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Old 09-09-2022, 02:59 PM   #21
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well..... load test fail.

however long between posts... i let the lights run.

the meter went from 102% to 0% and 10.4v

for shits and giggle i tried to start it, and man, if i had my foot on the pedal, i think it would have started, it was turning, slowly.....i think i can, but didn't.
the meter said the starter was pulingl 100a+ out of the battery momentarily.

after the dust settled, the meter reads 4%, 11.7v. ima let it rest for an hour and try to start it again, then the charger again.

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Old 09-09-2022, 03:06 PM   #22
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you probably have and i read it and dont remember or missed it?
but are you sure your cables are up to snuff?
not corroded or burnt in the jacket?
just a thought.
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Old 09-09-2022, 03:11 PM   #23
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good point!

i recently replaced the negative cable for the heat issue on the shunt.
i think at least that side is good, the positive is unknown to me.

its worth investigating. i should check downline from the shunt as well.

running my starter excessively will make that shunt glow.
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Old 09-09-2022, 04:06 PM   #24
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"I'm going to show you where the internet hurt me"

LOL

Just saw that in the now-closed time-zone thread. Why post something like that in a thread I'm not in? It's only funny if I feel the shame.

Speaking of hurt, I'm not sure what those batteries ever did to you, but if they were children, CPS would be knocking on your door with a warrant.
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Old 09-09-2022, 04:08 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by FreeEnergy4All View Post
You speak far more highly of outdated technology than I can. But hey, if you want to live in the past, who I am to say that's wrong?

whats wrong with AGM batteries? I dont have to deal with temperature control and fancy chargers and DC-DC converters.. (I charge the batteries driving the bus and when its parked at home under a roof).. if I went Lithium of some sort id have to deal with all that.. right now I plug in the victron charger when at home.. when travelling, the alternator charges all the batteries.. no theres no solar.. I dont want panels mounted to the top.. the windows, walls, floors, doors are all original... the bus still has all its original seats (the emoty space where wheelchairs wouldve gone is what I turned into an A/C cabinet and a work / dining space)..



im a Vintage bus enthusiast.. its not a house.. I only occasionally sleep a night in it.. its a mobile office, and mobile dining room (for restaraunts that are still take-out only)..
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Old 09-09-2022, 05:28 PM   #26
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closed?!?!?!

these interweb things are still new to me..... linking threads..i'll work on my game. i thought the hurting meme deserved a new thread.

yea, it surprises me, too, that that my pets have survived.

those batteries though.....smh

after resting the battery, it still failed the stress test.

the charge was 4% and 12.2v, it thought it may start. it tried.

i put the charger back on. the meter did not detect any charge before i walked away, but the voltage went up to 13.3v, 0amps.

will check again in the morning.
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Old 09-10-2022, 05:01 PM   #27
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today's charge report:

yesterday i left it at 4% charge.

today, the battery took a charge, got back 100% @13.3v.

i started the truck, let the air tanks fill. the alternator didn't charge much before shutting down, it got up 12a or so before the guage settled back down to 0. all before the air finished. battery monitor shot up to 105%

im going to leave it off the charger tonight. let it sit and try and start it in the morning.
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Old 09-10-2022, 09:20 PM   #28
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flooded lead acid

I have used 12.75 as a benchmark for a fully charged battery. any thing over that... I have called " a surface charge"

after charging I usually turn the lights on for a couple of minutes... then take a voltage reading.

when I turn the key to "START" position and the starter engages, I like to see 10.5 volts as a minimum. 10 volts is not enough voltage for some engines to starts.

I like battery chargers from the 1970's to the 1990's mostly analogue and transformer based... stuff like 50 amp these bigger chargers on wheels you used to see at corner gas stations....

