Car battery Arktis jelly voltage 1.6V: Recoverable?

[Christophe]

I have a problem on a battery mounted on a car (little used car) stored outside during the winter and not started since 3 months (mid November).

Voltage measured "when cold" at 1.67V! I never saw that!

On the car, the smart charger does not want to know anything: apparently the current does not pass. Has the battery been in circuit?

I let the battery warm up inside during the night. This morning voltage 5.4 V ... and there the smart charger wants to start charging ... So it's charging at this time ... but will that be enough?

The "arktis" battery is supposed to be "top of the range" (I took it precisely because I knew the car was not going to run much). I replaced it in 2008 (so "new") and we have been able to do 500 km with it since. It had cost around 80 € for a 41 Ah ...

So 2 questions:
a) What happened?
b) Is there any hope that I can get it back?

About a): the car was covered by 40 / 50 cm of snow and there was 2 or 3 thaw period ... Was there any ice that formed and made contact to ground and thus short circuited the battery? The ice is not a good driver but it is not an insulator either ... Or simply liquid water during the thaw ...

Edit: result of the recovery.

The battery seems ok and hold 10 days after reassembly on the car. Read this topic in detail to see the method used. And do not throw away a battery at first HS.

[tigrou_838]

hi christophe,

I had the case also on a battery two months ago, I had to put the smart charger with the function pulsing to clean the crystals from inside the battery, and after 1 month of treatment I was only 8v.5, after information from a specialist, the battery was self-charged normal for a lead-acid battery, but it was put in circuit on an element, impossible to retrace and battery HS.

therefore to direct deception.

now I know that you should not leave the batteries without use for more than a month, and put a load of charger for one or two days each month.

here is my little experience on the subject.

tigrou

[Christophe]

Thank you it feels not good for the future ... that's what I feared ... but there is no 1 element but 4 or 5 who put themselves in CC to go down so low ...

How many volts did you have before the charging attempt? How many years did the battery last?

Well, we'll see ... you know ...

I leave for years' and you too I think?), Motorcycle batteries without use during 4 5 months ... the difference is that they are in the garage ...

[Alain G]

Hi Christopher!

Your battery has discharged and frozen, must make sure that it is well charged when you do not use it, you must put the battery to heat and charge at low amperage, now the autoloader have trouble recovering a battery in this state, if it does not resume its voltage, you can boost it with cables from another full charge and unload it and then reload it, you do this a few times and see if it takes better, if it s improves, it can recover with an extended slow carafe.

[tigrou_838]

hi christophe,

before the charging attempt I had gone down to 4.5 more or less, the battery was about 8ans, and also like you I leave the batteries in the garage forgetting them, but even it is necessary to load them from time to time.

yours was outside too, so with the cold it's not good at all, as said by alianG it's frozen.

now I always charge with the pulsed current charger which analyzes and charges with peaks, which "renovates" a little the old batteries which are not totally out of service, short circuit or other and allows to maintain a better charge.


tigrou

[Christophe]

The battery has discharged and frozen, must be sure that it is well charged when you do not use it, you must put the battery to heat and charge at low amperage, now the autoloader have trouble recovering a battery in this state, if it does not resume its voltage, you can boost it with cables from another full charge and unload it and then reload it, you do this a few times and see if it takes better, if it s improves, it can recover with an extended slow carafe.

Ok, for charging at low current, that's what the smart charger is doing (it's an optimate for motorcycle). I put a consometer on it to follow: it takes 17Watts there, so the intensity on the battery should not exceed 1.5A. So low compared to 41 Ah.

A priori there is hope: I unplugged the charger and the residual voltage after 15 min was still at 12.2 V ...

But question: why a battery on a car all day does not freeze when it gets -15 ° C at night?

ps: tigger you have a private message ...

[tigrou_838]

I have the same charger, but it must be left a minimum month to recover the batteries.

I just answered your mp

tigrou

[Christophe]

1 months? It will turn kWh to 17W 24 / 24

I monitor the load we are at 12.6V there (charger plugged) ... it rises gradually so it's encouraging ... for the moment ...

[tigrou_838]

yes I know, in kwh it will do, but if you can recover the battery is still not bad.

12,6 in charge is normal, it is necessary to mount more or less 16v, so like me more or less a certain time depending on the parresse of the battery, then unplug the charger, wait one or two days, measure the battery if she holds the load, around 16v.

as I told you I get a battery leaving about the same charger as you 1 months, now she's not too bad load.

it is connected to the system of the probes of my solar, I check every day and the voltage is since 1 week around 15,5 has 16v.

my battery is a 12v 17AH.

so for an 41AH I do not know how long.

tigrou

[Christophe]

Uh mine does not rise to more than 14.5V (in "pulsation"). He never exceeded 15V. Do you have an optimate? The version I have dates from 2003-2004, maybe even 2002.

They may have changed the "curves" since ...