I park my CJ in one of those 10'x20' grey plastic garages, was out wheeling last sunday, and obviously I forgot to turn off lights, battery so dead not even a click, stuck camper battery in and on come lights. So question is, had CJ for 1 1/2 years, battery of unknown age, one of those ones with green lights, ( no green there today ), is it worth trying to charge it or is it shot? I've had dead batteries before, but not ones that dead, 7 days of headlights on, so I don't know if a non deap cycle battery can come back from that.
Might as well give it a shot. There is a good chance it is toast but........ To recover it needs to have a heavy amp charge to get the plates properly formed and then a slow charge to top it off. Around here we have serval places one of which is "Batteries Plus" that will put the battery on a fancy tester and see what it looks like. The tester will put a preliminary charge on it when it's really dead like yours, then run some load tests. It even has a thermocouple to check the battery temp and compensate for temp.
I generally figure on 4 years for battery life, anything more than that is gravy. I'd rather run on the first portion of battery life rather than the last where I need to worry about it. So if the battery is 4 years or more old and it gives me any trouble, out it goes. Yours should have some markings on it, it should have been sold with a warranty.
I've been gett> I park my CJ in one of those 10'x20' grey plastic garages, was out
Thanks for all the replies, will check to see if it had date on it and give it an overnight charge, if dead does anyone have an opinion on Optima red tops, good, bad or a waiste of double the money?
I think they are a total waste of double the money. Logging road vibrations will still kill them just like regular batteries and they have a short warranty.
Canadian Tire now sells the spiral cell batteries, I would be checking those out for the warranty if nothing else. The spiral cells are nice if you aren't rubber side down, they have no acid to spill so you can still winch yourself back over.
Oh, if you cut the label on your battery, you should still be able to open the top to top up the water for the charge if needed. A deep discharge/charge can use up water.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
They have others besides the marine ones. I guess in your neck of the woods, the marine ones would be a big seller. The marine ones are designed to be totally drained like you just did and recover many times. They apparently are a little lower with starting amps, but boats still have V8 engines they need to start up so......
Snow posted some links to others than marine.
Watch the damn warranties though! A 'supposedly' vibration proof battery that supposedly 'never' fails so they don't 'need' a good warranty is just pure snake oil BS like the Optima 'name' as I found out the hard way.
The Optima is a very good choice. I bought my CJ in 1998, with unknown years on the Optima Red Top. I now have 7 more years and it is going strong. The best part is that it has been upsidedown a few times, and the engine bay is not full of battery acid. This is worth the price in itself.
If you're interested in closing the barn door.......
I always try to lock the drivers door when I turn on the headlights. That way, when I try to open the door to get out and it's locked, I remember the lights.
Works in my YJ. Doesn't do squat in the Caravan, but that beeps when I leave the lights on.
The battery may survive. Suggest setting battery charger to 6 volt setting and when charge rate drops below 2 amps set to 12 volts and continue to charge.
The newer batteries cannot be "recharged from the dead" as many times as the older batteries with which you are familiar. Three discharges is it for most of the newer batteries. One serious discharge can decrease a batteries capacity by as much as 25% (been there)
If you left the battery fully discharged for more than one or two days. take the battery to an auto-electric speicalty shop and have them 'equalize' it. When you ask to have it done and the counter man has a strange look on his face, leave the shop.
Equalization is controlled over-charging (at a precise voltage ... and correlated to actual battery temperature) will help to desulphanate the plates, Batteries that are left in a dead state for more than one to two days will sulphanate which will lead to premature battery failure. Equalization is done by applying a specific charge rate that causes the battery to 'boil'. Obviously dont do this yourself as you may explode the battery in the process, etc.
A rapid fast full charge (turn the charger switch to 'manual' ), will sometimes be good enough. Do this outside and with plenty of 'space' so if the battery 'goes' noone gets hurt. Hook up charger, switch to manual, follow looooooong extension cord to power source and plug in. Dont even think of going near the battery when its fast manual charging in case it goes booooooom. Charge for about an hour, turn off charger and if battery is less than hot to touch, switch to automatic, etc.
There are three stage solid state (expensive) external regulators that allow for equalizati> The battery may survive. Suggest setting battery charger to 6 volt setting
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