Battery Draining/Memory Followup

Pesty you might find you have sulfated batterys due to the low charge state.

If you want to borrow my Ctek you can try to desulfated them with the recon mode.

Or drop them in and I'll do it for you.

Regards Richard

G'day there Steve,

Haven't heard of lead acid batteries retaining a memory like NiCad batteries are infamous for.

Have copied an excerpt from the Winsun site which may have relevance for you.

"Gelled batteries, or "Gel Cells" contain acid that has been "gelled" by the addition of Silica Gel, turning the acid into a solid mass that looks like gooey Jell-O. The advantage of these batteries is that it is impossible to spill acid even if they are broken. However, there are several disadvantages. One is that they must be charged at a slower rate (C/20) to prevent excess gas from damaging the cells. They cannot be fast charged on a conventional automotive charger or they may be permanently damaged. This is not usually a problem with solar electric systems, but if an auxiliary generator or inverter bulk charger is used, current must be limited to the manufacturers specifications. Most better inverters commonly used in solar electric systems can be set to limit charging current to the batteries.

Some other disadvantages of gel cells is that they must be charged at a lower voltage (2/10th's less) than flooded or AGM batteries. If overcharged, voids can develop in the gel which will never heal, causing a loss in battery capacity. In hot climates, water loss can be enough over 2-4 years to cause premature battery death. It is for this and other reasons that we no longer sell any of the gelled cells except for replacement use. The newer AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries have all the advantages (and then some) of gelled, with none of the disadvantages."

On the other hand, if your "dud" alternator was under charging the batteries, they may have become sulfated with the result that they would not obtain or hold a sufficient charge.

Perhaps one way of checking the old "cruiser" batteries is to have them load tested?

Bill.

Quote: "Any other ideas will be appreciated"......

Here's my idea: BUY A NISSAN !!!!!!!

Come on a trip with Moi' old son and batteries, alternators will be the least of your problems,

Pesty,
You must have a memory like an elephant :-)

Your problem is the type of battery (sealed lead acid calcium batterys). They are newer technology that get hopelessly undercharged in older vehicles. The only way you'll get them up to charge is with a charger that has a Ca-Ca mode. Redarc make a charger just for this purpose. link
If you're interested, look at the different charging algorithms on this link.

I'd see if a Ctek can bring them back to life, and see how they go in your camper. I personally only ever use conventional wet cell lead acid batteries under the bonnet.

Cheers
Phil