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Interstate battery crapped out

SnowDrift

SnowDrift

Ultra Conservative. ULTRA!
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I went out to start my little truck yesterday and I noticed the 4wd selector lights flickering at me, then when I hit the key, nothing. The older vehicles would start to show signs but with these newer ones, when they're done, they're done. Kind of a hassle, but could have been worse. Thankfully an October dated MTP-78 was sitting on the shelf at the local parts dealer. Seven year old battery let me down. I move it once a week when I cut the grass, so maybe that led to a premature demise? Start, run for 60 seconds, then shut off isn't really good on anything I suppose. I did charge with my CTEK, but the interior light came on when I opened the door and it sent the charger back into full charge mode.

I'll put the CTEK on this new one more often in the future.
 
My four wheeler. Would set sometimes for months on end.
It was always a mighty iffy situation if the battery would or would not be charged to get it started.
A couple of times with a new gellcell battery of it being dead I got a solar battery maintainer. Not just a charger.
Since having that hooked to the battery it has always started, every time.
 
some of the "auto" chargers will charge to full and shut off never to turn on again until disco'd and reconnected. I think that's what my little one does that came from amazon.

for something that sits, I think a solar maintainer is a good idea unless garage kept. at some point I want to invest into a maintainer / slow charger apparatus to wire into the truck so what when I plug in the block heater in the winter it will also keep the battery topped off. maybe even have one of those portable solar maintainers that I can just sit on the dash to catch sun and plug into the cigar plug too!
 
dbrannon79 said:
some of the "auto" chargers will charge to full and shut off never to turn on again until disco'd and reconnected. I think that's what my little one does that came from amazon.

for something that sits, I think a solar maintainer is a good idea unless garage kept. at some point I want to invest into a maintainer / slow charger apparatus to wire into the truck so what when I plug in the block heater in the winter it will also keep the battery topped off. maybe even have one of those portable solar maintainers that I can just sit on the dash to catch sun and plug into the cigar plug too!
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Maybe install a float charger and plug it in with the block heater
 
3500GMC said:
Batteries that sit and sit tend to go rotten on the bottom. Scale and oxides and whatnot. The natural agitation (normal drive cycles) is a good thing. 7 years for all that sitting ain't bad.
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Never attempted it, but I have been told that if a person was to open up a lead acid battery so that it could be cleaned from the inside, you could then refill with the same juice filtered and charge up. it would last a few more years. I guess in theory that would work as that's basically how they refurbish batteries. Only difference is they mold a new plastic case for it and re-sell calling it new.
 
On these types of charges- just make it a habit to pop in once a month and unplug the charger, turn on headlights for a couple minutes to drain the “surface charge” then test voltage. 14.4 is the max charging voltage you ever want. Battery with surface charge off should no more than 12.6 volts. If it is over 12.6- set a timer to go check it next month and see if it’s ready to plug back in.

We say 12volts, but each cell actually has 2.1volts not 2volts.
6 cells X 2.1 volts= 12.6 volts.

Over charging a battery is WORSE than it sitting under charged.

A battery at 11.6 volts will start most engines, a battery at 11.1 volts will start some engines in modern temperature. A battery at 13.6 volts is out gassing its acid into hydrogen and swelling up the battery from heat. If the lead plates don’t short inside and ruin the battery, then the case will swell up and crack. Liquid acid (normal) batteries then leak acid everywhere. AGM (optima/odyssey gel type) simply crack but continue working without leaks until the lead finally shorts inside.

Remember when charging ALL automotive type batteries discharge hydrogen gas. You can turn off the charger but the gas remains.

Safety Sally moment. Unplug and ventilate (turn on a fan) the air around the long term charging battery before starting.
Below is pics of a group 31 battery common in semi trucks, heavy equipment, etc.
85 lbs & 13”x6.75”x9.5” roughly. This battery lives on a high dollar very accurate charger for emergency use generator. The batteries were less than 2 years old, impeccably maintained equipment. Two batteries in series operated at 24V for the equipment. The on board charger was verified amperage and voltage in optimal range and no smell of hydrogen sulfide present, as witnessed by the two professionals present. One person had a multimeter attached to the battery inline with the one that exploded, not attached directly to the battery that failed. He was monitoring voltage drop upon start while the other person starts the generator. The battery suffered an INTERIOR FAILURE where the connection opens, and trapped hydrogen sulfide gas ignited. There is the possibility the gasses picked up a spark from the surrounding area but no loose wires or source of that spark was able to be determined from the thorough investigation that followed.

The person at the battery location was as safe position as possible by distance yet still able to monitor his meter. The ignition causes the battery to explode sending the top of the battery hitting the angled side of the engine then the person in glancing blow and still traveling 20’ beyond the person. Multiple shrapnel pieces of the battery case scattered with a piece the size of a silver dollar found 40-45’ away.

The acid spray went straight up, ricocheted of the angle of the engine traveling as far a 30’ that was detectable. The person was sprayed hut immediately treated suffering only small bruise and cut from glancing blow, protective clothing ruined along with meter. No long term injury to the person. I can’t say who these people are but some of the members here have met them or one of them- that part will not be discussed- read the room.


UGGHH! I tried but can’t get pics to load. I will get attempt to reset and load them later.
 
the way you described how the two batteries are connected and with a charger, that is exactly how two of the emergency generators are at my work. there is one smaller one and another one that the engine is two large Detroit engines joined together as one engine driving a huge generator. both use dual 8D batteries (24v) and have chargers on them at all times to ensure they will start at a moments notice when needed.

although we replace these batteries every year no matter if the old ones are good or not, the thought of these batteries exploding upon cranking the engine is a scary thought. the shop service guys have to go in to each generator room once a month, check all the fluids and do a test fire on the engines and run them for 10 minutes. one of the generators is actually on a timer that will auto test fire the engine once a month.

BTW that big generator is a mammoth! the radiator is at least 10 foot tall and square with a hydraulic controlled radiator fan accompanying it. not sure what it's rated to produce but it's enough power to operate the electric arc furnace in the melt shop of a steel mill!
 
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