My AGM has left me :(

I'm barely a day over 21!

Mike ,and pigs fly , must be some reason though for the failure ,manufacturing fault ? dropped heavily ? nah ,somthings just up and die for no reason.

No, they just book you for exceeding the speed limit by 10 km/h.

If the battery was 100 years old maybe....otherwise extremely unlikely.

Google, amongst others, are your friend:

Check this site

Andrew

Maybe both Mike and I should have looked at google to start with.

Thanks for the tip

great to see a forumite who doesn't go crazy when they are corrected by someone who probably has just as much knowledge as the poster ;-) Thanks......

Andrew

The concrete floor theory is a misnoma, it won't hurt an AGM battery. That theory has been around for a long time but apparently not true.

. . . not only a forumite, but a forumite on an electrical topic :-)

Are the planets aligning ????

oh, must be another friday funny :-)

Andrew

Hey, I prefer to be corrected as I hate being told I'm right when I'm obviously incorrect. After all I'm only a chippie that hates electrics.

>The reason is usually apparent

So on those occasions when it isn't... I guess the item failed... for "no apparent reason" do you think? :)

Mike Harding

Would that not simply suggest that the investigation was not vigerous or through enough ? :)

Not unless you believe that our current state of knowledge is total and complete.

To do otherwise is to suggest that science can not explain everything ? How quaint. Surely we are able to explain within the limitations of present knowledge , rather than say "well there ya go" ?
Or are you suggesting that science can only tell us how, rather than why ?

Mr Last Word Man :)

You keep saying that Mike :)

Sounds like a job for CSI

Yep, the truth is out there, Scully. (But which one ? :)))

"You keep saying that Mike :) "

He said it because it's true.

I can just picture you as a schoolboy. Poking his tongue out and going "NAH NAH NAH". Then running away.

Jimbo, how do you manage to be so wrong all the time ? It defies explanation !
I've never run away from anyone in my life. Certainly not from people who decide when they see a discussion not going their way.
If you want to play old son, learn the game.

Statement confirmed.

Your turn now, ROFLMAO, at you, not with you, that is.

Perhaps if you'd try English ?

Yea, i was wondering about the high country meself, most of the good bits are closed

Battery: Yep, "one of those things" I guess - sometimes things just fail.

High Country: well.. Low High Country :) I was gold prospecting up there so if I told you where I went I'd have kill you - and that would give me such bad press on this forum... I'd better not :)

Mike Harding

Hi Mike

Do you pan or have a metal detector? Is there much gold left up there?

Hope your weekend was successful

Ads

Hi Ads

Bit of both, although at this time of year the water is far too cold for panning - at least for wimps like me :)

No, there is no gold at all left up there :)

Mike Harding

Hahahaha

Its ok, I am too lazy to even try hahaha

Yeh Bruce, my Aux Extreme has died too at almost 3 years old.
Seems unfair really considering it has only been used for camping 5 or 6 times in that period.

Do ya think the fact that I let it get a bit dry could have done anything?
I topped it up again and charged it up and it lasted for hours then died again......maintenance, maintenance, maintenance hey i can spell it at least

I reckon your almost on the money there.

Why dont maintanance free batteries run dry?

Exide is short for Expired

What's going on......the 2 most respected batteries on the forum, the Exide Extreme & the AGM both failing prematurely........what will we buy next ??????
Cheers Craig....... ;-)

"Do ya think the fact that I let it get a bit dry could have done anything? "
- that will kill them quickly.

I'm wondering if the Exide Extreme is a Calcium-Calcium Battery - I've had a brand new one float charging at 15.1 volts (yes, double-checked the voltage) for four days and there is no bubbling. It's drawing 150mA.

Hello, World........................

Had an Exide Extreme in my Troopy from new [purchased battery Aug '02] functioned OK until Oct last year when I accidently flattened it running an Engels 40ltr for two days and nights at Vrilya Point on the Western Cape .............. my fault due to ignorance of current draw ? Anyway, charged it with the help of a Good Samaritan from Port Douglas who was also there for a couple of weeks. Charged up OK and was careful with usage from then on, but ...........

On the way home had a major transmission breakdown due to corrugations and ended up being trucked back to Weipa, on a tilt tray truck. Yet another Good Samaritan !!!!
Howsome-ever, as they winched the Troopy on backwards, they used my headlights as tail-lights for the trip back [at night, obviously! as their lights had also crapped out on the ghastly corrugations] and really flattened the battery, alledgedly defuncting it and thusly requiring me to get a new one.....

But, I kept the old battery and have been keeping it charged in the garage .........
used it for several days camping at Boyd Bay out of Weipa running the same Engels, direct of the battery this time AND recharging it with the GMC 850 Generator ...................
unbelievably, the Generator performed perfectly and the Exide ran the FREEZER faultlessly .................

as an ex-RAN sailor .......... was frequently kissed by Chinese and to this I owe
my EXTREMELy good luck, with battery and generator........
got very few sodding fish but, hey ....I'm still way in front !!!!!!!!!

Ok Willem,
You are a very experienced camper/ traveller. What Auxilliary battery do you have?
And Why?

