Battery cooked?

[YNOT]

Sorry for th hi-jack but would a smart charger notice a dead cell???

It depends just how smart the charger is. At work I deal with a lot of Delta Q smart chargers (24 & 36 volt) and I've seen them boil a set of six 335 A/H trojan deep cycle batteries after one of the batteries dropped a cell. The batteries got so hot I couldn't touch them for 6 hours.

Tony

[Finly Owner]

It depends just how smart the charger is. At work I deal with a lot of Delta Q smart chargers (24 & 36 volt) and I've seen them boil a set of six 335 A/H trojan deep cycle batteries after one of the batteries dropped a cell. The batteries got so hot I couldn't touch them for 6 hours.

Tony

Holy crap!

[snicko]

Had the second battery fitted by "a Friend"!!

The solar panel sits on the front of the roof rack and was fitted by a professional.

For the last hour I have been looking for the receipt when the panel was fitted and cant find it so all can do is measure it 120 x 55cm

[big_fletch]

It depends just how smart the charger is. At work I deal with a lot of Delta Q smart chargers (24 & 36 volt) and I've seen them boil a set of six 335 A/H trojan deep cycle batteries after one of the batteries dropped a cell. The batteries got so hot I couldn't touch them for 6 hours.

Tony

I'll second that Tony, boiling batteries can be extremely dangerous.. Smart charges are very good however with a dead cell a lot of battery charges just see the battery as still flat, therefore putting more amps into it..
The battery will just keep getting hotter and hotter till something melts and shorts out possibley damaging the battery charger or battery blows up (which I have also seen)..
Most battery charger have a overload protection to stop damage from occurring to them, just remember when you have a battery on charge to keep it preferably outside in a well ventilated area and check it every couple of hours if able

[big_fletch]

Had the second battery fitted by "a Friend"!!

The solar panel sits on the front of the roof rack and was fitted by a professional.

For the last hour I have been looking for the receipt when the panel was fitted and cant find it so all can do is measure it 120 x 55cm

On the Bach of the solar panel it should Say how many watts or amps the panel is but sounds like would be between the 60-100w mark (5-8amps)

[snicko]

Uuuummmm... something suss here.

Do you have a regulator on the Solar Panel and what size panel is it (wattage) ?
Have you had the Panel connected to all of the batteries at some point ?

When the solar panel was fitted Oct 09 I got the guys to check the second battery set up.

They set it up that the solar panel puts charge into the third battery only. (Thumper Redback BADC)

Fitted is a PV Charge Controller SBC-7108 / 7112 / 7120 (Found the user's manual!!)

The alternator is to charge the main crank battery first then the second battery and if any left the third battery.

[Dark 1]

Fletch & Tony seem to have you sorted but i will add in my experience the pv controllers are absolute rubbish. I wouldn't use them as paper weights. What i've seen they allways over charge & give false readings. Good luck mate & keep us posted.

[snicko]

Fletch & Tony seem to have you sorted but i will add in my experience the pv controllers are absolute rubbish. I wouldn't use them as paper weights. What i've seen they allways over charge & give false readings. Good luck mate & keep us posted.

What would you recommend as a dodgie battery setup is the last thing you need out in the bush!!

[Dark 1]

Mate as to solar regs stick with the big names, morning star, steca, redarc, plasmatronics. I personallly use Steca in my car solar setup & the new van setup is having a morning star regulator. Batteries are funny things what works for some doesn't work for others. Only hints i can give are make sure your batteries are solar compatable, cables from solar to reg to batts are of decent size [6mm core minimum] & good quality componets.

Hope this helps bud & good luck.

[snicko]

I took the 4bee to a solar panel place and "assumed" like you shouldnt! that they would do the right thing by me. Thanks for your advice I will check out what I actually have and do some research maybe check on a forum!!!!!!!!