Battery Charging Indications

[Dan Hunter]

I don't understand electricity too well and my battery charger mystifies me. Was that a redundant statement?

Anyway, what indications should one see when trickle charging a battery? What would a health though discharged battery look indicate? What would the indication be when it's done? What would the indication of an unhealthy battery be?

 

[JohnnyT]

I think if you pop the top off the battery and charge it and you see lots of bubbles then it is bad or going bad... The bubbles are hydrogen and are very explosive in high saturation so don't charge it too long with a ton of bubbles or it could explode when you make any ignition source. I am terrible with this stuff though and am by no means an expert...

 

[Matt Bachand]

ON my batt charger the more the batt is drained the MORE amps the charger puts out. As the batts top off, the amps drop down from 8 gradually to about 1 amp.

Not sure if that helps.

If you want to test the battery, either bring it to parts store all charged up and have them load test it. Or load test it yourself with a load tester. Harbor frieght sells em for about 20 bux.

 

[JMJNet]

The best way to check for unhealthy battery is to do a load test.

As far as charger goes, it usually comes with User's Manual. Everything is different.
If you cannot find the manual anymore, go to the web for your charger and find the manual there. If all else failed, put it the model number on Google.

 

[JiFaire]

The bubbles are a good thing... and yes, they're Hydrogen gas, so be careful not to ignite them - batteries blow up like grenades. Don't ask me how I know that.

Your battery contains Lead, Lead Oxide, and sulfuric acid. As it discharges, the lead plates pick up sulphate from the acid, leaving water. A fully-discharged battery then, has no acid left, only water (that's why they freeze!) When you put electricity back in, you reverse that reaction... the lead sulphate turns back into lead and sulphate, and the sulphate mixes with the water to become sulphuric acid and hydrogen gas. Do this enough times in a conventional battery and the water level drops and the plates, exposed to air, become inert and won't work any more.

A load tester puts a load on the battery to simulate full use... a bad battery will crash under the load and the remaining active plates will discharge really fast.

Good article: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/battery1.htm

 

[Dan Hunter]

I re-cleaned the terminals. Initial inspection was good but not perfectly clean nor tight.

I put it on the charger a few hours ago and it started at 7 amps and is still pulling a bit over 5.

I used a set of jumper cables across both batteries to attempt to verify crossover continuity and didn't see anything.

I purchased the pair from the Chevy dealership in town and I'm maybe two years into a 6 year warranty so they're probably going to see it this week.

I'm going to the ranch anyway with a set of jumper cables. I'll park at the front gate with the front end pointed out and if it doesn't start, I'll solicit the kindness of a stranger.

 

[WarWagon]

What kind of issues are you having?

Do you store the truck for a long time?

You may need to clean the grounds on your truck. If you are having battery problems I suggest you get some AGM batteries like Optima. Even a top of the line Sears battery is 100x better than a *expletive deleted* AC Delco battery. The AC Delco's don't last from the factory as it is! Yes, walk away from any warranty the Delco's have because it isn't worth the frustration of changing them every 2 years, starter brownout from bad bats etc.

Then we point out the AC Delco's are known to leak from the posts. Acid damage is mess and expensive to fix.

 

[Dan Hunter]

Back to healthy. I had a cab light on and I do think my grounds and positive connections contributed. Funny, I check these at oil changes and I'm doing one this week.

 

[Ed HD]

War Wagon, FWIW, the AC Delco Battery in our 02 Suburban just crapped out this January after 7.5 years of hard use. I put in an Interstate.

Still on the originals in our 05 Duramax, too.

 

[GM Guy]

buddy changed the original Delco in his 99 S10 in 2006 or 2007, cant remember.

 

[fastjohnny]

Had 2 original batts on an 02 DMAX still good, but had to change 11/09 due to terminals corroding off.

I've consistently had good history with using JCI batts from Sam's. $65/each/last time I bought a set.

 

[Dan Hunter]

I started having the same problem again. She wouldn't start and the voltage indication was bizarre.

I charged the batteries and pulled the alternator. NAPA had ordered me a unit overnight out of OKC so I went in with the old alternator in hand so if it tested bad, I wouldn't have to bother with the core charge.

I got to NAPA and pulled the new one out of the box. I output stud was very crooked. I had them test both. Neither worked. I'm waiting now until Tuesday to get another one shipped out of OKC. I told them to test that one and call me if it passes.

Small towns make it hard to keep an old truck on the road.

 

[WarWagon]

These alternators are known for cooking their electronics. Brushes never wear out. But a low battery will cook these alternators for sure.

As to battery life. My 08 Duramax made it 88K and not even 1.5 years on the AC Delco. Not even 2 years on the other Delco on my other purchased new ride. I have had 2 of them leak and ruin the battery pan paint that the dealer forgets to fix under warranty. Heat kills them here and when I wasn't in the heat they failed by leaking.

Lastly, the Elk vs 1993 pickup put the Turbo Master through one of my Optima batteries. I have no acid damage and the truck still started. I can't get to the cables to disconnect it yet without a saws-all. A regular battery would have destroyed the TM and everything under it leaking like crazy.