24v Hj61 charge variance. (1 Viewer)

[Oldtoy74]

Hello all, Purchased 2 new batts 6 months ago same batch etc, The drivers side failed etc therefore went and got my replacement under warranty, When charged & settled the new batt sits I little higher than existing, drivers side ( 12.8) passenger side 12.6, Here this where Im getting concerned, under idle etc , alternator output is within spec , 28v , although existing (driver side) batt is getting charged at 14.5, and new batt is 13.8, I have checked with jumper between the 2 batt to see if I get a different reading on charge, but stays the same as above, There no 12v taps on either battery, Would I have a voltage leak somewhere for this to occur , or is just that the existing battery is lower therefore it just requires more to charge, Thanks for your insight gents

 

[ozcrusier]

They should replace both battery's if one fails don't put up with there s*** get both replaced under warranty or seek legal advice. I've been driving heavy vehicles for the last 40 years in Australia if one fails they should replace all the battery's if all are brought brought new at the same time.

 

[mcguirejohnson]

Ya what ozcruiser said. I don't have dual batteries in my cruiser, but in my Dad's 02 Duramax we get both batteries replaced at the same time to insure that one is not overpowering the other. I'd give em hell until they follow through with the warranty.

 

[87 HJ60]

Are you sure that you don't have and 12 volt circuits tapped off your low and high side batteries?
Do you run a 12 volt radio?
I'm also sure that each of your headlights are 12 volts and each get powered by a separate battery.
I had a 87 HJ60 and have always had the issue of one battery "dying". For me it was the low side battery. The situation was worse in the cold weather. It wasn't really an issue in the warm and hot weather. I had Optima red top batteries then switched to Interstate MegaTron batteries. Same thing happened with either brand.
A pain in the butt to do but what I ended up doing was to swap the driver side and passenger side battery each week !
This prevented the low battery from dying.....

 

[VX 12HT]

Yeh make sure nothing being tapped off one battery for 12 volt. Also check the link cable between the two batts as they are getting really old now. As you most prob know the system is not intelligent so it will overcharge one battery and. Other will die if the charge from the alt is not equal for some reason. Now I wanted to run some 12 volt gear in my car so I tapped off one batt but I got a charge equaliser from Redarc which is fantastic it turns it into a intelligent type system and senses whichever batt needs a bit more charge. Now my system was working fine before hand so get a auto sparky to see what's going on.

All the best Mark

 

[Oldtoy74]

Thanks gents, feedback was where my thoughts were also, the only 12v centre tap is the switch for the 24v arb compressor as the 24v compressorsa have 12v wiring for switches And installed as per the 24v installation manual, I wouldnt think a dormant 12v compressor wiring is the cause here, as it only activates a 12v relay to juice the 24v compressor once in a blue moon, otherwise all 12v gear runs through converters.
I have purchased the redarc charge equalizer to install once landed, although I checked charge last night and charge was within .2v of each other.
I am pissed off that I went lead acid batteries now, I should've spent the extra $ 50 per batt and got newer tec,
And yes I should've hit them up for 2 immediately, but now I know I won't be buying lead acid yuasa / century batt ever again,

 

[VX 12HT]

Mmm that variance of .2v seems fine to me pretty spot on maybe just a battery issue,you won't regret the Redarc equaliser mate as I said great bit of kit.

 

[Oldtoy74]

Do you centre tap now that you have the CE installed ?.

 

[VX 12HT]

Yes I had a auto sparky set up 12 volt to the original cig lighter and a 12 v plug in the back for the Engel these have power direct from the battery he put the equaliser in at the same time have had no probs for well over a year now.

 

[Oldtoy74]

I had no luck with battery world on replacing the older battery, bla bla bla same old rubbish you'd expect to hear, so I have purchased a charge equalizer to install, have not done that yet.
I swapped the batteries around from high side to low side just to make sure what was going on, and as expected the older battery continued to get up 14.7v and new 13.6. I got battery world to do a rejuvenate charge to see if that changed anything, it's holding charge as good as the older but still is sucking in more charge,
Therefore I wil leave the lower battery on the low side and good batt on the high side,
Just to clarify if the low side battery requires more charge, the charge equalizer will syphon from the high side battery to top and balance out over all, am I on the right track here ??

 

[VX 12HT]

Yes that is my understanding it keeps both batts on equal charge and works out which one needs it....

 

[daboheme]

I would be concerned with 14.7V across a battery and potential outgassing, especially at elevated temperatures under the bonnet. Lead acid batteries float voltage (around 13.6-13.8V) should typically be derated by 3-4mV per cell (there are six of them in series in 12V lead acid batteries) per °C above 20°C. Unfortunately I've been down this road before and if one battery goes, I now replace both. If just replacing one, I would always get an imbalance between charge voltages.

 

[VX 12HT]

Yes good point above my system tested out fine before I fitted the redarc.

 

[Oldtoy74]

Here's where I'm at, fitted the equaliser, as per instructions the charge rates of both batteries have not changed at all, still the same,14.5/6v on lower and 13.5/6v on the higher, the spec sheet indicates the output of 12v wire should be half of the total volts, It's starts out this way but once system get warm, the gap increases, meaning charge equalise is not equalising, could someone test their each battery while charging with a equaliser , and see what your getting My total charge is spot on at 28.2v. Not sure whether the equaliser is a dud, or there is something I'm missing, I expected both batts to be evenly charged across 14.1v each.

 

[VX 12HT]

Sorry I can't be anymore help mate but I got a auto sparky to set all mine up I did put 2 brand new batteries in at the same time too.

 

[Oldtoy74]

Just to finish off the thread, as above the charge equaliser did not seem to be working correctly, when I initially installed it , anyway it was hooked up still in the car, and had not started donk over a couple of days, so I decided to go for a drive and test, as someone told me they experienced the same issue when they installed, maybe the charge equaliser reset itself etc , it's all working great now 14.2 low side, 13.95v high side , and exactly 1/2 charge on brown output wire as per redarcs manual, Also I have ordered some battery equaliser solution to clean my battery plates etc, anyone used or tried this stuff, seems to be legit, Conclusion battery charge variation, solution charge equaliser