Cooked Battery (1 Viewer)

Rob e Lee

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Apr 16, 2012
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Just been in Motorhome to check everything is OK when I noticed a smell of 'rotten eggs' and immediately suspected Leisure Battery and sure enough I was right!
I always leave Motorhome connected to mains hook up at home and I assume charger - Trickle Charges. Is it possible to overcharge doing this? I recently checked fluid levels in battery and all seemed ok - I should say that my second Leisure Battery failed about 6 months ago and I have just been using 1 x single since. Both batteries were/are the same age three and a half years old.

Any info as to how to check charger would be helpful,

Thanks,

Rob
 
May 16, 2010
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Have you got access to an ammeter?.....put that in line with the pos battery lead and see what the reading is....if its a trickle charge it should be roughly 1 amp or less...
 
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Rob e Lee

Rob e Lee

Free Member
Apr 16, 2012
452
575
Surrey
Funster No
20,598
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 2011
Have you got access to an ammeter?.....put that in line with the pos battery lead and see what the reading is....if its a trickle charge it should be roughly 1 amp or less...

Thanks for quick reply. I have and I will check it out tomorrow.

Rob

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May 16, 2010
3,213
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North Hykeham
Funster No
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Custom
Exp
much more now
Thanks for quick reply. I have and I will check it out tomorrow.

Rob
remember you have to take the lead off the battery and connect one lead to the battery lead and the other to the battery post....(in series) otherwise you get no reading....and if you get a neg reading just swap the leads over
 

cmcardle75

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Have you got access to an ammeter?.....put that in line with the pos battery lead and see what the reading is....if its a trickle charge it should be roughly 1 amp or less...

It would be safer to measure voltage if not used to using electronic test gear. With the charger on, the voltage should be between 12.6V and 13.7V. If over, the charger may not be smart enough to be left connected. This assumes the battery is definitely fully charged.
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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if one failed six months ago and this one is now overcharging i would definately be looking at the charger.

Unless, of course, both batteries are coming to the end of useful life

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RandallC

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Aug 4, 2012
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Agree, best to use a voltmeter.

Standard lead acid cell float voltage is 2.25 volts DC. 12volt battery has 6 cells therefore normal float voltage is 13.5 volts.

Normally the cell voltage should not normally exceed 2.45 volts per cell = 14.7

Charge voltages can depend on the type of charger used and how sophisticated. Simple ones will only provide a fixed voltage that may appear to rise as the battery charges up and the current drawn reduces. Smart ones have a voltage profile programmed in so that the charge function is optimised.

Have a look at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead–acid_battery
 

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