Battery drain

[rawsondsr]

i have a power drain somewhere, voltage on battery showed 3.2 volts earlier, well and truly fubard.

How do i go about finding this drain?

[LandyManLuke]

Evening Dave,

Charge the battery, get a multimeter, configure the meter and leads for a 10A ammeter, put it in series with the battery, and start pulling fuses whilst noting what the current draw does.

If you have anything over maybe a couple hundred mA, which could easily be a stereo, clock etc, you need to remove fuses and hope it drops away, if not you'll need to investigate further.

If the current draw is less than the lower range on the meter, its worth changing it over, but its safer to start on the 10A range, assuming that's what your meter will have, most do.

[rawsondsr]

Ta Luke, New battery is getting ordered tomorrow.

I'll check the draw on the fuses tomorrow as well.

I seem to have a habit of killing batteries, i think in the two years ive owned the One ten ive gone through 4 batteries, one every 6 months! its an expensive habit!

[LandyManLuke]

A half decent charger will have a go at recovering dead batteries, obviously, they'll never be the same again, but I've had success with a few that have been taken down to a few volts, but have been useable after a few deep charge/discharge cycles, topped up water etc.

[rawsondsr]

I've had it on a battery reconditioner for a week now, brings it back up to normal voltage, 12-18 hours later, its back to 3. doubt deep discharge is covered by warranty either

[mickeyw]

I've had it on a battery reconditioner for a week now, brings it back up to normal voltage, 12-18 hours later, its back to 3. doubt deep discharge is covered by warranty either

I thought the Numax CVX batteries were leisure/deep cycle types. I would have thought your deep discharge was included in that description. As long as you are not using your batteries for competition use I would have a go claiming on the warranty.

I am using 2 of these rated for cranking and deep cycle. 3 year warranty it says!

[Mutley]

Obvious question I know (and I know nothing trust me! Ask Western ), I take it the alternator checks out ok?

And how slow/quick is the drain After you have recharged the battery is it hours, days, weeks?

If days/weeks would suggest the battery not get charged sufficiently by the motor, if hours then I would have thought the same as LandyManLuke and said clock, radio, interior light some thing along those lines.

Mutley

[rawsondsr]

i installed a battery cut off switch today to help.

battery is on charge.

battery goes from full charge to 3 in 12-24 hours. i will check all fuses one by one tomorrow, as for the alternator, I'll check tomorrow if the battery charges ok.

I shall report back later

[LandyManLuke]

I thought the Numax CVX batteries were leisure/deep cycle types. I would have thought your deep discharge was included in that description.

Taking a battery to 2-3v is not what deep cycle means!!!

[rawsondsr]

OK, so out i went at about 2 last night just to check up on the charge, and it was down to 0.8volts and i'd knocked the charger off, so reconnected it and left it. Popped out earlier, battery has a healthy voltage of 13.5 thereabouts, but then i noticed a whirring sound. I'd only gone and left my fridge running hadn't i!

So anyway, turned the key, zilch, then realised i'd forgotton about my cut off switch so flicked that over started it ion the first turn and its being charged at 14.3/4 volts which is good.

disconnected everything now and im just waiting to see how the battery has coped with this major discharge.

I've spoken to Tayna, who i bought the battery off, and this wont be covered by the warranty as the discharge voltage is outside its operating range.

AFAIK deep discharge only means down to about 11 volts or so.

SO we shall see how this turns out

[rawsondsr]

I've just found this table which is interesting.

State of Charge 12 Volt battery Volts per Cell

100% 12.7 2.12

90% 12.5 2.08

80% 12.42 2.07

70% 12.32 2.05

60% 12.20 2.03

50% 12.06 2.01

40% 11.9 1.98

30% 11.75 1.96

20% 11.58 1.93

10% 11.31 1.89

0 10.5 1.75

So you can see a 80% discharge is a battery voltage of around 11.58, Fully discharged is only 10.5, so i have been about 500% discharged

[rawsondsr]

36 hours later, voltage is 13.26 so it might still be alive and semi well

BTW whats the normal range for an 'at rest' battery? 12.5v to 14v or so?

[errol209]

36 hours later, voltage is 13.26 so it might still be alive and semi well

BTW whats the normal range for an 'at rest' battery? 12.5v to 14v or so?

A touch over 12V while "resting".

[Aragorn]

you posted it yourself a few posts back.

100% charged battery = 12.7v

50% = 12.06v

etc

13.12v suggests you've just taken it off charge. If you give it some time it should come down and settle to a lower value

[mickeyw]

So does this mean all the batteries you've knockewd out in the last few years have been due to the fridge having been left running?

[Bowie69]

Sounds like you want a VSS in there then, to stop you flattening the battery so much.

[mmgemini]

Have a look at this link

http://e.dominohosting.biz/dca/mpsdb01.nsf/Refrigeration01!OpenView&RestrictToCategory=ENGEL%20ACCESSORIES

Scroll down to the battery moniter. That will save your batteries.

[rawsondsr]

MickeyW: No, i only got the fridge a few months back. It was probably just a case of cheap carp batteries and lack of use.

13.12 volts now, soi reckon its still all-right Impressed with the battery for surviving this

RE the battery monitor, I'm looking into these as i think it would be wise! Or possibly a twin battery split charge system?

[Aragorn]

13.12v without the engine running?

I suspect your volt meters talking wee wee then!

TBH, i'd be seriously Mildly miffed off if a 6 month old battery DIDNT survive that. Ye, you'll have reduced its lifespan, but if its the first time its ever been flattened and its not ancient i would expect it continue being servicable afterwards.

You also need to remember that while you got it down to what appeared to be 3v, that was with a load applied. If you removed the load you'd find the battery would have likely recovered to 10 or 11v.