[AT] Batteries charged backwards.

Wed Feb 12 07:30:56 PST 2020

After being discharged, it will regain some voltage, so you need to discharge, let sit, and discharge again until there is nothing left. Check the voltage to see what’s left. 

When charging make sure you’re getting around 14V out of the charger. You have to overcome the 12V rating of the battery by a couple of volts in order to charge properly. Sometimes putting a slightly higher charge voltage above 14V helps, but don’t push it.

As far as connecting a dead battery to a good one, this is just like jump starting a car with a dead battery from a car with a good battery. Just don’t hook them in backwards.

Have you taken them to an auto parts store to have them checked out? Places like Auto Zone will put them on a checker and can tell you if there are any bad cells. They’ll also charge it for you with their professional charger. You just have to leave the battery with them for a day.

Carl
----- Original Message -----
From: Cecil Bearden <crbearden at copper.net>
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Sent: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:43:14 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [AT] Batteries charged backwards.

I have tried rinsing out batteries and replacing the electrolyte and 
recharging.  Most of the time I have found it is not worth the price of 
replacement clothes that look like swiss cheese after they are washed...
Completely discharging the battery is the most difficult problem at this 
time...  I would have thought that direct connection of a 12V headlight 
bulb would have run it down...
Cecil

On 2/12/2020 8:00 AM, szabelski at wildblue.net wrote:
> Cecil,
>
> I agree with completely discharging the batteries and then putting the batteries in parallel one at a time with a good 12V battery. The batteries will try to equalize when in parallel.  When you drain the battery, take the load off and let the battery sit for a while, then put the load back on and drain some more.
>
> You should use a battery charger that has a trickle charge feature. This puts a full charge into the battery at first, then drops down to a small charge to top the battery off. You may have to do this several times and should leave the charger on for at least one full day. Don’t rush the job.
>
> You can also check that each cell is good by taking a reading between each cell. A bad cell will indicate a lower charge then the others. Do this with every recharge attempt and note if you’re making any progress.
>
> Don’t know if you’ve ever gone on-line to look for videos on bringing dead batteries back to life, but their are some that show how to drain a battery, rinse it out, then refill and recharge. They appear to work out quite well, but I can’t swear by them since I’ve never done anything like this myself.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Carl
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Thomas Martin <tmartin at xtra.co.nz>
> To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:24:36 -0500 (EST)
> Subject: Re: [AT] Batteries charged backwards.
>
> Hi Cecil
> I  consulted a very good friend on the other-side of the isle.
> Tony is auto-electrician, of vast car, truck & tractor experience.
> He says you MUST discharge the batteries, separately with a bulb.
> They need to completely discharged. No measurable voltage.
> Then one battery at a time needs to be placed in parallel with another
> fully charged 12v battery, they then need to be connected to a 12v
> charger...
>
> Tom
>
>> On 12 February 2020 at 15:31 Cecil Bearden <crbearden at copper.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> I had 2 group 31 batteries out of the tractor that were completely
>>> dead.  I hooked them up in series and connected my 24Vcharger to them
>>> as It was handy and I wanted to charge both.  After a couple of days I
>>> checked them and found that I had hooked the charger backwards.  I
>>> hooked a couple of incandescent headlights to drain the battery, but
>>> after 3 days they won't light up the headlights, but they still have a
>>> lot of spark when shorted with cables..  A guy at my battery shop said
>>> I should hook up a 6volt light to them and use that to run them
>>> down....  At $100/ea, I need to try to save these...
>>> Cecil
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