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LittleBittyBigJohn
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I handed them to the guy at O'Reilly and asked him to test them.
Bringing Battery Back to Life?
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I handed them to the guy at O'Reilly and asked him to test them.
John_Mc
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OK. I'm assuming that included a load test.
It's still possible the batteries are sulfated, which would increase the rate of self discharge even with no load on the battery. There are some good desulfating charger/maintainers that are not very expensive. I own several various models of BatteryMINDer brand charger/maintainers and have been very happy with them. I like them because the desulfation circuit remains active even after the battery is charged, so they will continue to work on a sulfated battery even after it has reached it's target voltage. On the less expensive end of their product line, check out the model 1510 or the more weatherproof 1215C. These are 1.5 amp charger-maintainer-desulfators. On the more deluxe end of their scale, look at the model 128CEC2 - it's selectable 2/4/8 amp, with a selection of charging profiles for various battery types and some diagnostic abilities. (Noco chargers and maintainers are also very good, but their desulfation circuit is only active when the battery is actively charging, not when it is in "float" or maintenance mode. For a heavily sulfated battery, you may have to run through a number of cycles to recover it.) Both brands are safe to leave connected to the battery for long periods. They will not overcharge or damage the battery.
The other possibility could be a drain in the battery even when things are turned off. Worth checking for some phantom load from the equipment. Also, if the battery is very dirty, various dirt/oils/water/acid on the battery case can form a conductive path which slowly drains the battery. A good cleaning might help. (Some like to neutralize any acid in the much that is coating the battery by wiping it down with a solution of baking soda and water. If you do this, be VERY careful around the battery cap: you definitely do NOT want to get any inside the battery.)
