting...
Once a l/a battery loses 50% of it's charge it has likely suffered some permanent damage and even if it was new it will not take or hold as full of a charge it did before the 50% loss...

The misconception is sitting on the concrete or the ground...it does not matter...if left for a long enough period even a brand new battery fully charged will be ruined over time...

 

[tallyho8]

Since we diverted this thread to battery info, I have a question. If I put a battery tender on a fairly new battery for a month no corrosion forms on the battery clamps. But if I put an almost worn out battery on the tender for a month the clamps will be covered with corrosion. Why the difference?

 

[Industrial Toys]

I just speculate that with thousands of temperature variations and vibration, the battery plastic and become un-adhered to the posts causing slight leakage.

 

[turnkey4099]

I used to do a lot of deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico...it wasn't uncommon on extended trips to get caught in blows that made it too rough to run in so we would have to ride it out on the hook...
...It is really something that has to be experienced first hand to see but when the boat would ride up on a massive swell...the one inch braided nylon rope would stretch so tight it was no bigger than about 3/8"... chaffing blocks had to be constantly monitored...

wild times...

I was on a ICBM monitoring ship that was tying up to the dock in Alaska. Standing right abobove the anchor exit. The Hawser line shrank down from about 5" to half that size. I decided the other side of the ship probably had more interesting things to look at.

 

[Jstpssng]

IF old rubber battery cases were so porous that they actually seeped acid and/or allowed current to flow, then explain to me how they were able to sit on their steel battery tray's in their automobiles? Sure must have gone thru a lot of batteries and battery trays. Personally I think this IS and always WAS Bravo Sierra (BS). As in total BS.

That wasn't the problem. As I pointed out already in this thread, the problem was moisture working it's way up through and ruining the battery.

From this site...Battery 101: Do Cement Floors Ruin Car Batteries? | Northeast Battery

Early Car Batteries

If we take a look back at some of the earliest car batteries we will find that they were lead-acid batteries that had glass cells all encased in a wooden box. This means that if they were left on concrete or cement floors, the moisture from the floor could cause the wooden box to wrap, allowing the glass cells to shift and break.

Of course, the battery acid would leak all over the floor and the battery would be rendered useless. Not great.

Evolution

As the construction of the car battery evolved into a nickel-iron battery encased in steel, and then even further with a hard rubber casing, the issue of breaking glass went away but not the problem with discharging or "leaking."

The rubber was porous and often contained carbon. The battery shell would take on the moisture of the floor, as with the wooden encasement, creating an electrical current between the battery cells causing them to discharge. Still not great.

 

[k0ua]

I just speculate that with thousands of temperature variations and vibration, the battery plastic and become un-adhered to the posts causing slight leakage.

I could buy into that theory. It makes sense to me.

 

[k0ua]

That wasn't the problem. As I pointed out already in this thread, the problem was moisture working it's way up through and ruining the battery.

From this site...Battery 101: Do Cement Floors Ruin Car Batteries? | Northeast Battery

Well now hang on... I thought the problem was the old hard rubber cases, not these wooden box glass cells that are so far back in antiquity not one of us alive have ever seen one. I certainly remember the rubber cased batteries before our polymers became generally available.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
You just can't give up, can you? According to my link/quote they both caused problems. Also, even a modern battery will leach if there's enough dirt and grime on it, and the moist environment which many concrete floors provide will enhance that.

 

[dragoneggs]

I was on a ICBM monitoring a ship that was tying up to the dock in Alaska.

I added just one letter and made your trip even more exciting.