[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > The setup would be better for sealed batteries. Unless you slide out the rack that >holds the pack, you can't even see the batteries. They have a watering system but I >don't know much about it yet.
You simply have to pull the batteries and see what's going on in there. The system you are describing just can't work. > Lee if I remember from your previous posts about bringing back a battery from the >dead, you suggested to totally drain it with a load and once it read 0 volts, place a >dead short across it. Charging should be done very slowly, over days. Is that >correct? What sort of current do you recommend? I skipped the draining step as the >voltage was so low. Is that a reasonable approach? Remeber my goal is to just test >the motors. The ideal situation would be enough to drive 3 blocks to the DMV and back. No; don't totally drain the battery to zero volts unless you are SURE you have reversed cells and are going to do a full equalizing charge to try to recover the dead cells, and get at least a little capacity out of it. First try charging the battery normally, and check its capacity. If it is low (like less than 1/2 of rated capacity), then try an equalizing charge. If its capacity is still low (no improvement), try leaving it for sevearal days wit a high voltage low current charger connected (like 16v with a car tail light in series). If capacity is *still* very low (like less than 1/4 of rated capacity, then try running it dead with a light bulb or other small load, and doing a full equalizing charge. Once it comes up above 1.75v/cell, hit it with as much charging current as possible. Keep the current fairly high (like 5-10% of rated amphour capacity) until the voltage stops rising, and hold it there an hour or two. The battery should be vigorously gassing in all cells. If it STILL has low capacity, it's dead! Give up and go find another battery. -- Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring 814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
