| Author |
Message |
Guest
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 Posted:
Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:39 pm Post subject:
Battery Frozen |
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My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
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Backyard Mechanic
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:09 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
| Quote: | My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
|
How do you know it's low on liquid if it's frozen?
But that indicates to me that that particular cell isnt right.
Save grief, get a new one at Walmart.
--
Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it! |
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aarcuda69062
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:25 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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In article <3mrgp1ls987shrpisthckbl1r4ov7367l3@4ax.com>,
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
| Quote: | My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
|
I'd bet that somewhere in the instructions for your battery
charger, they warn against attempting to charge a frozen battery.
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NickySantoro
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:56 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 19:09:06 GMT, Backyard Mechanic
<pettyfog@yaywho.com> wrote:
| Quote: | maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
How do you know it's low on liquid if it's frozen?
But that indicates to me that that particular cell isnt right.
Save grief, get a new one at Walmart.
|
What he said. You have at least one marginal to bad cell. |
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Mike Romain
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:39 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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That is a bad cell, that is why it was low on both water and charge...
Only uncharged cells will freeze.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
| Quote: |
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark |
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Al Bundy
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 4:16 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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Ah Mike, he left the dome light on so all the cells are discharged, one
more than the others.
That deep discharge always takes some life from the battery, sometimes
fatally. In an emergency, give charging a try. If it's not a newer
battery anyway, go shopping at your earliest convenience, tomorrow if
not possible today. |
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Mike Romain
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 7:13 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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I have always found that the one cell that boils dry first that or that
will freeze first to be a bad cell.
Every time any of my batteries or the ones I have serviced over the
years that goes low on one cell, it is time to start shopping for a new
battery. Topping it up will get you a little longer, but not much.
If they all go low, that's fine, top them with distilled water, charge
and get new life, same goes for those 'maintenance free' ones.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Al Bundy wrote:
| Quote: |
Ah Mike, he left the dome light on so all the cells are discharged, one
more than the others.
That deep discharge always takes some life from the battery, sometimes
fatally. In an emergency, give charging a try. If it's not a newer
battery anyway, go shopping at your earliest convenience, tomorrow if
not possible today. |
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Jim Warman
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 7:58 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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Frozen batteries are, in my humble experience, problems waiting to happen.
In a discharged cell, the electrolyte is about as close to water as it's
going to get. The also permeates the plates in the battery. When water
freezes, it crystallizes and expands.... this is going to damage the plates
(which are much like sponges but not flexible).
FWIW.... the ice will melt eventually.... much more quickly if the battery
is in a warm place while it is being charged. It may even offer a period of
useful service.
So... now the question becomes one regarding your expectations. If you opt
to keep the battery in service, we can be sure that it's going to fail at
some time soon. If the inconvenience is no big deal, you can delay the
purchase of a replacement. I, personally, have neither patience nor time for
unscheduled problems and would much rather address them at my convenience
rather than have my loving bride stranded along side a cold, winter highway.
Bottom line... some guys have had good luck with frozen batteries... some
guys haven't...
<maradcliff@UNLISTED.com> wrote in message
news:3mrgp1ls987shrpisthckbl1r4ov7367l3@4ax.com...
| Quote: | My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
|
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 19:25:22 GMT, aarcuda69062
<nonelson@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
| Quote: | In article <3mrgp1ls987shrpisthckbl1r4ov7367l3@4ax.com>,
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
I'd bet that somewhere in the instructions for your battery
charger, they warn against attempting to charge a frozen battery.
|
That could be true, but they probably rotted over 30 years ago in some
landfill. I have had the charger for 35 years or so. Why dont they
write stuff like that right on the charger. I bet if I look closely
itsays to wear safety glasses though. It says that one everything,
thats why I always wear them when I take a shit. I'm sure it said
that on the toilet instructiions !!!! And i bet almost everyone knows
at least one person that was blinded by some kind of flying shit.... |
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Tom Adkins
Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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Tom Adkins wrote:
| Quote: | Mike Romain wrote:
I have always found that the one cell that boils dry first that or that
will freeze first to be a bad cell.
Every time any of my batteries or the ones I have serviced over the
years that goes low on one cell, it is time to start shopping for a new
battery. Topping it up will get you a little longer, but not much.
If they all go low, that's fine, top them with distilled water, charge
and get new life, same goes for those 'maintenance free' ones.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Al Bundy wrote:
Ah Mike, he left the dome light on so all the cells are discharged, one
more than the others.
That deep discharge always takes some life from the battery, sometimes
fatally. In an emergency, give charging a try. If it's not a newer
battery anyway, go shopping at your earliest convenience, tomorrow if
not possible today.
