<div dir="ltr">Did the headlights burn for a while, then dim, then go out? If so, the charge is almost all gone. If you remove them, and rest the batteries, they'll recover some voltage but there will be no real current behind it any more. Two 12-volt headlights in parallel will draw a lot of current. There's no magic to a random 6V bulb - it will draw more current than an EQUAL WATTAGE 12V bulb, but unless it's a massive 6V bulb, you are doing a better job with the 12V headlights.<div><br></div><div>SO</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 10:13 AM Cecil Bearden <<a href="mailto:crbearden@copper.net">crbearden@copper.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p>The problem I cannot understand is why, when I connected 2
incandescent headlights in parallel to the battery it would not
discharge the battery completely. My battery supplier told me to
then use a 6 volt light. I have seriously thought about just
hooking both in series and then using them as power for arc
welding. A welding rod would discharge them quickly and
completely. Welding can be done using batteries as power... <br>
I charge my batteries outside for safety. These are sealed
batteries. <br>
Cecil<br>
</p>
<div>On 2/13/2020 8:28 AM, Stephen Offiler
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">I do not have ADD, although I am starting to
wonder what personal issues you might have, Thomas. And no,
the point of this exercise is not to reverse the polarity,
The point is to make the best possible attempt to recover two
batteries that have been accidentally reverse-charged. That
involves much more than reversing the polarity. There's a
right way and a lot of wrong ways to tackle each of the
steps. Discharge. Repolarize. Recharge.</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
</div>
<div>SO</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 9:08
AM Thomas Martin <<a href="mailto:tmartin@xtra.co.nz" target="_blank">tmartin@xtra.co.nz</a>> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<p>Do you have ADD? The point of this exercise is to
reverse the polarity of a battery.<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite">On 13 February 2020 at 23:15
Stephen Offiler <<a href="mailto:soffiler@gmail.com" target="_blank">soffiler@gmail.com</a>>
wrote: <br>
<br>
<div dir="ltr">For some actual information on lead-acid
charging, try this:
<div><br>
</div>
<div><a href="https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_the_lead_acid_battery" target="_blank">https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_the_lead_acid_battery</a>
<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">On Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 3:49 AM Thomas
Martin < <a href="mailto:tmartin@xtra.co.nz" target="_blank">tmartin@xtra.co.nz</a>>
wrote: <br>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>Hi Dean<br>
</p>
<p>After the dead battery is connected to the
charged 12v battery in parallel, a battery
charger is connected, (the charged battery <br>
</p>
<p>is there only to dictate the polarity), and
charging can commence. <br>
</p>
<p>Tom<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite">On 13 February 2020 at
20:41 <a href="mailto:deanvp@att.net" rel="noopener" target="_blank">deanvp@att.net</a>
wrote: <br>
<br>
<div>
<p>Tom,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Could you explain this a little further. If
the current from the jumper battery does not
have any effect(affect) on the dead battery
how does it charge it up?</p>
<p> </p>
<div>
<p>Dean VP</p>
<p>Apache Junction, AZ</p>
</div>
<p> </p>
<div>
<div style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt solid rgb(225,225,225);padding:3pt 0in 0in">
<p><strong>From:</strong> AT <<a href="mailto:at-bounces@lists.antique-tractor.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">at-bounces@lists.antique-tractor.com</a>>
<strong>On Behalf Of </strong>Thomas
Martin<br>
<strong>Sent:</strong> Wednesday,
February 12, 2020 12:47 PM<br>
<strong>To:</strong> Antique Tractor
Email Discussion Group <<a href="mailto:at@lists.antique-tractor.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">at@lists.antique-tractor.com</a>><br>
<strong>Subject:</strong> Re: [AT]
Batteries charged backwards.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p>Stephen</p>
<p>Well it appears you do not understand the
difference between connecting in series and
parallel.</p>
<p>When you jump start a vehicle, one connects
in parallel, the current from the jumper
battery does</p>
<p>not have any affect on the the dead
battery.</p>
<p>Tom.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom:12pt">On 13 February
2020 at 07:52 Stephen Offiler <<a href="mailto:soffiler@gmail.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">soffiler@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</p>
<div>
<div>
<p>I wouldn't purposely put 50 amps into
a totally dead battery if I didn't
have to, but then we have the example
cited by others, the jump-start.
