4 year-old AAP Gold Battery 12.51 volts after 1 wk

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gathermewool

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I replaced my battery due to age and because I'm selling it to my sister in-law: New Battery For SIL Car

Anyway, when I pulled the battery I put it on the Solar Pro-Logix PL2520 smart charger overnight. It took several hours for the charger to indicate full and to revert into desulfation mode (~13.3VDC).

I did the same a couple of nights later. It indicated full soon after starting.

Today, a week later, I checked and the OC voltage was 12.51 VDC. I hooked up the charger and it read 80% full. Within minutes it read full and went to desulphation mode.

Any thoughts?

I've got an Ironton load tester that I'll try out tomorrow night.
 
12.51v is pretty good after 1 week on a 4 yr old battery. The battery in my DD is only 1 year old (AC Delco professional gold) and it drops to 12.3-12.4 volts by the next morning. The car starts perfectly every time though. Started immediately every day in the winter. Yet it takes an hour to charge up to a green light, taking 8 amp charging rate initially. It indicates fully charged at a 4 amp rate, which seems odd. My other car sits for a week, stays at 12.60v or higher, and only takes a couple minutes to hit full charge at a 0-1 amp rate.

I babied the last weak battery I owned that would drop to 12.2 volts. Charged it before every drive. Got 3 more years out of it for a total of 6 yrs.

I recall one time keeping a "too good to recycle" battery in the garage for a year or so. Eventually, I didn't keep up with the charging and it essentially croaked. Wasn't worth the effort to keep playing with a "spare" that likely will never get used if you keep on your regular installed car batteries.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. I offered the battery for $5 on my company intranet. One guy flaked and the other doesn't own a phone (though he responds to company email during working hours nearly instantly). I just got back from a mini-vaca and will let the 3rd guy know it's his to come get.

If I can't sell it I may may keep it to play with or install as a short-term solution to a dead battery, so I'm not stuck with jumping only
 
12.51 isnt completely full.

The battery will have some self discharge, and it is likely that your charger didnt truly charge the battery to 100%.

Not sure there's anything wrong with the battery though.
 
4 year old battery..............

New England..............

It will fail some cold January night at the worst possible time and place.

Replace it. Batteries are not what they used to be.

If not - she will blame you.

Do it and she will love you.
 
What was the result of the load test? There's a few charts that show what the voltage should be on a fresh full charged battery. I think it's 12.7, but that's at 70 degrees. Voltage will be lower at lower temperatures. It's summer and according to the charts, 12.5 is about 80% charged.

I've got a 9 year old AGM battery in my car, I've seen the voltage displayed in the instrument cluster as low as 11.9 volts in the winter, but then again that's not an open circuit voltage which is what the charts refer to.
 
I have tested a deep cycle battery that I have in my camper and after 3 days its at 12.7 after a full charge. Its five years old. Will be using it and generator over hooking up to power as they get $20 a day. Getting ready for a few days at Brainerd International Raceway to setup a fireworks show.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
12.51 isnt completely full.

The battery will have some self discharge, and it is likely that your charger didnt truly charge the battery to 100%.

Not sure there's anything wrong with the battery though.


I think you're right. I can't remember who it was, but someone mentioned having to turn the "smart" charger off and then on several times to trick the battery into a full charge.

I wonder if this thing needs an equalizing charge. Might be that a good 15VDC for a bit on my dumb charger is in order to get all of the cells back up to spec.
 
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