I gotta agree with Mike. If a cell in a seemingly good battery (warm
temps) freezes or gets low on electrolyte, it's time for a new battery,
even if low on charge. Any battery that has been left discharged for
more than a few days, even in warm temps, usually has irreversible
sulphation on the plates that severely limits it's life. Personally, if
any battery lets me down once, except for my own screwup, it gets
trashed. I've spent too many years milking old batteries in northern
Ohio Winter.
Puddin, even though money is short, replace the battery and save
yourself a lot of grief and give yourself piece of mind. Winter has just
begun, consider it an investment in your ability to get to work. FWIW,
I've had great luck with Auto Zone Duralast brand batteries. $59-$69 for
will get you one of the mid range ones that, from what I've seen, may
outlast the car. I don't know who makes them and don't know about long
term (>4.5years) reliability. I've had terrible luck with Interstate,
Champion, NAPA (what a real disappointment!!) and Crown batteries
personally, all within about 2 years of new,YMMV.
|
Sorry, this was aimed at mradcliff, not puddin. I goofed. I was just reading a post
from mr. puddin and got confused. |
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Tom Adkins
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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Mike Romain wrote:
| Quote: | I have always found that the one cell that boils dry first that or that
will freeze first to be a bad cell.
Every time any of my batteries or the ones I have serviced over the
years that goes low on one cell, it is time to start shopping for a new
battery. Topping it up will get you a little longer, but not much.
If they all go low, that's fine, top them with distilled water, charge
and get new life, same goes for those 'maintenance free' ones.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Aug./05 http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2120343242
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Al Bundy wrote:
Ah Mike, he left the dome light on so all the cells are discharged, one
more than the others.
That deep discharge always takes some life from the battery, sometimes
fatally. In an emergency, give charging a try. If it's not a newer
battery anyway, go shopping at your earliest convenience, tomorrow if
not possible today.
I gotta agree with Mike. If a cell in a seemingly good battery (warm temps) freezes |
or gets low on electrolyte, it's time for a new battery, even if low on charge. Any
battery that has been left discharged for more than a few days, even in warm temps,
usually has irreversible sulphation on the plates that severely limits it's life.
Personally, if any battery lets me down once, except for my own screwup, it gets
trashed. I've spent too many years milking old batteries in northern Ohio Winter.
Puddin, even though money is short, replace the battery and save yourself a lot of
grief and give yourself piece of mind. Winter has just begun, consider it an
investment in your ability to get to work. FWIW, I've had great luck with Auto Zone
Duralast brand batteries. $59-$69 for will get you one of the mid range ones that,
from what I've seen, may outlast the car. I don't know who makes them and don't know
about long term (>4.5years) reliability. I've had terrible luck with Interstate,
Champion, NAPA (what a real disappointment!!) and Crown batteries personally, all
within about 2 years of new,YMMV. |
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Shoe Salesman
Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
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|
<maradcliff@UNLISTED.com> wrote in message
news:699ip1pekamiroiu5n21qkcf60tgs9b41u@4ax.com...
| Quote: | On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 19:25:22 GMT, aarcuda69062
nonelson@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
In article <3mrgp1ls987shrpisthckbl1r4ov7367l3@4ax.com>,
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
I'd bet that somewhere in the instructions for your battery
charger, they warn against attempting to charge a frozen battery.
That could be true, but they probably rotted over 30 years ago in some
landfill. I have had the charger for 35 years or so. Why dont they
write stuff like that right on the charger. I bet if I look closely
itsays to wear safety glasses though. It says that one everything,
thats why I always wear them when I take a shit. I'm sure it said
that on the toilet instructiions !!!! And i bet almost everyone knows
at least one person that was blinded by some kind of flying shit....
|
ROFL! and they sued the toilet manufacturer for it too! If you have a
problem with flying shit you need to change beers or diet. :0 |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
|
|
On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 01:58:02 GMT, "Jim Warman"
<mechanic@telusplanet.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Frozen batteries are, in my humble experience, problems waiting to happen.
In a discharged cell, the electrolyte is about as close to water as it's
going to get. The also permeates the plates in the battery. When water
freezes, it crystallizes and expands.... this is going to damage the plates
(which are much like sponges but not flexible).
FWIW.... the ice will melt eventually.... much more quickly if the battery
is in a warm place while it is being charged. It may even offer a period of
useful service.
