Batteries - Should be simple, never is.
 

Battery in my skid steer would not take a charge. Intestate.

Pulled it out, which was a royal PIA. Put charger on it again, zero current. I walk away to get a meter, come back, and it's charging.

Why would it not take a charge initially?

Paging Aurel ...

I think that some oxide layer may have needed breaking down.

Maybe put in a battery that isn't as vunerable to vibration/ breakage.

I would try an Interstate battery next time. :D

He's must be thinking about the other thread - http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1110426-unfortunate-choice-executor.html

^^^ I missed that one. I don't think I could ever be an executor.

Chargers in the last decade or so are all micro processor controlled with a bunch of safety nannies to protect you from yourself. If it is one of these models it may have had to ponder life for a while and decide if it trusts your intentions of good over evil.

If it is one of those lovely 0ld fangled transformers in a box types, just had to depassivate the plates a bit.

That stuff is funny right there...

My Land Rover independent mechanic and I had a discussion re: batteries last months when my wife's Interstate battery crapped out for the second time in 2 years. Yes, one new battery for each year. At $200ish each, I'm not laughing.

Anyway, they sell Interstate and Continental batteries. He said that Interstate has been having issues and a lot of batteries dying prematurely in the last couple of years. It seems to be a trend these days.

^^^ Have you ever tried Intestate batteries?

It could be that the electrodes were sulfated. Lead sulfate is insulating. Now, just because you could get the battery to charge doesn’t mean it will hold the charge…

IF this latest battery doesn't last maybe I will.

Yep. I have one of these in my rollaway. NOT a load tester, it measures milliamps of resistance between the posts. First fully charge the battery, then test. You tell it the CCA rating of your battery. It gives you an actual CCA reading, tells you the %age of efficiency..whether the battery is good or bad. It's very possible for a battery to read 12V on a multimeter and still be bad. There are youtube "how to videos" on this unit..

https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-automotive-battery-analyzer-66892.html

My fancy electronic charger will give a bad battery code when trying to revive some flat batteries. If I use the old school Century charger on it first on the highest amp setting and after an hour or two switch to the fancy electronic one I seem to get good results and the batteries seem to hold a charge well.

This. If the reading is off, the microprocessor will not recognize the battery. I had to go to Tractor Supply Company to buy a "dumb" charger to restore some batteries. Once they each had about 10% charge, I was able to get them back on the regular charger.

This was a nominal 48V system with eight 215 AH batteries. Someone switched the system to inverter battery mode and left it that way for a couple of weeks with nothing charging it.

The 'computerized' fancy charger didn't think a battery was connected. The 40 YO sears charger is supposedly charging it.

I guess I'm lucky to have my 35 year old Schumacher charger that still works fine.

Timely thread, I need to replace the battery in the Cayenne and apparently there's a new battery called an AGM. Supposed to last longer than lead acid. Anyone know anything about these?

AGM batteries generally last longer than standard lead acid batteries. Because of their low self-discharge rate, AGM batteries also last longer than their flooded counterparts when not in use. A well-maintained AGM can last up to 7 years, while flooded batteries typically last around 3-5 years.Jul 6, 2021

Absorbed Glass Matt...like used in optima batteries. Has been around for years. Totally sealed.

https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/36405/what-is-an-agm-battery#:~:text=An%20AGM%20battery%20is%20a%2012-volt%20car%20battery,%28or%20Material%29.%20How%20 Does%20an%20AGM%20Battery%20Work%3F

If fancy charger isn't charging or throws code on your half dead battery, hook up another good battery to it along with the one that needs charging. The charger will recognize the good battery and starts charging them both.

No more Optima for me. What a POS. I have had good luck with Exide AGM battery on my 4 runner. It lasted 7 years so far but its seems to be getting weak. I am sure it is made by one of the large battery mfgs?

I stopped messing with car batteries years ago. In good faith I bought a yellow top Optima battery but it failed in less than 12 months and the manufacturer wouldn't honour the warranty because I had a high powered stereo in my car. :rolleyes:

So now I only use "standard" batteries and replace them as needed. You could try adding rejuvenation etc. but IME it's best just to bite the bullet and buy a new one.

I use this to test car batteries... If it fails the test it gets replaced.
- Search for "Solar B47" on Google.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642047660.jpg

and Kent's excellent video on how to use one.

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