charging/alternator thread*more confused than ever*

[Smokey Eddy]

If it has sat dead in the cold and allowed to freeze I do fear it may be toast.. *** son.

Dont suppose you have a friend who would be willing to lend you a battery for a little why for you to run the tests with a different battery in there?

Very likely I do actually. I could remove my battery and connect the leads with jumpers to his battery for the sake of running the tests. Could even start my car like that ya? and see if my alternator will charge his battery...


the battery hasn't been allowed to sit and freeze for more than ... 2 weeks at the very most and at the very coldest be -13c... but wouldn't the acid prevent the solution from freezing?

[8v-of-fury]

Could probably start the car that way warm, but I think you'd be hard pressed to pull that many amps through jumpers on a cold start..

[Smokey Eddy]

Could probably start the car that way warm, but I think you'd be hard pressed to pull that many amps through jumpers on a cold start..

in which case i'll have charged my battery i guess with my charger and can use it to start? then remove the connectors with the jumpers still on buddy's battery

[RadoTD]

Just subscribing to this thread, not sure if I have any useful ideas at the time :/

[Smokey Eddy]

My best guess right now after light of new events is that the battery drops below a voltage nessisary to excite the alternator due to the battery being a POS mastercraft battery.

Still doesn't solve the dim battery light in the dash though if that is the issue.

[dieselweasel]

but wouldn't the acid prevent the solution from freezing?

When a battery is discharged the electrolyte is diluted to the point that it is mostly water, therefore will freeze quite readily. 

[Smokey Eddy]

im currently tracking down a small enough screw driver to change the battery i bought for my multi meter. Then I'll charge the battery (again) and see what happens.
Im expecting to see now, with a hopefully working multimeter, that the voltage at the blue wire will be the exact voltage ill get across the terminals of the charged battery BUT that the battery will quickly (as in over night or more likely within 4 hours) drain to below 12 volts - thus giving me the no charge scenario and with no way of getting out of it

[Smokey Eddy]

I "reset" my multimeter with a new battery. Brought the battery inside and checked it.11.8v.
Put the charger on it at 20 amps and 13.5 volts. About 4 hours later I checked on it and the charger was still whirring, battery still bubbling and at the posts I got 15.3v.
Is this pretty normal now? Once fully charged I'm going to let the battery sit for 24 hours at 2 amps. Then ill disconnect and wait say 12 hours or so. I'll check it every six hours and my guess is the voltage will drop but we'll see...
To be updated soon!

[Smokey Eddy]

so in 48 hours the battery went from 13.8v after being fully charged to 12.9
Is that pretty bad?

[mtrans]

No untill 12.5but on cold and no drive or short,parhaps more.
Good for multimeter,try that A metar  betwen + from aku and + kable,no motor run, up to 100 ma is good.

[8v-of-fury]

I dont see how it can read 12.9.. when 12.61 is a fully charged battery.. lol I think your multimeter is still screwed up some.

[theman53]

I would take it to a place that can run a test on the battery. I have had them that have good voltage until put under load. they would even hold it for days, but then go to start and it would read 10.something. I took it to a battery tester and within 2 seconds of load it was toast.

[Smokey Eddy]

Interesting. So, if it was under load and drops to 11 something... that would cause the alternator to stop working?

[Smokey Eddy]

Battery now reads 12.72 its been sitting inside since being charged.

[ORCoaster]

I'm with theman on this.  Take it to a shop and have them hook up that great big heater element to it and see what kind of guts this battery has.  My guess is that it will not hold up long.  Takes a charge but won't keep it.  The cells are gone. 

Buy a new battery.