So... now the question becomes one regarding your expectations. If you opt
to keep the battery in service, we can be sure that it's going to fail at
some time soon. If the inconvenience is no big deal, you can delay the
purchase of a replacement. I, personally, have neither patience nor time for
unscheduled problems and would much rather address them at my convenience
rather than have my loving bride stranded along side a cold, winter highway.
Bottom line... some guys have had good luck with frozen batteries... some
guys haven't...
|
I undstand what you are saying, and I noticed the battery was bulging
on the sides, so I am sure the plates were damaged some. I took it
off the charger and brought it in the house to thaw. It's back in the
garage now, being charged (I wont do it in the house). I'll see if it
works now. This is just a farm truck, so it's not real critical, but
I do take it out in the field and on short road trips, so I do plan to
get a new battery, cuz like you said, I dont care to break down in the
cold. But at this point I just want to see if it still works. I have
another junker battery to use for a "core". That one is totally shot.
I'll keep this one for a spare for the tractors if it still holds a
charge.
There is one thing I have never understood about batteries. Why does
the water in a charged battery not freeze? It's still water.....
What does charging do to a battery that prevents the freezing? I just
dont understand that concept. Obviously it's not the acid, because
the acid is till in an uncharged battery.
The other thing, is why dont they use some sort of antifreeze instead
of water in them? Batteries do get drained in cold weather, and then
they will freeze if left unattended. Even a brand new battery can get
drained if (for example) someone gets stuck in a snow bank and needs
to leave their headlights on to dig themselves out, or someone had
engine problems and keeps cranking till the battery is dead. These
things do happen, which means the next thing, while the car is still
alongside the road, or in the parking lot at the repair shop, the
battery will freeze in winter. So, the age of the battery dont really
matter. It just seems using antifreeze would save alot of needlessly
ruined batteries in cold climates.
Thanks for your help
Mark |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
|
|
On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 19:09:06 GMT, Backyard Mechanic
<pettyfog@yaywho.com> wrote:
| Quote: | maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
How do you know it's low on liquid if it's frozen?
|
From looking in the hole (DUH) !!!!!!
| Quote: | But that indicates to me that that particular cell isnt right.
I agree...... |
| Quote: | Save grief, get a new one at Walmart.
|
No thanks.
This IS a Walmart battery. The LAST one I will ever buy. This had a
2 year warranty. It expired one month ago. This is the 4th Walmart
battery I have owned, they all last 2 years or less. One time I was
lucky and got a replacement because it died before the expiration.
Most of the time they last one or two months longer than the warranty,
and thats about it. The battery in my other car is 6 years old and
still works great. I once had another battery that lasted 9 or 10
years. Walmart batteries are junk.
Tomorrow I will go to Napa or another place and get a REAL battery.
Mark |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:09 pm Post subject:
Re: Battery Frozen |
|
|
On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 07:42:08 GMT, "Shoe Salesman"
<someone@microsoft.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com> wrote in message
news:699ip1pekamiroiu5n21qkcf60tgs9b41u@4ax.com...
On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 19:25:22 GMT, aarcuda69062
nonelson@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
In article <3mrgp1ls987shrpisthckbl1r4ov7367l3@4ax.com>,
maradcliff@UNLISTED.com wrote:
My truck battery has ice in the front hole. The others are still
liquid. I have been working on the truck and I must have left the
door ajar and the dome light drained it. The battery is totally dead,
but my charger is showing a charge going into the battery. Will it
charge, and will the ice melt? Or is the battery shot? Like I said,
just that one cell is frozen, not the others. That cell is also low
on liquid.
Thanks
Mark
I'd bet that somewhere in the instructions for your battery
charger, they warn against attempting to charge a frozen battery.
That could be true, but they probably rotted over 30 years ago in some
landfill. I have had the charger for 35 years or so. Why dont they
write stuff like that right on the charger. I bet if I look closely
itsays to wear safety glasses though. It says that one everything,
thats why I always wear them when I take a shit. I'm sure it said
that on the toilet instructiions !!!! And i bet almost everyone knows
at least one person that was blinded by some kind of flying shit....
ROFL! and they sued the toilet manufacturer for it too! If you have a
problem with flying shit you need to change beers or diet. :0
|
ROFL You know what happens when the shit hits the fan, right?
Thats the first rule any good mechanic learns. If you're working on
your car with the engine running, NEVER take a shit in the radiator,
because there's a fan right next to it......
(((And be sure you are wearing your safety glasses when you unroll the
toilet paper, you never know when the wall holder might break,
thrusting the whole roll into your eye)))
*** Official Newsgroup Notice ***
Be sure to wear your safety glasses when reading this message. One
never knows when a pixel might fly out of their monitor and blind
them. |
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