Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Tomcat- Like JohnMD says- they may have to be replaced. If the battery plates have been exposed they can be permanently damaged. (You should check the electrolyte level on wet cell batteries regularly, depending on usage and type of charger and length of recharge. (it can be complex) When fishing daily - check at least once a week.
Overcharging is the culprit. Charger has unregulated output voltage or unregulated charging time ( this is why high $$$ chargerrs are worth the price) or lastly operator headspace ( you need to limit the recharge time and check the electrolyte levels periodically). A typical TM battery should be fully recharged in ~24Hrs (if fully discharged) _
However, there may be some hope- perhaps your recharge period and charging voltage after you added the water may not be long enough or high enough to fully recharge the batteries & re-mix the water and electrolyte.
It also may be your charger -> Some chargers don't have an equalize mode (what you need to fix this type of probelm) In equalize mode the battery chargering voltage is higher than the normal charging. Some chargers have timers for equalize based on standard practice ( typically 24-48 hrs). Equalize voltage for a 12 V wet cell battery is ~14.4V (depending on the battery manufacturer).
You may need to put them through multiple equalize cycles. I would recommend you try three 24 hr equalize cycles- if your charger can produce 14.4V ( A lot of off-the-shelf chargers only produce ~13.8V). You will also need something to discharge them between the cycles (something to use as a 12V loasd. Check the electrolyte level after each cycle.
Equalize for ~ 24 hrs->
check electrolyte- be carefull -> do not create any sparks or lite a cigarrette or other smokable material near a battery that has been equalized.
Discharge for ~ 1hr (time depends on the load) you should probably discharge at least 25% of the amp/hr or reserve capacity. Easiest is to use a digital voltmeter ( (radio shack- great for trouble shooting other boat & truck/trailer electrical problems )Discharge to ~ 11.8 to 12VDC
Repeat this process two more times. At this point I don't think you have much to lose by giving it a try.
Good luck.
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 12/13/2004 8:38 AM
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