Gel Batteries - shelf life & how to re-gen.
Discussion
Hi - Owner of an old MX5 here.
The car runs fine, but gets far less use this time of year.
Historically over the last few years, so long as she gets a run out / start up every week or so, its fine.
This winter everytime more or less the battery is dead - also my fault for not fitting the isolator I've had on the shelf, but still.
Jump start, runs fine- drive to town and back, starts fine once again - leave it a week or 10 days, dead again.
the battery is a 12V31M WESTCO SEALED MX-5 BATTERY
Bought in April '18.
Surely you'd not expect a deterioration in this time? what can be done to rejuvenate?
Currently sat on a slow charger - and I will fit the isolator later....
The car runs fine, but gets far less use this time of year.
Historically over the last few years, so long as she gets a run out / start up every week or so, its fine.
This winter everytime more or less the battery is dead - also my fault for not fitting the isolator I've had on the shelf, but still.
Jump start, runs fine- drive to town and back, starts fine once again - leave it a week or 10 days, dead again.
the battery is a 12V31M WESTCO SEALED MX-5 BATTERY
Bought in April '18.
Surely you'd not expect a deterioration in this time? what can be done to rejuvenate?
Currently sat on a slow charger - and I will fit the isolator later....
About the worst way you could treat a battery - not going to do your alternator any good either.
https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2...
Fully charge it with a battery charger & keep your fingers crossed you haven't killed it.
And FIT THE ISOLATOR!!!!
(I've got one on my RRC for exactly the same reason & periodically put a battery charge on to keep it fully charged)
https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2...
Fully charge it with a battery charger & keep your fingers crossed you haven't killed it.
And FIT THE ISOLATOR!!!!
(I've got one on my RRC for exactly the same reason & periodically put a battery charge on to keep it fully charged)
peterperkins said:
Lead acid batteries do not take kindly to being drained until dead and then left if that state for any length of time.
Get a new battery and your isolator installed.
it's a gel battery, not lead acid...Get a new battery and your isolator installed.
Either fit the isolator, and/or keep it topped up with an optimate type charger
The isolator fitted - a sod of a fitment tbh on the neg post, right under the inner wing in the boot.
I'll be looking for am alternate perhaps. Sat on the charger overnight and another look tomorrow.
Sadly, for now, the car is not easily left on a trickle charger......
Hopefully a move in a few months brings a double garage and workshop so the cosseting can recompense.
I'll be looking for am alternate perhaps. Sat on the charger overnight and another look tomorrow.
Sadly, for now, the car is not easily left on a trickle charger......
Hopefully a move in a few months brings a double garage and workshop so the cosseting can recompense.
PushedDover said:
The isolator fitted - a sod of a fitment tbh on the neg post, right under the inner wing in the boot.
I'll be looking for am alternate perhaps. Sat on the charger overnight and another look tomorrow.
Sadly, for now, the car is not easily left on a trickle charger......
Hopefully a move in a few months brings a double garage and workshop so the cosseting can recompense.
This from another thread on a similar subject. Not cheap but would save having to access the battery area every time.I'll be looking for am alternate perhaps. Sat on the charger overnight and another look tomorrow.
Sadly, for now, the car is not easily left on a trickle charger......
Hopefully a move in a few months brings a double garage and workshop so the cosseting can recompense.
https://www.cartekmotorsport.com/battery-isolators...
GreenV8S said:
I've got an intelligent isolator on the TVR which disconnects and reconnects automatically. That might be more convenient and more reliable than a manual switch. You can get a remote mechanical switch or an electrically remote controlled switch if you want something simpler.
If you don't mind me asking, which one have you got?And can it be manually overridden to completely isolate the battery?
thanks for all the suggestions folks.
The battery has been on charge overnioght and still only at 2/3rds so no doubt 'tom ducked'. I'll be seeing in to that warranty tomorrow.
As for the Isolator - I am needing something simple and compact in reality. The area / location is zero . / low crime (I haven't locked the car for maybe 2 years ? and the access / space for the fitting of the isolator to the Neg post / cable to chassis is the biggest ball ache. Are you familiar with the battery in the boot location, under the right wing ??
The battery has been on charge overnioght and still only at 2/3rds so no doubt 'tom ducked'. I'll be seeing in to that warranty tomorrow.
As for the Isolator - I am needing something simple and compact in reality. The area / location is zero . / low crime (I haven't locked the car for maybe 2 years ? and the access / space for the fitting of the isolator to the Neg post / cable to chassis is the biggest ball ache. Are you familiar with the battery in the boot location, under the right wing ??
paintman said:
If you don't mind me asking, which one have you got?
And can it be manually overridden to completely isolate the battery?
Mine is branded 'Priority Start'. It is quite old. I checked a few years ago and there are several variants under that brand now, similar to mine but not identical.And can it be manually overridden to completely isolate the battery?
It keeps track of whether the vehicle is 'in use' (presumably by detecting electrical noise) and isolates the battery when it is not in use and the voltage drops past a certain level - seems to correspond to about 75% charged. If it is isolated then it reconnects automatically when the ignition is switched on. No manual override in mine but I think the later ones are more sophisticated.
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