Goose
Well-known Member
I didn't want to hijack another thread.
I have about 5 battery chargers, and among them I have a large, 150 amp battery charger, one of the upright ones on wheels with a "crank" function. My wife gave it to me as a gift maybe 30 years ago. I'm not sure of the brand, without going back to my shop and looking.
Anyhoo, I've had a Dodge Grand Caravan sitting in my shop taking up space all winter. It's there mainly to be out of the way for snow removal. After I got back to my shop a couple of months ago after the debacle with my back, I tried the Dodge and the battery was dead. I put this charger on it for an hour or so and the Dodge fired right up. I tried it again after a week or so and it was dead again. This repeated several times. You wouldn't think a battery would go dead that soon.
The other day, I disconnected the battery ground post and put an amp meter between the battery and ground. It read a .02 amp draw, which would be consistent with maintaining the clock, radio stations, etc.
When I left the shop that day, the battery read 12.4 volts after being on the charger for a half hour, and with the ground cable disconnected. I checked it again this afternoon when I got to the shop and it read 11.8 volts.
I put a voltmeter on the battery charger and it was only putting out 10.6 volts. What the heck? How could the battery be charged to 12.4 volts when the charger was only putting out 10.6? The charger has always done what it was supposed to and this is the first time I ever put a volt meter on it.
I suspect the Dodge is perfectly innocent and the battery simply hasn't been getting a full charge. Before I left the shop this afternoon, I put a small 10 amp charger on it and am letting it set overnight. It was putting out 13 volts when I left. I'll see what it's done tomorrow.
It puzzles me that the big charger was only putting out 10.6 volts. I have a couple of 100 amp portable chargers, one in the garage at my house and the other in my other shop so I might play with one of them.
Something isn't quite adding up here.
I have about 5 battery chargers, and among them I have a large, 150 amp battery charger, one of the upright ones on wheels with a "crank" function. My wife gave it to me as a gift maybe 30 years ago. I'm not sure of the brand, without going back to my shop and looking.
Anyhoo, I've had a Dodge Grand Caravan sitting in my shop taking up space all winter. It's there mainly to be out of the way for snow removal. After I got back to my shop a couple of months ago after the debacle with my back, I tried the Dodge and the battery was dead. I put this charger on it for an hour or so and the Dodge fired right up. I tried it again after a week or so and it was dead again. This repeated several times. You wouldn't think a battery would go dead that soon.
The other day, I disconnected the battery ground post and put an amp meter between the battery and ground. It read a .02 amp draw, which would be consistent with maintaining the clock, radio stations, etc.
When I left the shop that day, the battery read 12.4 volts after being on the charger for a half hour, and with the ground cable disconnected. I checked it again this afternoon when I got to the shop and it read 11.8 volts.
I put a voltmeter on the battery charger and it was only putting out 10.6 volts. What the heck? How could the battery be charged to 12.4 volts when the charger was only putting out 10.6? The charger has always done what it was supposed to and this is the first time I ever put a volt meter on it.
I suspect the Dodge is perfectly innocent and the battery simply hasn't been getting a full charge. Before I left the shop this afternoon, I put a small 10 amp charger on it and am letting it set overnight. It was putting out 13 volts when I left. I'll see what it's done tomorrow.
It puzzles me that the big charger was only putting out 10.6 volts. I have a couple of 100 amp portable chargers, one in the garage at my house and the other in my other shop so I might play with one of them.
Something isn't quite adding up here.