www.iFourWinns.com

Question for the owners around here...

What do folks do with their Vista batteries in terms of maintenance every year?

I have the 2 year old now, First Interstate group 27 starting batteries to handle the cranking of my 5.7s.

I had a third for the house battery, which I replaced with 2 group 29 deep cycles.


I haven't checked the level of water on any of the batteries in 2 years. They're on shore power charing 90% of the time.

I have had an issue (on another thread) - that I thought might be caused by a low voltage condition. The charger is charging though - and on shore power, I'm still showing 14.4 volts at the panel.

So... I pulled out one house battery (group 29 deep cycle), and one of the 2 cranking batteries (group 27 First Interstate). I topped off the water levels appropriately, and took them into my local pep boys to have them tested.

The results were...

Group 29, running 1000CCA's, and 12.6 volts
Group 27, running 900 CCA's and 13.2 volts

All of this sounds within spec. However, I'm wondering if there is a test that can determine how much of the reserve is left... basically, how much capacity have I lost in 2 years now.

Is there such a test? Is it even worth worrying about?

_________________

2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Hi

A fully charged wet cell should be around 12.6 to 12.8 volts. If your panel is reading 14.4, then it could be wrong!!!! Try using a 2nd meter, do you get the same readings?? At 13.2v, that battery is a little high!!!!

I would also, measure the voltage at the panel. That meter MUST be reading a little high!!!! Is it a analog meter?? If yes, with the main D.C. turned off, is that meter reading ZERO volts?? If not, some meters have a adjustment on the front to zero it out.

Paul

Modern flooded lead acid batteries routinely produce around 14.2VDC for much of their useful life. I've bought 3 in the last two years, all different brands, and they all do that. 12V batteries just aren't, anymore.

It's a little like when we used to call household AC "110" and then at some point it actually became 115, then we began routinely calling it 120, and now, if you put a meter on it, don't be surprised to find it in the 125-126 range. I betcha Walt knows all about that.



I wouldn't think so, but I don't have the systems to worry about that you do, either. Honestly there isn't much you can do to help a lead acid battery other than to keep the water topped off and use intelligent trickle charging to keep them charged. Beyond that, the lead is going to dissolve at a rate that you don't have much control over. I think that's much of why so many boaters just replace them every 5 years "whether they need it or not." My original group 27's are sitting on my garage floor as I type, waiting to be replaced in the spring (even though they showed no signs of degradation at the last outing).

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Now the mechanic in me needs to KNOW.

At: http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Batter ... tm#Battery Voltages

Battery Voltages
All Lead-Acid batteries supply about 2.14 volts per cell (12.6 to 12.8 for a 12 volt battery) when fully charged. Batteries that are stored for long periods will eventually lose all their charge. This "leakage" or self discharge varies considerably with battery type, age, & temperature. It can range from about 1% to 15% per month...........

At: http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

Voltage State of Charge
12.6+ 100%
12.5 90%
12.42 80%
12.32 70%
12.20 60%
12.06 50%
11.9 40%
11.75 30%
11.58 20%
11.31 10%
10.5 0%


Good Luck

What would you like to know?

The battery in my truck is about one year old now and still produces 14.1 - 14.2 volts, as read independently by a $600 Fluke DMM and a $400 Yaesu transceiver.

I have two other batteries ranging in age from 1-3 years, all producing the same voltage, as read independently by that same Fluke DMM, a different Fluke DMM, and by other means.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Important battery maint tips from someone who maintained about 2000 jars at a time-
(Each "jar" is about 2000 lbs of lead plates and acid producing 1.6 V. About 250 jars made up a string- about 400 VDC per string.)

Cleanliness- Biggest tip BY FAR! Wipe down the battery throuroughly, removing moisture, grease/oil, acid and dirt. These contaminants can actually provide minute current paths (called tracing).

Water level- if the lead plates aren't wet, they can't react with the acid!

Test and charge- Before storing, give it a good discharge, and re-charge. This can be accomplished with a stardard battery test kit for about $20, followed by a "rapid charge". The combination of the two help break oxidation loose from the plates, resulting in more exposed area for the dielectric, thus reduced current density, or increased total current capacity. I usually do this immediately before storage, and again before loading into the boat for the season. A trickle charge really serves no benefit to a stored battery other than maintaining it about 2/3 full voltage. If a battery cannot maintain 70% capacity even when stored for months, there may be other issues to consider (humidity, shorted plates).

Cover the posts- Again, this helps reduce "tracing" just like dirt, moisture, etc would.

Hope that helps!

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

Mike, he found it on the internet, so it must be true.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

OK, make fun of me!!! I can take it!!!

I don't mean anything by it, BUT I love to take thing apart. I am a tech by trade.

I have 2 Odyssey batteries which are glassmat type of mil specs. One reads 12.47v and the other 12.51. The flooded battery in my 3 year old Maxima read 12.7V.Oddsey states that "12.8 volts" reading is "100%, state of charge" and float/trickle charge "must be between 13.5 and 13.8 volts. http://www.odysseyfactory.com/documents ... 8_1010.pdf

Going over to the glassmat batteries, I up graded the charger to a Promariner. In there manual, the chargers out put should be:

http://www.pmariner.com/productFeature. ... 012&page=1
Flooded (Lead Acid) 14.6 Absorption, 13.4 Float
AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) 14.6 Absorption, 13.5 Float Sealed
GEL Cell Charging Profile Battery Information 14.1 Absorption, 13.4 Float Sealed
Water filled (with or without Removable caps)

The float charge is to maintain the battery, not to charge it, so the voltage is kicked down but is higher than what the battery puts out. Why Mike's battery is over 14 volts???
.
This is why "all night long's" batteries read 12.6 & 13.2volts and after bring them to Pep boys, he is not stating that they were bad. The reason he is getting 14.1 volts at the panel, is because the charger is on

Walt's comments are VERY true. More so about "cleanliness", this will stop the "tracing" of current going to ground thus killing the battery.

OK make more fun of me!!!

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy