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Topic: Battery Charging

in Forum: C3 Electrical


Battery Charging

Posted: 11/17/05 7:32pm Message 1 of 11
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Fox Island, WA - USA
Joined: 6/20/2005
Posts: 4067
Vette(s): 1978 Indy Pace Car 4851 of 6502, Auto, L-48

I'm new to battery charging/maintaining and have a few questions.  I bought whats seems to be a good battery charger/maintainer today.  Can I just leave the charger connected all winter? In the manual it warns about battery fumes released during charging, is there a problem charging my battery (behind the rear seat) in the garage with the windows rolled up for long periods of time?

Today I tried to start the Vette for my weekly drive around the neighborhood and almost drained the battery down before it ever started. I went to wallymart and bought the charger.

Guess I shouldn't have waited so long




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Battery Charging

Posted: 11/17/05 7:52pm Message 2 of 11
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
I leave my Batt. Tender on 24-7, year 'round. My '74 lives in the garage, and so far, I haven't had a prob. with it. My batt. has the vent hoses that go down, and out of the cockpit, under the car. It does, however, tend to percolate a small amount of 'lectrolyte out on top of the batt. after a while. I just take a paper towel and wipe that off. The maintanence voltage on the charger I have is 12v, but only .50 amps.
You do not want to use a regular "trickle charger" for this purpose. They normally put out 3-5-8 amps, and that will eventually harm the batt., if using it for maintanence.


btw......did you ever get your trans problem fixed? Adams' Apple38673.8288657407


Joel Adams
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Battery Charging

Posted: 11/17/05 8:03pm Message 3 of 11
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Fox Island, WA - USA
Joined: 6/20/2005
Posts: 4067
Vette(s): 1978 Indy Pace Car 4851 of 6502, Auto, L-48

Thanks for the info Joel   My battery is a maintenance free battery so it shouldn't leak anything.  Also the charger is designed for maintaing batteries, charges up to 14.4v and then shuts off until the voltage drops below a certain point.

Ahhhh the tranny   No, due to my work schedule (12-14 hr days) and the rainy weather I havn't had a chance   I just keep it in 2nd as I cruise round the hood.  The Vette runs great otherwise.




MARK
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Battery Charging

Posted: 11/17/05 8:21pm Message 4 of 11
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Wichita, KS - USA
Joined: 11/10/2003
Posts: 6859
Vette(s): 2005 Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic Coupe --------------------- Sold 1974 T-top, 4 spd to BillKS

I have a quick disconnect on my battery and put on the trickle charger whenever I'm not driving.  I usually only drive on the weekends and it just is a habit to hook up when I'm done for the weekend.  Haven't had any battery problems.  Got the trickle charger (they call it a "Float" charger) at the local Harbor Freight store on sale for @$8 if I remember right.

Larry

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Battery Charging

Posted: 11/18/05 9:54pm Message 5 of 11
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Fox Island, WA - USA
Joined: 6/20/2005
Posts: 4067
Vette(s): 1978 Indy Pace Car 4851 of 6502, Auto, L-48

Ya Larry mines called a float charger also.  I bought it at Walmart for like $17.  It also came with a quick disconnect but I havn't had a chance to install it yet.

It took almost 24 hours to get the Green light (Full Charge) to come on, I was getting alittle worried

 




MARK
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Battery Charging

Posted: 11/22/05 8:45pm Message 6 of 11
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Fox Island, WA - USA
Joined: 6/20/2005
Posts: 4067
Vette(s): 1978 Indy Pace Car 4851 of 6502, Auto, L-48

Wow, I had not started this car since I tired to start it last time on the 16th and drained the battery.  Today I finally got it started and the battery was like bran new after being on that float charger. 

Took her for a nice slow ride for about 30 mins in 2nd gear

cilrah38678.8650115741


MARK
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Battery Charging

Posted: 12/11/05 10:05am Message 7 of 11
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Canada
Joined: 8/6/2004
Posts: 533
Vette(s): Coupe 74 - 454 Drive it like you stole it!
Reading this thread made me think that my problem is normal.
 
I didn't start my car for over 2 weeks, so yesterday when I went to the garage.... nothing.  I boosted my battery with my Explorer.  It was enough to get the electrical working in the car (light, buzzer...), but not enough to get a crank.
 
Question :
 
1) this is a 1.5 year old battery : is it "dead" in a sense that I have to replace it, or I can re-charge it ?
 
My battery is an ACDelco 78-6YR.  I use this one instead of the "recommended" one for 74 because the 78 has more crankamp which seems to suit the big block better.
 
I also have a quick disconnect, but I forgot to disconnect it last time. Never had to have a quick disconnect until I fixed my clock and installed an after-market radio that uses some juice to keep the preset and the time.



Battery Charging

Posted: 12/11/05 3:34pm Message 8 of 11
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Greensburg, IN - USA
Joined: 9/24/2003
Posts: 5188
Vette(s): Previous: 1984 Silver / Charcoal Coupe, 1988 Maroon Coupe / 1989 Artic White Coupe / 2001 Speedway White Roadster / Present:1976 Stingray Black / Black, Auto, 350 slightly modified (355 hp) Luxor Wires Redline Tires. / 1989 Roadster Bright Red...
Man you must have some kinda drainage problem. You live in the sunny south an 2 wks brings your battery down. That doesn't sound right.
I leave mine in the car in the garage with no charger and during the winter and she starts up. Usually from November til April she's dormat. Ive never worried if it won't start in the garage I can put it on the charger anytime.


Battery Charging

Posted: 12/11/05 7:53pm Message 9 of 11
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Stephane, I would suggest a slow-charge on your batt. for a few hours, to bring it back to life. If you put a regular charger(10-25 amp>) on it with it dead, you might not get it to hold a charge. Get a .75 amp, "Battery Tender", and let it charge overnight. If it's gonna hold a charge, this will do it. More amps are NOT the way to bring a dead batt. back. All you're doing then is boiling the eletrolyte, which is not a good thing.

A lot of our cars have problems with drainage if not driven enough. I have a disconnect, AND a "Batt. Tender" on the '74, after losing the first $280 repro batt I bought, due to sulfation.


Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    

My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)
             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Battery Charging

Posted: 12/11/05 10:33pm Message 10 of 11
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Canada
Joined: 8/6/2004
Posts: 533
Vette(s): Coupe 74 - 454 Drive it like you stole it!
Thanks for the info.
 
I just bought a "slow" charger, it is either 2 or 6 amps on 12 volts.
 
I just plugged it in with 6amps, but I'll turn the switch to 2 amps/12 volts over night.  The current readind according to this charger is totally dead!  NADA.
 
Funny story: the guy at the store really thought I should get the 70$ one with auto shut-off; which IS a really nice feature, BUT, the way I see it, a new battery is just about ... 70$.  So I gambled and bought the 35$ one without the auto-shutoff and I'll make sure I unplug it tomorrow morning when I wake up.
 
Just so you know, the battery is now out of the car, on my kitchen glass table, on a piece of 5/8 mdf.  As stated in the instructions, the charger is as far as possible from the battery, but I did not use a negative 6' extension as recommended; straight to the battery posts.
 
The instructions talked about gases coming out of the battery, so if I don't reply back in this forum within a few days, maybe those gases made it all the way to my bedroom and they were not too healty.
 
 
Update : 75% this morning.  Looks like it's working.
 
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