Rumor ?

I spent my whole lunch hour looking over that Battery University.com website.
Wow, Some serious info on there.

8thnote; real neat Bach picture.
(Can you imagine if Bach had Electronics, Internet, and Computers?)

 

Funny thought about that 130 mph reference. at those speeds you are looking almost a mile ahead so that any input you put onto the rig will take effect at that point down the road. The only gauge I ever worried about was pretty much the pyro and the air supply.

Those days are long over. It was a different time. I don't think the batteries cared especially for those speeds because the alternator puts out whatever it will put out at whatever engine speed. And it's a little bit over engineered anyhow.

The other side of the coin is the old short macks from the 60's two batteries I think in it's rusted box. I could never believe how much work we got out of them things, especially with the air start ones. I don't recall ever touching the #### things even though half the wiring is a rats nest hanging loose under the dash.

 

Thanks for the good laugh. That post was perfect!! LOL !!

 

In addition to how you charge the batteries, the load and depth of how far they get discharged dramatically effects their lifespan. If you pull a lot out of them, sitting with the engine off, an inverter on running some stuff and a refrigerator, along with the normal parasitic drain, can be tough on batteries, especially in colder temps. By increasing the voltage setting that my APU comes on to charge the system I have extended battery life.

 

I replaced a battery in my vehicle just for that reason. It had quietly discharged to zero, absolute zero due to depleted acid liquid inside the caps during winter last over 5 weeks sitting. It would not accept a charge to start off a second car, nor would it accept a charge at the shop "BIG Charger Boost starter box" and new liquid did not resusticate the thing. It's dead.

Warrantry replaced it. I will be monitoring the liquid acid levels this coming winter. I need to acquire a full face shield, a set of goggles behind that and something for the hands that resists splashing if I add distilled water or something... basically going back to the early 70's keeping batteries up.

I would like to switch over to sealed batteries with standard top posts on them and no caps at all. But that's require a complete change of the heavy wiring from it to both alternator and starter etc.

 

In all honesty, I think you'll see factors such as cleanliness and not draining the batteries down will have more effect on battery life than 13.8 volts vs 14.2 volts.

 

I think rumor also.

I have trucks say 13.5 volts 14, 15 whatever all the time. As long the alternator is charging and keeping up with the workload all is well. Right? Whatever the voltage might be displayed on that gauge. Within reason, considering that computers technology inside today's trucks must have a certain amount to stay booted up and working.

 

I have no way of knowing the thermal state of batteries. That information does not convey in any of the many gauges given to truckers in the old days or nothing in the computer trucks in my time.

It would be nice to know if there is a certain heat range the batteries cannot exceed and somehow that can be made into a real time data point to present to you, the driver when batteries are not feeling too good running a bad fever.

Makes sense?