Author Topic: Battery charging issues  (Read 1267 times)

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Offline TwoTired

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Battery charging issues
« on: July 31, 2012, 11:57:13 AM »
Hanging around the local MC shop, I notice this battery on the floor.  What the?...
At first I thought it was a balloon painted to imitate a battery.  But no, it's a gel cell battery doing a balloon imitation.

The lore is that, to "top up" the battery a 40 amp charger was used for 9 hours.  Not by the shop, but by a customer.

Um, don't do that.

I thought it suitable for mounting, so I assembled this tribute from junk box parts.  I figure the battery is used to crude treatment.
The battery still holds a charge but won't deliver much in the way of current.  Still, the push to test buttons light the yellow light or make a buzzer beep.
It's the closest thing to "Art" that I've made recently.  Mounting a spherical battery is not as straightforward as you might think.

Anyway I've never seen a battery with such abuse before.  And, it's fun to imagine what might have happened if the battery was still in the bike rather than on the floor.  Visions of chisels come to mind...

Cheers,

I was corrected by the shop owner.  The charger was a 40 amp unit not a 10 amp...for 9 hours!
« Last Edit: July 31, 2012, 11:48:52 PM by TwoTired »
Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
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Those that learn from history are doomed to repeat it by those that don't learn from history.

bollingball

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Re: Battery charging issues
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2012, 12:07:37 PM »
I thought I had seen it all. I took a job when I got out of the Army the first time in 1971 at a battery salvage company. Saw all kinds of odd things people would do to get that last little bit out of them. They did not have sealed batt. back then on the consumer level. What caused that? I thought they still had some kind of pop off valve like a pressure cooker. I guess it got plugged up.

Ken

Offline TwoTired

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Re: Battery charging issues
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2012, 12:15:12 PM »
My theory is that the heat softened the plastic, and the out gassing supplied the pressure.  Either the "relief valve" was also plastic and failed closed, or there was enough pressure to expand but not relieve.

I decided not to dissect it, because of what it is and the visual appeal.

I'm going to see if it can get hung on the wall of the shop.  ;D

Cheers,
Lloyd... (SOHC4 #11 Original Mail List)
72 500, 74 550, 75 550K, 75 550F, 76 550F, 77 550F X2, 78 550K, 77 750F X2, 78 750F, 79CX500, 85 700SC, GL1100

Those that learn from history are doomed to repeat it by those that don't learn from history.

Offline Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er

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Re: Battery charging issues
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2012, 11:38:59 PM »
TT,

You didn't go engineer on them did you?!  ;)   Just when you think you've seen it all..... along comes another dumb ass.

They say "non-spillable" and they ain't lie'n.
As of today 3/13/2012 my original owner 75 CB750F has made it through 3 wives, er EX-wives. Free at last.  ;-)

Offline dave500

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Re: Battery charging issues
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2012, 12:04:59 AM »
how do i type in slooooow motion?get back its going to bloooooow!!i spent 18 months with marshall batteries,a 24/7 mobile battery supply,man ive see some silly #$%* that customers think a battery can do or should be done to a lead acid battery,,like the guy who charged his pancake flat battery for 30 minutes in his mates car and didnt know why it wasnt charged,when i told him itll need about 8 hours he replied it was a v8 car though?and its a four cylinder battery!and the peasants at a trailer park that charged one all night and they tested it by holding a large wrench across the terminals to judge the spark,,the thing exploded and the guy was lucky not to be blinded,i got another battery sale though,i was on commission only,strange things happen like a guy washed his engine then when he turned the key to start the battery exploded,the lady who was late for work and i fitted a battery and started her car,checked the charging voltage then told her the price,,she exploded not the battery this time!!so she rants that shes not paying that much(its a fair price for the service and a quality battery)and that she can go to kmart and get one for half the cost,,ok so i take it out and refit her old one and she wants me to jump start her car,ok i say thats $30 dollars if you want our jump start service,no way she says the kmart battery is only $45,your here now just start the thing!,so it ends up bye bye even later for work lady.