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Old 12-29-2009, 06:29 PM   #1
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BatteryMinder question.

I'm using a BatteryMinder for several batteries and have a question... I didn't want to hijack Ted's thread, so here's mine..

After a certain amount of time, it goes into desulfation mode and it will stay there. The manual says that it can take up to a week, for some batteries to desulfate. I've had this thing on two different batteries(Separately) and the BM stayed in desulfation mode for two weeks, until I finally un-plugged it.

I would normally just wait it out, but these batteries just cost too much to take a chance on destroying them. I had the BM hooked to the battery we took out of Kitty's 2499 and it ended up all but dead. It wasn't the best battery in the world, but would hold it's surface charge for a couple of hours.

That battery went with the 320 and couldn't budge the slide after only being disconnected from the TV for 30 minutes. I'm now not sure if it was the BM that destroyed it, or just finished it off.

I disconnected the BM from the battery it was on at 7pm this evening and will check the voltage in the battery, before I go to bed.

Sorry for the long-winded post, but I just want to know if desulfation mode could harm a battery....
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Old 12-29-2009, 08:35 PM   #2
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Hi Gary

Here see page 16 in the Battery Minder Plus model 12117. I’m assuming this is the one you have.

http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...evB_032009.pdf

Here is an excerpt from that page:

Quote:
Originally Posted by VDC
7. The BatteryMINDer Plus charges your battery to
full voltage first before it automatically goes into the
maintenance/desulphation mode. The GREEN LED stays
solid during the charging mode.

8. The GREEN LED indicator starts blinking automatically
after the BatteryMINDer Plus has charged the battery to
full voltage and goes into the maintenance mode. If there
is a lot of sulphate in your battery, If it cannot accept a full
charge the GREEN LED indicator will not start blinking
within 72 hours. Press the Maintenance button to manually
start the maintenance mode which will also continue the
Desulphation Process. Given sufficient time (2 weeks +)
additional sulphate will be removed. Retest your battery
to determine if it has fully recovered. If not, continue the
process or discard battery. Your battery may be defective
for reasons other than sulphation.

9. Leave the BatteryMINDer Plus connected to your
battery at all times when it is not in actual use. You can
never over desulphate your battery.
Page 13 and 14 talks about testing a questionable battery before charging.

Mine once they reach desulphate mode blink forever until I unhook them and start over on the next hook up. I “think” that once it battery is sensed it is fully desulphated it drops the current off to almost nothing. I have used these on my diesel tractor battery, a big monster, 2 feet long… and it works the best I have seen it in years. The lawn tractor battery too and those things before I have only ever been able to get 3 years out of them and they die. Last year I started using the BM+ an come spring it was like a new battery. I was shocked!

I too questioned “how long does this thing stay in desulphate mode?” but then I read 8 and 9 in the manual and convinced myself it was doing what it was suppose to and so far have had nothing but positive experiences with them. Unless I miss read it, it is suppose to blink forever.

Do you have a hydrometer? A bad cell generally can’t come back to life.

This spring I added 2, Group 27 batteries to the T310. I bought one of them brand new when we got the TT a year earlier but I never put it in until I got a 2nd one. I had the BM+ on that new battery non stop for a year sitting in the garage on a wood block. It blinked the whole time. It is now in use for over a year in the TT and I still connect it to the BM+ after every campout. Once into desulfate mode, the blinky light will not stop blinking from what I have seen.

I have never called VDC. They have a 1800 number and an email help support http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...eryminders.php

Hope this helps

John

PS. The battery in the T2499, was that the one that got shorted to death when the guy put the chains on the flat bed over the battery cable when the axle bearing went out? Kitty was out west when that happened. That might of started it down hill.
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Old 12-30-2009, 07:32 AM   #3
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Morning John,

It is not the battery that was blown up on the 2499, that one was trash after the tow guy blew it up by pinching the battery cable between the frame and tiedown chain. Here is what it looked like:


Adventure RV installed a new Interstate battery on the 2499 in July '07 when the incident happened, and I don't know where that Interstate battery is now, could be out in the garage, or it might have been left on the 2499 when we traded it in.


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Old 12-30-2009, 08:04 AM   #4
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My Experience

I've said it before but worth restating....

I keep my batteries on desulfating chargers continuously. My Motorhome batteries are now in their 13 year and still work great. When we're not using the motorhome we keep the batteries on the desulfating charger. The desulfating seems to last about 15 minutes, we only notice it at night when the lights will get decidedly brighter. I'm sure it also happens at intervals during the day when the lights aren't on.

To me thirteen years is the proof.

We also have a desulfating charge cycle on our trailer battery. The battery is at least 5 years old but probably older.

It's also interesting that the Bounder batteries are always under charge and after a six month winter of charging, their water levels are still reasonable.

I would mention that taking out the Morothome batteries for the winter is not an option; they are located in a near impossible spot.

Our desulfating cycle is built into our rig's converters, using their Charge Wizard.
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Old 12-30-2009, 08:44 AM   #5
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From my reading of the BatteryMinder and Ctek manuals for the two chargers I have, dead or half dead batteries are the biggest cause of sulfation. As John stated, batteries that sit around don't last long. The Ctek manual also says to leave it attached... basically forever.

Running a battery down to the point it won't start, and then boosting will eventually lead to problems. First of all, the battery will definitely be sulfated, and secondly... Anytime a battery is boosted to start, the truck's alternator is called upon to restore that dead battery all my itself. Unless you have a heavy duty alternator this could lead to failure down the road. It is far better to use an external charger to bring the battery up and then starting the truck on its own battery. Booster cables and the boost feature in most chargers should be used only for emergencies.

The BatteryMinder will not maintain/resurrect a failed battery. I tried that by first using an external charger and then switching to the BM and I still had to manually push the button to bring it into desulfate--it was still dead 4 weeks later.

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Old 12-30-2009, 12:38 PM   #6
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More

In thinking about our batteries and their long life...

We bought our motorhome and the batteries were four years old and had never seen a desulfating charge wizard until we bought it. The same goes for the trailer. Does this mean that if they have been sulfated that it can be reversed with time?
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Old 12-30-2009, 02:38 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
PS. The battery in the T2499, was that the one that got shorted to death when the guy put the chains on the flat bed over the battery cable when the axle bearing went out? Kitty was out west when that happened. That might of started it down hill.
The battery that was in the 2499 when we traded it in, is the one the dealer gave me. That is the same battery that tested at 10.5V, after 3 hours off-charger. I put it in the 320, just before we traded it in.

That battery, while in the 2499, was always charging through the converter. Kitty kept it plugged in 24/7. That may be what killed it.
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Old 12-30-2009, 03:08 PM   #8
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Re: More

Quote:
Originally Posted by Honda03842
Does this mean that if they have been sulfated that it can be reversed with time?
The answer is yes, but... it depends on how bad it is and what conditions the battery is in at the time the desulfation attempt is made.

Like Henry said, once dead, it is not coming back. They works wonders not miracles.... Best is stay ahead of it, next best is catch it before it is 1/2 dead, next is 3/4 dead and after that it is close to pure luck.

John
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