Thread: Battery Voltage

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi again Jerry, and with 14.2+v, your alternator charge voltage is fine.

The 12.3v battery voltage ( around 70% SoC ) is not that low especially if, as you say, you have been using your RR ?frequently? over the last few days.

With that alternator voltage, if you had been driving for a decent amount of time, each time you drove, then I would expect to see a little higher voltage, say 12.4, 12.5V.

But, as I suspect, you have probably been doing short drives, of 20 minutes or less, and if so, then you are not only not allowing the alternator to fully charge your battery, you are actually using more energy to start your RR than you are replacing while driving.

If you have a multi stage battery charger, preferably no bigger than a 10 amp one, try giving your battery a few good soak ( conditioning ) chargers.

You do this by first allowing the battery charger to fully charge your battery, and this may take quite a few hours with a small charger, then once the charger goes into float mode, leave it on for around 8 to 10 hours, then remove the charger for at least 10 to 12 hours.

If you can, do this a few times, even if you have to use the RR between charge cycles, you may find the settled voltage of your battery will rise.

Continual short drive, the Shopping Trolley Syndrome, is probably worse for cranking batteries than leaving them unused for a week at a time.

First off, thanks everyone for the input. Fantastic.


Drivesafe: You are correct trips here tend to be short distance but can take some time due to the appalling road system. Out of town is brilliant. First world roads across the savannah.


Yes I have been charging periodically, this is what I use!!



So as Im coming to Brissie next weekend, is this okay or do I need to upgrade? If so light as possible as weight will be and issue.


Vehicle is charging at a solid 14.3 today, battery was at 12.3 again.


Thanks again. Jerry

Originally Posted by Road Stone

First off, thanks everyone for the input. Fantastic.


Drivesafe: You are correct trips here tend to be short distance but can take some time due to the appalling road system. Out of town is brilliant. First world roads across the savannah.


Yes I have been charging periodically, this is what I use!!



So as Im coming to Brissie next weekend, is this okay or do I need to upgrade? If so light as possible as weight will be and issue.


Vehicle is charging at a solid 14.3 today, battery was at 12.3 again.


Thanks again. Jerry

I would buy a ctek



Cheers

Hi Jerry and while that battery charger will take quite a long time to fully charge your battery, if you have the time available, it is actually going to be very good for your battery.

I wouldn't upgrade unless you have some other specific reason to do so.

I didn't know that such low current battery charges existed but I suppose its really for a motor cycle battery or to keep a vehicle battery topped-up when unused for an extended period. 40 years ago trickle charges were at least 4A and that was when batteries were very small capacity compared with today's batteries.

Hi Graeme, you can get even smaller chargers, and they will still charge the battery. There is a well known brand that has a maximum of 750ma output, but as posted, it will take a long time to fully charge a battery.

I have lots of customers who use a 10w solar panel to maintain their batteries.

If the battery was low when they left the vehicle for some time, the 10w solar panel would, over a week or so, fully charge the battery, yet a 10w solar panel will only have a maximum output current of around 0.5 amps, and this is only while the sun is at it's peak.

BTW, if anybody wants to maintain their cranking battery with a solar panel, your can fit up to a 10w panel and you do not need a solar regulator.

You can increase the total solar wattage by 10w for each battery you have in your vehicle, and again, no regulator needed.

For the OP's apparent vehicle usage pattern it seems to me that this very small charger is unlikely to ever get the battery up to a decent state of charge unless left connected for a few days without opening a door.

Hi again Graeme, even that small charger will work fine with an RR.

For every minute the doors are open, that charger will replace the energy used in fifteen minutes of charging time.

So say it take Jerry 10 minutes to unload groceries, with in 3 hours, that charger will have replaced the used energy and will continue to charge the battery.

So a continuos use overnight, every night, for a while, will bring the battery up to a fully charged state and will condition the battery to better hold that charge.

Using a bigger current capacity charge would not make all that much difference during the conditioning of the battery and this is where improvements need to be made, for the battery to get a better life span.

Hi Folks,


Returned from my lightning trip to Brisbane. Now with Multi Meter!


First up, car has sat for 10 days unused. Started on the button, I was stupid and did not take a reading first!


After a short run, the MM indicates battery at 12.8v. I started the car and it showed 13.7v.


From the helpful advice already given, this appears to be okay.


I'm going to monitor over the next few days and see what happens. I go away again next week for 11 days so WILL check on my return.


Prices have gone up in Brisbane!!


Cheers, Jerry