gel battery issues

[Jaseb]

I pretty much killed off my red top at Oulton this year with a broken alternator, it now doesn't appear to want to hold a charge. If I leave the trickle charger off over night the battery is all flat - does this sound about normal?

 

Is the only answer to buy a new one, think I may go back to banners at this rate at least I knew I'd buy one a year...

[Jason Plato]

try an oddessey - they last well

 

 

here is C7 TOP

Taffia rear gunner

[Slipper man]

I did the same to my Banner this year. It was only 2 years old, and I have had to get a new one. Mind you, they only seem to last 3 or 4 years on my car anyway: I am now on my third one on a 2001 car

[Colin Mill]

I'm giving serious consideration to using one of this type next time I have to change. They are of AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) construction which is supposed to make them tolerant of deep discharge. We use some of them for field charging electric flight packs and they get some hammer in this respect and still seem to fine.

[Shaun_E]

Red Tops are AGM batteries - as are Odyssey. They are actually pretty hard to kill but if it won't hold a charge then you'll need a new one. A good charger like Optimate may rescue it but no guarantees.

 

Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

[Colin Mill]

Since I get last line pricing from Rapid the ones I'm looking at work out very cheap 😬

[Johnty Lyons]

My Oddessey is lasting a lot longer than my Banners where 😬 Mind you I used the smallest one and if I come in late at night after having Main beams, heater motor, and Heated screen on I am in diffs if I don't put it on conditioner overnight. ☹️

 

jj

N.I. L7C AR 🙆🏻

Membership No.3927.

 

[Crudders]

Jase - you mention a trickle charger but is it an intelligent type like the Optimate? I had a long neglected battery in the garage that I was going to throw out but amazingly the Optimate managed to restore it. I think it cycles through high voltage/low current supply and vice versa which desulfates the plates. Or it could be something esle altogether - it was a while back that I read the blurb. All I know is that it works

 

Crudders

[Jaseb]

Thanks for all the replies peeps, it is an optimate and I'm kind of hoping it is something else that is wrong as the red top is only 3 months old...

 

Any ideas on where to start looking for electrical 'leaks'?

 

Do red tops have any guarantee on them?

 

ta

[old captain slow]

Dredging up from my electrical engineering past I recall that sealed lead acid batteries (which I think the Red Top is) are very vulnerable to excessive discharge below 1.6 volts per cell and won't recover.

 

C7 CDW

[Jaseb]

Will a regular drop test diagnose this?

 

Looks like I need to reach for the credit card again... ☹️

[chrisddl]

3 months old, ain't it still under warranty ?

 

ChrisL

[Jaseb]

I'm going to get it checked out tomorrow then enquire if need be

 

It says 'racing' on the side, my understanding is that normally invalidates all sorts of things...

[Jaseb]

Just to confirm to anyone who's interested the battery is fine after taking it's pounding at Oulton so a thumbs up for the red top and I've got a auto leccy coming to find the leak...

[Ian B]

sealed lead acid batteries (which I think the Red Top is) are very vulnerable to excessive discharge below 1.6 volts per cell

That is usually true of sealed lead acid batteries, but NOT the Red Top / Odyssey / Powervamp batteries. These will withstand a deep discharge, as long as they are not left in that state for long

 

Ian - MI 5EVN - Slightly Vider SVelte model 😬 now repainted to match the Autocom headsets 😳

 

Edited by - Ian B on 2 Oct 2007 14:06:43