[The Champ]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

That DELCO battery warranty is very strong and in writing. I always liked DELCO batteries and used them allot before opening my current shop 2 miles from the NAPA store I am always talking about. I also realize word of mouth, individual discretion warranties don't mean a thing based on your questions above. I guess my point was since batteries are a consumer item that will always fail no matter what brand, it's nice to deal with a brick and mortar store and an individual who knows you.

Before I retired from the ACDelco/Motorcraft/Mopar warehouse distributor that I worked for, one of my diehard Interstate battery shops was frustrated by the Interstate dealers refusal to honor warranties after he'd already replaced the customers battery with a new one.

According to the Interstate dealer, the shop owner didn't know how to test a battery. The shop owner had been in business for 30 years (selling Interstate batteries the whole time) and was honest as the day is long.

As to pro rata warranties - I was so glad when ACDelco did away with the pro rata BS. If I remember correctly, they did this around 2012. The Advantage (entry level) had an 18 month free replacement warranty, the Silver a 30 month and the Gold a 42 month. All in plain English.

All the pro rata warranty ever did was piss customers off (after the free replacement period).

[mgarblik]

You are preaching to the choir on manufacturers blaming repair shops for "not knowing how to test" their defective junk. I have 3 methods I use for testing batteries and use all three before taking a battery back to NAPA. They know when a battery comes back from me, it is verified dead. That's part of the trust and relationship. First, I unhook or remove the battery. Then fully charge the battery with an automatic charger that has a deep recovery mode until the charger indicates a full charge. I let the battery sit 24 hours. I check the voltage. If it is 12.4 volts or lower, no further testing needed, it's done. If 12.5V or higher I then move to my capacitance tester. That's the digital tester where you program in the CCA of the battery, hit the go button and it gives you the calculated CCA available. Midtronics is the main vendor of these, but mine is a Snap-on. If it's under 75% of the rated CCA's, again it's done. Third, I still have a VAT 40 carbon pile tester that puts the heavy continuous load on the battery. If the battery can't deliver half of the rated CCA's for 15 seconds and maintain 9.6V or higher, it is done. Failure of any of these tests and the battery will give you trouble in some situation in the near future. Not saying it won't limp along for a while, but will eventually leave you walking.

[70oldgoat]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I have 3 methods I use for testing batteries ... First, I unhook or remove the battery. Then fully charge the battery with an automatic charger that has a deep recovery mode until the charger indicates a full charge. I let the battery sit 24 hours. I check the voltage. If it is 12.4 volts or lower, no further testing needed, it's done. If 12.5V or higher I then move to my capacitance tester. …"

I have a question about checking the voltage of six volt wet cell deep cycle batteries.

I have six, six volt Interstate wet cell batteries in my golf cart (36 volt system). I bought the batteries April of last year (about 14 months ago). I have maintained a charge on the batteries religiously between use since the batteries were new. The golf cart poops out going up a hill and I suspect one or more of the batteries may be bad. I want to check each battery here at home before taking it to a shop.

Using your above quoted testing procedure, what voltage should I expect to see for a six (6) volt battery after charging the battery and letting it set for 24 hours?

Thanks.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by 70oldgoat

I have a question about checking the voltage of six volt wet cell deep cycle batteries.

I have six, six volt Interstate wet cell batteries in my golf cart (36 volt system). I bought the batteries April of last year (about 14 months ago). I have maintained a charge on the batteries religiously between use since the batteries were new. The golf cart poops out going up a hill and I suspect one or more of the batteries may be bad. I want to check each battery here at home before taking it to a shop.

Using your above quoted testing procedure, what voltage should I expect to see for a six (6) volt battery after charging the battery and letting it set for 24 hours?

Thanks.

I really don't work with 6 volt batteries for cars or your application. But based on all the other batteries I do work with including all the little ones, when the battery is at or below it's generic voltage rating, it is dead. So I would guestimate the 6 volt batteries are dead at 6 volts if they won't charge any further and have sat 12-24 hours to remove the surface charge. Fully charged would be a little over 6.3 volts. Each cell is 2.13V. Little 1.5V AAA, AA, C, and D cell batteries are dead at 1.2-1.3V. Fully charged at 1.6V. I'm so cheap I check them with a voltmeter before tossing them out.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I really don't work with 6 volt batteries for cars or your application. But based on all the other batteries I do work with including all the little ones, when the battery is at or below it's generic voltage rating, it is dead. So I would guestimate the 6 volt batteries are dead at 6 volts if they won't charge any further and have sat 12-24 hours to remove the surface charge. Fully charged would be a little over 6.3 volts. Each cell is 2.13V. Little 1.5V AAA, AA, C, and D cell batteries are dead at 1.2-1.3V. Fully charged at 1.6V. I'm so cheap I check them with a voltmeter before tossing them out.

Having worked many years with aerial lift equipment, which the battery operated scissor lifts use a bank of 4, 6 volt batteries (much like golf cart batteries) the recommendation that Mike gave is spot on, 6.3 after the surface charge is gone is adequate. 2.1 volts if you check them with a VOM by sticking the probes right in the cells and you can also find weak cells by checking the cells next to each other.

I used to do this in the field to check batteries and if one out of the 4 has a weak cell, you're further ahead to replace all of the batteries instead of just one. In a multi battery bank the one in the worst shape will bring all the good batteries down to whichever battery is the worst, making your new battery act like used worn out one as soon as you install it. Unless the other 3 batteries are only a few months old you're going to ruin the newest battery in short order. Diesel trucks with 2 batteries are the same thing.

[242177P]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I really don't work with 6 volt batteries for cars or your application. But based on all the other batteries I do work with including all the little ones, when the battery is at or below it's generic voltage rating, it is dead. So I would guestimate the 6 volt batteries are dead at 6 volts if they won't charge any further and have sat 12-24 hours to remove the surface charge. Fully charged would be a little over 6.3 volts. Each cell is 2.13V. Little 1.5V AAA, AA, C, and D cell batteries are dead at 1.2-1.3V. Fully charged at 1.6V. I'm so cheap I check them with a voltmeter before tossing them out.

Rechargeable (NiMH) AAs are rated 1.2V. Just tested a freshly charged pair at 1.36V. I like them, but some devices perform noticeably better with "inferior" batteries. I wonder why?

[SRR]

Originally Posted by The Champ

Before I retired from the ACDelco/Motorcraft/Mopar warehouse distributor that I worked for, one of my diehard Interstate battery shops was frustrated by the Interstate dealers refusal to honor warranties after he'd already replaced the customers battery with a new one.

According to the Interstate dealer, the shop owner didn't know how to test a battery. The shop owner had been in business for 30 years (selling Interstate batteries the whole time) and was honest as the day is long.

As to pro rata warranties - I was so glad when ACDelco did away with the pro rata BS. If I remember correctly, they did this around 2012. The Advantage (entry level) had an 18 month free replacement warranty, the Silver a 30 month and the Gold a 42 month. All in plain English.

All the pro rata warranty ever did was piss customers off (after the free replacement period).

Yeah, after paying $170. for a battery getting $24.00 off in the pro-rate period creates a grumpy customer. I usually tell them just buy a new one and I'll knock off 10%. I deal with this kind of stuff every day. You guys that keep saying how great your 10 year old batteries are realize that they are USA made right? Your going to be lucky to get 3-4 years out of a "Hecho en Mexico" battery. The quality just isn't there when profit is the name of the game.