Thread: Battery Fighter - thanks Drivesafe!

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

...it eventually dropped onto float, took a week, but who cares?

So Pedro (or Steve!) - before it got to float (float = just green light on?), it had the red light constant and the green light flashing? If so, for how long was it like this? (Red constant, green on flash). The reason I ask is that mine has been like this (red constant/green flashing) for 24 hours, so I'm still waiting for it to go to the float stage.

yea, a "while" on bulk,, lets face it. its only got 1.5A to work with
went back to "Absorption" twice


just let it run,,,

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

just let it run,,,

That’s it in a nut shell


Hi folks, as there seems to be some interest, I’ll have prices for you in the morning and I should be able to do a bit of a discount for AULRO members.

Yeah - I understand that I need to just let it run - and the fact that 1.25 Amps going into a 90 and 100Ah pair of batteries dictates this - but I was more interested in the unit's actual mode of operation. Let me explain...

The documentation states that...

1) Bulk charge will go for a max of 72 hours - if the battery(s) haven't made it to 80% charge by then, the charger turns off altogether as it assumes the batteries are defective. You know when it has made it to the 80% level - which is the start of the Absorption phase, because the light changes from red constant to red constant with flashing green.

2) But here is the crux of my question - the documentation then states that this Absorption phase will only last for a max of 8 hours before kicking over to Maintenance mode (just Green light on).

But if Pedro waited a week before his charger went to maintenance - then the charger must stay in absorption for longer than 8 hours because it will only bulk charge for 72 hours max before actually turning off, if it hasn't made it to the Absorption mode phase (80% charge).

Mine has now been on absorption for 48 hours! So either the documentation is wrong, or our chargers are defective! Guess the documentation is wrong - the thing about the blokes that sell these things is that they don't know Jack about them either.

I rang a few places today and it seems I know more about the thing's operation than any of them!

Hmmm.. I don't remember a limit on time to the bulk charge.. This docco here doesn't mention it.

Maybe they have added it to the new ones? Mine would be at least two years old. However the Lotus battery is fairly small so I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

The Projecta charger I'm using on the defender doesn't have a limit to it's primary charging.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Hmmm.. I don't remember a limit on time to the bulk charge.. This docco here doesn't mention it.

Maybe they have added it to the new ones? Mine would be at least two years old. However the Lotus battery is fairly small so I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

The Projecta charger I'm using on the defender doesn't have a limit to it's primary charging.

If you goggle battery fighter - look at the the 6th link.

My documentation states, on page 7 - "A 72 hour safety timer will start working once the BF is turned on to protect marginal batteries from overcharging. If the battery voltage does not reach the absorption level within 72 hours, the charger will automatically switch to the float mode. When this happens, both the green and red lights will be on steadied. Please check battery condition...."

Mine is currently - red light on steady, green light flashing - this indicates absorption mode. But as I say, the documentation states it will only remain in this mode for a maximum of 8 hours. Mine has been like this for 48 hours. Pedro's must have too if it took 1 week to go to maintenance mode.

Originally Posted by Scallops

If you goggle battery fighter - look at the the 6th link.

My documentation states, on page 7 - "A 72 hour safety timer will start working once the BF is turned on to protect marginal batteries from overcharging. If the battery voltage does not reach the absorption level within 72 hours, the charger will automatically switch to the float mode. When this happens, both the green and red lights will be on steadied. Please check battery condition...."

Mine is currently - red light on steady, green light flashing - this indicates absorption mode. But as I say, the documentation states it will only remain in this mode for a maximum of 8 hours. Mine has been like this for 48 hours. Pedro's must have too if it took 1 week to go to maintenance mode.

I sometimes see both red and green on in the lotus so maybe it's telling me it's worried about the battery.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

I sometimes see both red and green on in the lotus so maybe it's telling me it's worried about the battery.

Don't worry - your battery is fine - I should have read my own manual one more sentence! At the risk of having to type out the entire manual let me just say that the document goes onto say that if the battery is marginal or defective, the BF will stop all charging process and the green light will be on steady and the red light will flash.

Your situation, as you describe above, where you see both the green and red lights on steady - means that the BF couldn't take the battery to 80% charge in 72 hours - because it is hooked up to a large, good battery that is still not fully charged.

The amp hour rating of your lotus battery must be near the limit (theoretically 90Ah) of the charger and the lotus battery must be near complete discharge. Seems odd as I imagine you hook it up after you have driven the vehicle.