Hi Wayne

I run 2 x Century Overlander High Performance 700cca batteries now 2 years of age. I run them through a simple solenoid with a dash switch.

Prior to that I ran 2 x Yuasa Overlander (now taken over by Century) batteries in other vehicles and one lasted 6 years and the other 7 years.

Hopefully these two will give good service as well.

Why? Because of the rugged build and 17 plates inside. The aux batt only runs the fridge and other stuff like small battery chargers, laptop, MP3, GPS etc. I have the winch hooked up to the main battery.

So does mine Jimbo but I was referring to my Absorbed Glass Mat battery!

Mike Harding :)

LOL.

I was referring to "Lifeline" brand AGM. I have a 100 amp that is a bit over two years old.

Your's must have been another brand?

Hi Marty

I'm familiar with things electric and ensured I raised it according to the way it's parents would have wished :)

Just a random failure - it happens....

Mike Harding

Nope, maintained it according to the spec John.

So how dod you usually maintain them to charge? Trickle weekly?

A top up every month or so. The data sheet calls for a maintainence charge every six months - AGMs are pretty good in that respect.

Mike Harding

What is it likely to drop to in volts between charges Mike? I know you tend to know your stuff but I don't know it has been said above.

I don't really know John but given it's fully charged voltage is about 12V7 and that the data sheet only calls for a maintenance charge every six months (_providing_ the battery is stored at around 20 deg. C - a point to be aware of in Oz) I would be surprised if it would self discharge to below 12V or, probably, more.

Even after a few days of float charge and then a full three stage charge, once it settles mine is only showing about 11V5 so it looks like one cell is partially shorted :(

I'll try a deep discharge on it and see if that does any good but I suspect I may have more chance of reviving it by performing my rendition of The Pirates of Penzance on a mouth organ to it :)

Mike Harding

Have some equipment coming soon that has some AGM batteries and the information sheet talks about a monthly maintenance so thought I would leave it plugged to a charger that went every week for an hour or so. The information talks about the fatal level and all the monitoring gear stops it falling below 11.5 volts even disconnecting useage.

Why would AGM batteries not lose charge as others do?

The ideal state for a battery is to be left on "float charge" which, for most lead acids, is about 13V8. Your once a week charge should be OK providing it ensures the battery is fully charged. It sounds as if your equipment supplier is being over cautious about his AGMs (fair enough), they will certainly stand being dischared to below 11V5 but to obtain maximum life from the battery the less they are discharged the better.

>Why would AGM batteries not lose charge as others do?

Something to do with the battery chemistry which is a field I know, a little less than, nothing about :)

Mike Harding

"reviving it by performing my rendition of The Pirates of Penzance on a mouth organ to it"

If that method gets out it is going to add a new horror to camping near other people.

Thanks Mike!

Pete

Apparently the fatal voltage is about 10.5 volts and they want to protect the batteries and their warranty values.

They require if trailed to have 14.0 volts emitted from the towing vehicle and nothing below suffices to give adequate charge.

Like Pete, I hope that your vmouth organ is adequate for Pirates on Penzance or I won't camp near. LOL Noise travels at night too.

>Apparently the fatal voltage is about 10.5 volts and they
>want to protect the batteries and their warranty values.

They're still being a bit on the cautious side (reasonably so), even at 10V5 an AGM won't suddenly keel over and die, The data sheet for mine has data for a discharge curve going down to 9V6 but you wouldn't want to take it down that low too often. AGMs are better in this regard than other lead acid technologies.

Certainly my rule of thumb is never to discharge any lead acid below 10V5 and I usually try to recharge them well before they hit 11V

As for my musical talents... I can tell when I'm not wanted :( I shall practice alone in remote bush and deny you the pleasure of listening - serves you both right! :)

Mike Harding

PS. Talking of things battery; this thread reminded me of an old “trick” those of you with children who have a scientific mind (or maybe not?) may like to show them – how to make a battery from a lemon (or potato or yam or…?)

Site Link

I don’t think you’ll be able to do a jump start from it though :)

Now… where’s that sheet music…?

Hi, Mike...............

Thanks for that Lemon Battery Site Link ................
have been after that for yonks............. now can keep the grandkids occupied on something productive, instead of the infernal Wiggles DVD's !!

"I don’t think you’ll be able to do a jump start from it though"

Slow down a bit Mike. Don't reject anything that is possible that may get someone out of a jam.

Now from the link above 1 Lemon = .905 Volts, current not determined.

Therefore 14 lemons in series = 12.7 Volts.

One set of 4 series connected lemons lit up a LED. Assuming it was a 12V LED which generally draw around 15 to 18 mA we would need 55 x 14 lemon cells wired in parallel to produce 1 Amp. If you have a petrol engine in good tune you may only need say 200 Amps to spin the motor.

So that is 11,000 x 14 lemon cells or a total of 154,000 lemons, about 1.5 tonnes of galvanised nails and $308 in 2 cent coins (at face value) and lots of wire.

It should work, but you had better break down in a citrus farm!

Cheers

Peter