[Vwdiesel] Battery Source

[Area31 Research Facility]

It is essential to maintain a minimum  voltage on a lead acid battery cell 
during periods of inactivity or sulfation will occur which is death to a 
battery.  This is about 2.2 volts per cell or 13.2 volts for a 12 volt 
battery.  Even high quality lead acid batteries employed by the telephone 
company have a self discharge rating which can approach ten percent per 
week.  Leaving a battery with the wires disconnected is no guarantee that 
there will be a healthy charge in it after an extended period of storage. 
the film of acid on the top surface that accumulates from gasses venting 
from the cell ports acts as a resistor creating an electrical  leakage path 
between the cells also leading to discharge.

A battery minder, trickle charger, or float charger is the best way to keep 
your battery like new when not in daily use.

As far as gel cell batteries,  I would NEVER put one in a vehicle as the 
starter battery.  These batteries utilize the normal sulfuric acid in a 
jellied paste.  That is why they can be used in all positions without 
spilling. Unlike in a flooded cell battery the gas bubbles that are released 
upon charging which float harmlessly to the surface and out the vent become 
trapped bubbles on the surface of the lead plates.  These bubbles 
(electrical insulators) electrically decrease the active surface area of the 
plates as they form, reducing the electrical capacity of the battery.  The 
jelly trapped bubbles cannot escape as in a regular flooded cell battery. 
Where the bubbles are located sulfation occurs.  To get a good life from a 
gel-cel battery requires a sophisticated charger controller which a typical 
car battery charging circuit is not.  Any charger that will boil a flooded 
cell battery (actually is good for these once in a while) will quickly 
destroy a gel-cell.

Rob

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William J Toensing" <toensing at wildblue.net>
To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 4:35 AM
Subject: [Vwdiesel] Battery Source


>A battery will eventually run down, Optima or regular battery. My Citroen 
>CX diesel has gone over 6 months with out running ( has a regular battery) 
>& has started right off. However, I don't think the Optima battery is to 
>blame for the Suburban's failure to start, but its battery draw while not 
>running. The solution to having a battery last a long time & being ready to 
>start with months of inactivity is to use a battery tender which keeps a 
>battery at maximum charge but does not overcharge. I have a 1993 Rockwood 
>diesel pusher motorhome I bought in 1999 & has two 12 volt batteries in 
>parallel to start the 5.9 Cummings, & have been in there ever since I 
>bought the rig, & possibly a year or two more.. I have a battery tender 
>continuously hooked up & the engine has never failed to start despite going 
>many months between startups. How long they will last, I don't know.
>
> It is interesting to see the discussion about the Optima battery. I have 
> seen the Optima batteries for sale at Costco. I think the yellow top was 
> around $100 & the red top $140 or $160. Does anyone know how long an 
> Optima battery will last compared to a regular battery? That is, does it 
> last long enough to justify costing twice as much as a regular battery?
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