Battery maintenance and issues.

[Strouty]

Friday I was charging a battery from my truck. It had been sitting since October and was dead flat. I first tried to jump with booster pack and it did not do much, (one battery for a diesel), so I thought I would charge it up. I removed the battery since the truck was in the back forty. I figured I would charge it for 30 minutes on the 10 amp cycle, then hook the trickle charger up to it. Saturday it was not fully charged, like the trickle charger had done nothing. So I charged it on 40 amps for 15 minutes, then 10 for 30 minutes. After that I hooked up the trickle charger again. This morning, it was still not charged, but had leaked lead out of the caps. All of this had made me think, boy I wish I had a spill kit for acid. All I could do is dilute it with water and clean it up. I also thought, how nice it would have been if I had removed the battery before winter set in. So...... what would you include in a spill kit? Also looking at one of these CTEK 7002 charger maintainers.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRLO9Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have to Battery Tenders, but they do not have a desulphation mode. Is $100 the going price for these or does anyone know of a better deal.

 

[Steinmetz]

Friday I was charging a battery from my truck. It had been sitting since October and was dead flat. I first tried to jump with booster pack and it did not do much, (one battery for a diesel), so I thought I would charge it up. I removed the battery since the truck was in the back forty. I figured I would charge it for 30 minutes on the 10 amp cycle, then hook the trickle charger up to it. Saturday it was not fully charged, like the trickle charger had done nothing. So I charged it on 40 amps for 15 minutes, then 10 for 30 minutes. After that I hooked up the trickle charger again. This morning, it was still not charged, but had leaked lead out of the caps. All of this had made me think, boy I wish I had a spill kit for acid. All I could do is dilute it with water and clean it up. I also thought, how nice it would have been if I had removed the battery before winter set in. So...... what would you include in a spill kit? Also looking at one of these CTEK 7002 charger maintainers.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRLO9Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have to Battery Tenders, but they do not have a desulphation mode. Is $100 the going price for these or does anyone know of a better deal.

Sodium Bicarbonate ("Arm and Hammer") will neutralize the leaked acid. The battery may have gone to heaven.

 

[Strouty]

Sodium Bicarbonate ("Arm and Hammer") will neutralize the leaked acid. The battery may have gone to heaven.

My list so far:

Baking Soda
Gloves
Goggles
Water
Absorbing mats


Can anyone add anything else?

 

[RECox286]

If the battery was discharged, and it probably was, and the liquid inside froze at any

time, then consider the battery to be toast. If you will not be using a vehicle during

the winter, then either remove the battery to a warm place, or make some provisions

to keep it charged, like with a floating charge trickle charger.

Uncle Bob