Thread: Lifespan of second battery.

I wouldnt think the LED would worry it overly,,
however heat is a big no-no around batteries,,
most new cars actually vent outside air to the battery to keep it cooler.

Batteries can be an uncertain quantity. Some last a year others 5 years and can be the same type and brand. I have personally had deep cycle batteries with moderate use last, 1, 2, and 4 years.

Originally Posted by crl

My second battery is a deep cycle Exide. (The kind where you have to take the caps off and refill the distilled water periodically.)
Make sure you don't over fill it, just make sure the plates are covered.

It gets fairly regular use and after two years is suddenly not putting out as much power. Is two years a reasonable life span for a second battery or am I asking too much by expecting it to soldier on past the two year mark?
Even deep cycles are still sensitive to correct cycling. Do you have a volt meter to tell you how low you are discharging it?
Most fridges have a low voltage cutout but of course your camplights etc do have the capacity to run it right down.
edit. those cheap cooler boxes also don't have cutouts ( I have one of these as well just for drinks in the cab)

Also a related question, as my battery sits near the turbo should I look at some kind of insulation on the battery to shield it from the heat or is this counter productive as when it gets hot it will stay hot for longer?
You're on the money. Just fab a shield of light gauge ally or stainless to deflect the heat, but don't box the battery in completely, let it breath.

And finally, the plug to my fridge has a small green LED that illuminates when the fridge is plugged in, unplugging this when the fridge is not in use is a pain, (requires moving the drawer system) so as a result stays illuminated all the time. Would this small LED being on constantly run the battery down over say a couple of days?
LEDs draw SFA and would take many many many days to have an impact.

cheers

Gday

I get a bit more life than that (3+ years) but periodically top the aux battery up with a 240V battery charger. Also have the batteries under passenger seat box.

Not sure what sort of DB system you have. If is is a parallel charger and you don't do longer drives, it may not charge as well as an isolating type and need more top ups.

Agree and LED on its own draws so little current I wouldn't worry about it.

Mine has just gone too (not exide) bugt just over 3 years old. I have had two others in different vehicles die at about this age too.

in a fender......the batteries should last a bit longer..... than vehicles with them under the bonnet.......

simply due to the heat factor.......

My second battery was a odyssey that lasted 8 years( that is the life they quote) and have just bought a gell one that has a 6 year life.There not cheap,$368 but I want the power for when things go wrong. Pat

Originally Posted by crl

My second battery is a deep cycle Exide. (The kind where you have to take the caps off and refill the distilled water periodically.)
It gets fairly regular use and after two years is suddenly not putting out as much power. Is two years a reasonable life span for a second battery or am I asking too much by expecting it to soldier on past the two year mark?

Also a related question, as my battery sits near the turbo should I look at some kind of insulation on the battery to shield it from the heat or is this counter productive as when it gets hot it will stay hot for longer?

And finally, the plug to my fridge has a small green LED that illuminates when the fridge is plugged in, unplugging this when the fridge is not in use is a pain, (requires moving the drawer system) so as a result stays illuminated all the time. Would this small LED being on constantly run the battery down over say a couple of days?

Try some INOX Battery Conditioner, if the battery has Sulphated up (which they do) and not mechanically damaged (collapsed plates), Inox will bring it back to life and depending on it's condition you may get another year or two out of it, I have used it to good effect, Regards Frank.