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Old 09-10-2022, 09:59 PM   #29
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I know I'm late to this party...I was out of town...and you all know how to load test batteries. But here's a video I did a while ago, after trying to explain to someone why their batteries (which were "fully charged and good" based on voltage) were not, in fact, capable of starting their bus. So the video might be helpful to the newer folks who may read this thread:

https://youtu.be/ystmn3ly61Q

On a side note, I like the carbon pile load testers. I'm old school, like that. The newer microprocessor-based testers, which apply a tiny load and use magic to determine the condition, haven't yet proven themselves to me.
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Old 09-12-2022, 10:05 AM   #30
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charge update:

no charger for the last 2 days.
yesterday bus was resting at 12.8v 102% charge.
bus started fine, ran 5 minutes, the alternator did its run up on charging and back down to a float type charge by the time i turned the bus off.

today,
12.4v 101% charged
she struggled, but started. same gig with the alternator - up to 25a then drops to 1a in about 5 minutes.

i may have to look for my air leak.... this thread points out it drains too fast.
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Old 09-12-2022, 10:40 AM   #31
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Originally Posted by rossvtaylor View Post
I know I'm late to this party...I was out of town...and you all know how to load test batteries. But here's a video I did a while ago, after trying to explain to someone why their batteries (which were "fully charged and good" based on voltage) were not, in fact, capable of starting their bus. So the video might be helpful to the newer folks who may read this thread:

https://youtu.be/ystmn3ly61Q

On a side note, I like the carbon pile load testers. I'm old school, like that. The newer microprocessor-based testers, which apply a tiny load and use magic to determine the condition, haven't yet proven themselves to me.

Thanks for this. Very timely. This thread has inspired me to purchase a load tester of my own. Any advice on specific units that would be useful for testing across a large range of 12V batteries (from small motorsports batteries up through 8Ds & the like)?
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Old 09-12-2022, 02:15 PM   #32
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Thanks for this. Very timely. This thread has inspired me to purchase a load tester of my own. Any advice on specific units that would be useful for testing across a large range of 12V batteries (from small motorsports batteries up through 8Ds & the like)?
Well, I had a Matco which worked well...but I bought a generic 500A version for about $70, which seems to work just as well as the name brand (and has a higher capacity). Because I've only used these on bigger batteries, I can't really make a recommendation for you. And, honestly, the micro-load (digital?) testers might be just as accurate and may work better for your range of needs...I just haven't ever used them. Hopefully, one of the young gadget nuts will chime in on those?
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Old 09-12-2022, 03:51 PM   #33
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In my shop I have had a carbon pile tester for years, and it was very good at load testing batteries. A few years ago I bought an OTC 3183 digital battery tester and it is now my go to battery tester. Much simpler and faster to use, and finds problems with batteries that the carbon pile tester may not find. But the carbon pile still has a place and is very useful in some situations ( applying a load to test voltage regulator function and battery cable condition )
For general use I would get a digital tester, they are inexpensive, small and easy to use. And more durable than the pile.
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Old 09-14-2022, 03:29 PM   #34
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they're dead.

12.4v 101% charge - no start.

when i tried the starter, the volt meter dropped like a rock to ~6v, the starter barely turned.
thanks all for the input.

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Old 09-14-2022, 10:11 PM   #35
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they're dead.

12.4v 101% charge - no start.

when i tried the starter, the volt meter dropped like a rock to ~6v, the starter barely turned.
thanks all for the input.
Thanks for the Monte Python chuckle. I'm sorry you've got to get new batteries...but there's a great lesson here for so many of the (usually newer) folks. All the time, I see new bus owners say their bus won't start but their batteries are at 12 volts "so they must be good". Your experience serves as a good reminder. Thanks and best wishes!
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Old 09-20-2022, 06:34 PM   #36
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bit the bullet today and got new batteries.

i'm going to use the bus this fall for work and need it to start without a few days charge first.

i got the same battery i pulled out.

oreily's super starts grp 31hd

the old date tag was 9/18, the new date tag is 9/22.
the receipt says 18 month replacement, 36 month prorated.

today is month 48.

look at that, the bus starts again.




side note:

i replaced battery 1 and 2. the battery in the #3 position is still fine.. its the starting battery for my generator. its older than theold start batteries.

the start batteriies are 950 CCA

the #3 battery is a 1290CCA. i dont recall the age of the battery, but its old and still going.
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