Who-knows how many amps will flow;
limited only by the internal
resistance of the batteries and the
cables & connections. I don't
think many people appreciate that a
jump-start is actually sort of a
hail-Mary maneuver. If you didn't
need to get the car/truck/tractor
started ASAP, the smart move is to
charge the battery slowly and
correctly. People are going to chime
in and say "I've been jump-starting my
entire life and never had a problem!"
OK. Me too. But the issue here is
that it's impossible to know how much
you might have shortened the life of
that battery by hitting it with that
big uncontrolled amperage surge. In
Cecil Bearden's case, he's not stuck
in a field or a parking lot or
whatever. He has the opportunity to do
it right. And that definitely does
NOT include hitting it with a giant
surge.</p>
<div>
<p> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>SO</p>
</div>
<div>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<div>
<div>
<p>On Wed, Feb 12, 2020 at 1:08 PM
Thomas Martin < <a href="mailto:tmartin@xtra.co.nz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">tmartin@xtra.co.nz</a>>
wrote:</p>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>Surely US battery chargers have
adjustable amperage?</p>
<p>I thought it was a given that you
wouldn't put 50 amps into a dead
battery...</p>
<p>Tom</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom:12pt">On
13 February 2020 at 03:14
Stephen Offiler < <a href="mailto:soffiler@gmail.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">soffiler@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</p>
<div>
<p>Hold on. A completely dead
12V battery connected to a
good 12V battery is going to
cause very large current to
flow into the dead one. This
is not a good idea.</p>
<div>
<p> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>SO</p>
</div>
<div>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<div>
<div>
<p>On Wed, Feb 12, 2020 at
9:08 AM < <a href="mailto:szabelski@wildblue.net" rel="noopener" target="_blank">szabelski@wildblue.net</a>>
wrote:</p>
</div>
<blockquote>
<p>Cecil, <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
Good luck! <br>
<br>
Carl <br>
----- Original Message -----
<br>
From: Thomas Martin < <a href="mailto:tmartin@xtra.co.nz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">tmartin@xtra.co.nz</a>>
<br>
To: Antique Tractor Email
Discussion Group < <a href="mailto:at@lists.antique-tractor.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">at@lists.antique-tractor.com</a>>
<br>
Sent: Wed, 12 Feb 2020
00:24:36 -0500 (EST) <br>
Subject: Re: [AT] Batteries
charged backwards. <br>
<br>
Hi Cecil <br>
I consulted a very good
friend on the other-side of
the isle. <br>
Tony is auto-electrician, of
vast car, truck &
tractor experience. <br>
He says you MUST discharge
the batteries, separately
with a bulb. <br>
They need to completely
discharged. No measurable
voltage. <br>
Then one battery at a time
needs to be placed in
parallel with another <br>
fully charged 12v battery,
they then need to be
connected to a 12v <br>
charger... <br>
<br>
Tom <br>
<br>
> On 12 February 2020 at
15:31 Cecil Bearden < <a href="mailto:crbearden@copper.net" rel="noopener" target="_blank">crbearden@copper.net</a>>
wrote: <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> > I had 2 group 31
batteries out of the tractor
that were completely <br>
> > dead. I hooked
them up in series and
connected my 24Vcharger to
them <br>
> > as It was handy
and I wanted to charge
both. After a couple of
days I <br>
> > checked them and
found that I had hooked the
charger backwards. I <br>
> > hooked a couple of
incandescent headlights to
drain the battery, but <br>
> > after 3 days they
won't light up the
headlights, but they still
have a <br>
> > lot of spark when
shorted with cables.. A guy
at my battery shop said <br>
> > I should hook up a
6volt light to them and use
that to run them <br>
> > down.... At
$100/ea, I need to try to
save these... <br>
> > Cecil <br>
>
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