battery drop tester

[aidank]

got a small problem on our shovel, with 2x 12V batteries to give a 24V start. It appears to be consuming water more quickly than it should be

every 6weeks you need to top it up and if you don't it won't charge

got caught last thursday wouldn't start, so after jumping it put in water wouldn't start either Friday after running for 3hrs thursday but fine Saturday and sunday

all appears fine with alternator as with machine switched on batteris are reading 14V and when switched off multimeter is reading 12.5V, down to maybe 12.2V in the morning

never heard of a batteries going through water in 6weeks, water doesn't appear to be leaking as can't see anything on the ground

any ideas?


was also looking at drop testers on the net so that I can test the batteries

whats the difference between this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-BT91-7...tZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item2c53a42e1b

and http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12V-DIGITAL-B...tZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item27b046a294

and the good old traditioinal machine http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-TOOLS-...tZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item45efa156fe

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Brand......
That is a battery load tester....

 

[jvitez]

Don't buy one of those hand held load testers unless you're only testing very small batteries, like on a motorbike. The main reason batteries consume water is overcharging. You probably have a voltage regulator problem on the machine.

Remove both batteries. Clean them up with baking soda and rinse. Fill up each cell with distilled water. Buy a battery hygrometer and test each cell. If one or more is out of spec, you need new batteries. If they test OK, then you need to load test.

To load test a battery you need to use 50% of its Cold Cranking Amps rating for 15 seconds, then read the voltage. Those hand held testers are 100 amps, so can only test 200 CCA batteries which should be way less than your machine. A proper carbon pile battery tester is the old fashioned but still relatively cheap method of testing. I bought one at Princess Auto, a discount industrial chain of stores here, kind of like Harbor Freight Tools in the US. Not sure what you've got available in Eire.

 

[sberry]

I bought a load tester from HF, works great. I agree, probably needs a V regulator, has old mechanical one? Put meter on it while its running.

 

[caper]

+1 on the overcharging making the water boil off.Your batteries may be toast now after the repeated cycling.I'd get a reading on the charging when it's running at operating speed,not just at idle.It may be fine at idle but when you rev it up and work it all day it may be overcharging.

 

[Teken]

all appears fine with alternator as with machine switched on batteris are reading 14V and when switched off multimeter is reading 12.5V, down to maybe 12.2V in the morning[/url]

The S.L.I. battery must maintain a *minimum* VDC of 12.6 to 12.8, taking extreme temperatures into account.

Anything below what you have stated (12.2) VDC is a toasted battery. It will not hold a charge anymore, based on your previous written comments.

If you intend to keep this battery and limp it through. I would suggest that you refill the cells as suggested by the other GJ members, but also place a trickle charger on it for the next 72 hours to help stabilize the battery.

After that is done, remove the trickle charger, wait eight hours, and measure the voltage. If the SLI battery cannot hold and maintain a rock steady 12.8 VDC with nothing attached, that is the true indicator that the battery is toast.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[aidank]

must try measuring the alternator current, what current should I be getting after 10mins, with lights etc off, the shovel is a 24V system

the shovel is a volvo L30 this is the machine
http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/9A37CA0B-A21C-40D4-8984-69693D279793/0/VBM_L30_213_18099210.pdf

this is the electrical specification

voltage 24V
battery 2X12V
battery capacity 2x90AH
cranking capacity 2x380
reserve capacity 2x65
alternator rating 1260watt 45amp
starter motor output 4kW 5.3hp

 

[dieseltech]

it should be 28v+-1v

 

[larry_g]

This is something that I don't mess around with. I believe that bad batteries are the biggest killer of alternators. If fighting with batteries at or beyond warranty replace them and hopefully save the alternator.

lg
no neat sig line