Abused 12V Deep Cycle ... Renewed? Toast? May 23 10 Update .

[Frog]

A deep cycle marine battery is built differently than an automotive starting battery. You're lucky to have gotten two years out of an already depleted battery which was 5 years old when you started using it again.

In your chilly climate, get rid of it and get a good automotive battery for your daily driver.

I regularly get 5 years on replacement batteries and got 7 1/2 years on an OEM on my 1994 Maxima, but i live in warm California not B.C., Canada.

[BC Dave]

A deep cycle marine battery is built differently than an automotive starting battery. You're lucky to have gotten two years out of an already depleted battery which was 5 years old when you started using it again.

In your chilly climate, get rid of it and get a good automotive battery for your daily driver.

I regularly get 5 years on replacement
batteries and got 7 1/2 years on an OEM on my 1994 Maxima, but i live in warm California not B.C., Canada.

May 23 10 .... I topped up the wet cells a week ago with a couple of ounces of distilled water ... all seems well ... (cross fingers) ... in reply to posts and to pass on my experiance to date ...

I am experimenting on this battery, keeping an eye on it and asking some questions to some knowlegable folks in the industry ... a number of things I think are helping me out with the longlivity of this one ...

-marine battery ... thicker plates & better built than an auto battery
-when the battery was originally stored it was fully charged (I must-a don dat...)
-stored in a cool dry, but heated basement
-used distilled water to top up battery
-being on the car charger (alternator) it is always topped up
-when the the battery was stored it was not connected to anything; so there was no residual draw-down while stored.

intresting thing about battery chemestry I got from an in depth discussion with a battery maintainer distrubuitor ...

Battery storage capacity (voltage) is regulated by condition of the plate, the amount of electrolite (battery acid) and accumulation of scale (electrolite crystalizing on the battery plates). As voltage is drawen; the battery acid ions react and accumulate on the lead battery plates ... (i beleive was the discussed and understood chemestry ... others can post the full chemical reactions ...)

SO -IF - a battery wet cell battery is stored fully charged, a minimal amount of scale builds up on the plates, so the battery chemical reaction is in a state of rest; if scale is present is continues cristalize (scale accumulation) further drawing down the volts in the battery ...

... I promiss to post when the battery dies ...

[Lesbest]

Deep cycle batteries are that---DEEP cycle Use the crap out of them- charge them back up for 2-3 days. Batteries are to be recharged the same as they were discharged. Slow and gradual use-slow recharge. Jump starting your bulldozer-go with a high amp recharge.
A deep cycle battery is not designed for starting a car and having the alt. quickly top it off for the next start cycle.
A deep cycle bat will resist a heavy quick charge.
A good rule of thumb is to monitor voltage during charging and if it hits 17 volts, the battery is failing. A good bat. will stabilize around 16 volts and stay there for the first 2/3 rds of the cycle and as it gets close to fully charged the voltage will drop to 14.2-14.5.
A car battery has about 50-60 deep cycles full charge-dead, before it fails. But endless start/recharge cycles.

That is why batteries aren't universal.

Les

[BC Dave]

Deep cycle batteries are that---DEEP cycle Use the crap out of them- charge them back up for 2-3 days. Batteries are to be recharged the same as they were discharged. Slow and gradual use-slow recharge. Jump starting your bulldozer-go with a high amp recharge.
A deep cycle battery is not designed for starting a car and having the alt. quickly top it off for the next start cycle.
A deep cycle bat will resist a heavy quick charge.
A good rule of thumb is to monitor voltage during charging and if it hits 17 volts, the battery is failing. A good bat. will stabilize around 16 volts and stay there for the first 2/3 rds of the cycle and as it gets close to fully charged the voltage will drop to 14.2-14.5.
A car battery has about 50-60 deep cycles full charge-dead, before it fails. But endless start/recharge cycles.

That is why batteries aren't universal.

Les

ok, yes, I see, and agree;

its a dual purpose marine / starting battery 120 ah & 700 cranking amps ...

...sooooo.... will I damage it by having it on the car alternator? its been about 2 yrs on the alternator ... seems to have worked so far ...

[bobhenry]

Boy am I stupid !

Every replacement battery I have ever purchased for my cars and trucks were deep cycle marine batteries.

Oh did I mention I tend to keep my vehicles forever and routinely got 6 to 8 years use out of the marine deepcycle replacements.

[deceiver]

I ran 8 megatron deep cycle batteries in a homemade electric pontoon boat. After 2 years I could feel the loss of power and 4 years is pretty much their limit. I took care of them religiously but the constant discharge/charge raises heck with them over time. They are made to take the abuse though. A regular car battery wouldn't last even as long with that kind of charging. But, I have had a regular battery in my car last up to 9 years, even in Maine winters.
My opinion: Sears diehards an excellent battery. They do cost about 40% more though. I've seen a Pop Mechanics review of them. The plates are a little thicker so they don't buckle as much over time. If they do they can short out. It also allows them to handle a higher amp recharge. Not a good idea with any battery but we've all done it at one time or another.

[BC Dave]

Boy am I stupid !

Every replacement battery I have ever purchased for my cars and trucks were deep cycle marine batteries.

Oh did I mention I tend to keep my vehicles forever and routinely got 6 to 8 years use out of the marine deepcycle replacements.

With over 10 years experience as a mechanic .... 7 years on a wet cell auto battery( marine or not) is a miracle. I don't care if you fill it with holy water from church you are done for. Please post and let us know what day it died next month.

.... did you contradict yourself? ... lol

[bobhenry]

YEP I DID !

[Shadow Catcher]

Johnson Control makes Sears batteries

"Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Each makes batteries sold under several different brand names. Delphi makes ACDelco and some EverStart (Wal-Mart) models. Exide makes Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart batteries. Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts."
Consumers report article

One thing to remember is that a name brand means 0 more often than not, and that while manufactured by X company specifications may very and what you buy today is not what you bought years ago. This is one reason I specified a Lifeline AGM battery.

[BC Dave]

YEP I DID !

lol ... just sayin ... lol ...

[Senior Ninja]

Because of infrequent use, I keep a HF trickle charger attached to my deep cycle COSTCO batteries. I will know more after this weekend after operating my shortwave transceiver from a pair of the batteries. It's Field Day Weekend. Contestants operate off the grid for emergency communications practice. See you at the MT. Reba parking lot.
73
Steve
KC6YFR

[rpmccoy]

Senior Ninja :

How was Field Day ?
How did the batteries do ? What power output from xmitter ?

Which COSTCO batteries did you use ? ( specs )

I am looking to purchase for same purpose.

Thanks,
Dick, N4UN