Dry Cell Battery Discharge

[Ishman]

Hi, I let my car sit for a month while I had a shoulder reconstruction (old man was supposed to take it for a drive but didn't) now my few month old dry cell battery is completely flat- car only just manages to beep. It is a special Mazda MX5 battery because needed to fit in boot $400!

- Is it likely that the immobilizer system would have drained it in that time, or is it a sign of some other problem?

-What's the chances I can recharge this with standard charger, and any likely issues?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers,

[tridentt150v]

Try recharging, but the cells on a dry cell battery calcify pretty easily. You can recharge the battery but it will go flat quicker from now on. And you lose battery life as well. Any 12 volt charger is fine, but even though you recharge, you cannot reverse the damage - sorry.

The best solution is to use a trickle charger all the time if you don't drive it regularly. I actually use a solar panel and a SP regulator because I work away from home a bit [at Bourke NSW now, so miles from home].

I had two dry cell batteries stuff up on me from sitting around. So I thought with this one that I'd do something about it - and it is working OK so far. Battery is always topped up and ready to go.

[Ishman]

Try recharging, but the cells on a dry cell battery calcify pretty easily. You can recharge the battery but it will go flat quicker from now on. And you lose battery life as well. Any 12 volt charger is fine, but even though you recharge, you cannot reverse the damage - sorry.

The best solution is to use a trickle charger all the time if you don't drive it regularly. I actually use a solar panel and a SP regulator because I work away from home a bit [at Bourke NSW now, so miles from home].

I had two dry cell batteries stuff up on me from sitting around. So I thought with this one that I'd do something about it - and it is working OK so far. Battery is always topped up and ready to go.

Thanks for that. It is my daily driver so it usually wouldn't be a problem. Did yours go flat in as short a time? what was the life of the discharged batteries after recharged?

[wedge_r34gtr]

I did the same thing, left car in storage for about 6 weeks and the dry cell battery went kaput (it was even disconnected...)

I didn't trickle charge the battery after this (jumped it and went for a drive) and it never held proper charge again (couldn't start the car with it). So my adivice is to trickle charge as tridentt150v mentioned or check out the manual that came with the battery and see what it says.

Also, as you mention that your battery is relatevly new, it is probaly still under warrenty...to state the obvious: if you do start having issues with it, try and claim a new one.

Edited May 11, 2011 by wedge_r34gtr

[tridentt150v]

I would only get around 18 months of battery life after letting it go flat and then recharging.

To make matters worse, you will be using the battery, driving along fine, no warning at all. You will pull up to get fuel or a drink and go to start and it will be as dead as a maggot. I was stuck at a servo in the country at 1.30 in the morning like this. My battery was fine all day, no hint of a problem and then it was flat. I eventually got a push start and it went OK, but when I got it home [around 100km later] it would not take a charge, the charger didn't want to do it = dead short or wide open circuit. ie the charger doesn't see a battery at all.

[t_revz]

Try recharging, but the cells on a dry cell battery calcify pretty easily. You can recharge the battery but it will go flat quicker from now on. And you lose battery life as well. Any 12 volt charger is fine, but even though you recharge, you cannot reverse the damage - sorry.

i agree but...when i was an apprentice either my lecturer or one of the tradies said sometimes if they arent too bad they can be brought back from the dead by rapid charging and heating up the plates. alternatively shorting out the posts for a few seconds. all the batteries in my cars have completely died so havent trtied

[Ishman]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Is this especially the case for dry cell batteries? - going flat even when disconnected- I don't recall any of my other batteries going dead so fast. I think I'll try and claim it on warranty- this sort of info would have been helpful when I bought the damn thing!

[tridentt150v]

Dry cells are more prone to it, but all batteries hate being unloved!!!

If you use a battery in a daily driver you will get 4-6 years out of it. If you use them in a special car with infrequent use then you will be lucky to see 12-18 months.

You can try it on warranty, but you'll have to bend the truth to suit if they start asking questions.

Buy a trickle charger or a solar panel and regulator [i'm lucky we use them at work]