SurePower Battery Separator Gone Bad? (1 Viewer)

[Brentbba]

Out in the Anza desert - Sheep Canyon this past weekend. Fridge running off the 2nd battery all weekend. Had started the truck Saturday late afternoon comparing 'engine whine' with other 80 owners that had arrived. We noticed the solonoid click on and off several times while the engine was running. It's the only time I started the truck from when we parked late Friday afternoon and it was easily in the 90's during the day Saturday.

I know the Surepower separator designed to separate the two batteries depending on voltage readings and is a set it up and leave it alone type of separator which I wanted (no swithes, etc. to manually connect/disconnect or orveride the system type of separator), but I've never notice it click on and off this many times in the frequency that it did. To cut to it, the next morning I couldn't start the truck at all! Main battery was at 10 volts and the 2nd battery at 8. Starter clicked just fine the first couple of key turns and then nothing after that at all! Dash lights were on.

Quick jump by SoCalFJ and I was off and running.

Do these solonoids go bad? It was installed in 2007.

 

[tirewater]

It doesn't sound like the solenoid is the problem, but the alternator. I'm assuming that your setup is *always* charging your starter/main battery regardless what the solenoid does.

 

[Brentbba]

It doesn't sound like the solenoid is the problem, but the alternator. I'm assuming that your setup is *always* charging your starter/main battery regardless what the solenoid does.

True statement - alternator as an issue is one alternative to the problem. System will only charge the 2nd if the main is fully charged and the solonoid will open and let the 2nd battery charge the way I understand it.

 

[Ebag333]

What about a bad main battery? If it doesn't hold a charge, it could be bouncing between "fully charged" and "charging," which would cause the solenoid to open and close repeatedly.....

 

[Brentbba]

What about a bad main battery? If it doesn't hold a charge, it could be bouncing between "fully charged" and "charging," which would cause the solenoid to open and close repeatedly.....

Wll check that out too. I don't think this Diehard is all that old tho, but OCD anal retentive me has the receipt in the glove box!

 

[Brentbba]

Stats - Diehard main battery purchases May, 2006. After sitting 24 hours, main battery at 10.5 volts and Optima 2nd battery at 12.7. Started right up and both batteries them measured at 14.7.

Main battery going after only 4 years? Hard to fathom, but possible. Both batteries at 14.7 with engine running - alternator OK?

 

[sjcruiser]

Stats - Diehard main battery purchases May, 2006. After sitting 24 hours, main battery at 10.5 volts and Optima 2nd battery at 12.7. Started right up and both batteries them measured at 14.7.

Main battery going after only 4 years? Hard to fathom, but possible. Both batteries at 14.7 with engine running - alternator OK?

Yes, on both accounts!

 

[tirewater]

Stats - Diehard main battery purchases May, 2006. After sitting 24 hours, main battery at 10.5 volts and Optima 2nd battery at 12.7. Started right up and both batteries them measured at 14.7.

Main battery going after only 4 years? Hard to fathom, but possible. Both batteries at 14.7 with engine running - alternator OK?

Straight from the DieHard faq:

"When should I replace my car battery? Even if your battery appears fine, you should replace it before the 4th winter season of use. Cold temperatures can reduce your battery's ability to perform at its peak."

Although I'm not sure how that's adjusted for the SoCal weather...


More info from the faq:

"What are the most common causes of premature car battery failures?
Electrolyte loss accounts for over 50% of car battery failures. Under hood heat and overchaging are the two major causes of electrolyte loss. Other common causes for car battery failure include:
- Leaving your lights on
- Misapplication or using an undersized battery
- Undercharging or loose alternator belts
- Excessive vibration (due to a loose hold down clamp)
- Corrosion on battery terminals and/or cable(s)"

"What are the differences between North and South designs?
Whether hot or cold, temperature extremes cause specific stresses on automotive batteries. This is why Sears is one of a few retailers to offer climate-specific batteries. Extreme cold climates require a battery with more power to start cold engines. DieHard batteries for the Northern US are designed to provide the extra power needed to start an engine in the frigid winter months. See climate map for Northern US.
Heat and vibration are two of the leading causes of premature battery failure. In the Southern US, many DieHard batteries are designed with internal components that stand up to damaging heat. No matter where you live you can count on Sears to offer the battery that will give you the longest life for your climate. See climate map for Southern US. "

 

[greentruck]

Stats - Diehard main battery purchases May, 2006. After sitting 24 hours, main battery at 10.5 volts and Optima 2nd battery at 12.7. Started right up and both batteries them measured at 14.7.

Main battery going after only 4 years? Hard to fathom, but possible. Both batteries at 14.7 with engine running - alternator OK?

It would not surprise me if a heavily used main battery is not holding a charge after 4 years. I routinely buy new at that point, because you never know how things will go after that when starting in the winter here in the Midwest. However, heat also kills batteries...

And I'm not talking about cheap batteries. I use Interstate batteries and have found them very reliable. But I also used to work in the trucking industry. Interstate turned out to be the general answer to our reliability issues on Thermoking and Carrier trailer cooling units.

However, when used in severe service, reliability issues still crop up after 48 months with virtually any battery. Interstate stands by their products, as do some other battery producers. The issue is whether or not you want to be worrying about whether your truck (or reefer unit) will start or if your battery's remaining warranty be honored. They only warrant the second option.

The problem is the basic chemistry of lead-acid batteries. With good design and manufacturing, a life of four years for a battery is very reliable. After that, the warranty is there to get you to come back as a customer.

If you want to be able to count on your battery, buy a good quality battery to start with, then replace it every four years, regardless of whether it's good, before it becomes questionable.

 

[Brentbba]

Chris, Mike - great info guys. Thanks.

Heat here in SoCal and trips out to the Anza desert is a good possibility. No winter use outside the infrequent ski trips!

It's been a weekend and trip beast for the past 3 years, so sitting could also cause it's premature death. I've just never had a DieHard battery crap out this soon, regardless of use. It's got a lot of the warranty left, so it's back to Sears I guess. I've been happy with them for years and years.

I doubt mismatched batteries have anything to do with it. I know many on this board think we should be running the same/similar batteries in a dual set up. Yellow Top Optima is what's in the 2nd tray. While I won't be caught out in the middle knowwhere alone, I also don't want to worry about it. A new battery is cheap insurance.

 

[Ebag333]

I doubt mismatched batteries have anything to do with it. I know many on this board think we should be running the same/similar batteries in a dual set up. Yellow Top Optima is what's in the 2nd tray. While I won't be caught out in the middle knowwhere alone, I also don't want to worry about it. A new battery is cheap insurance.

I agree. The setup you have sounds similar to the marine setups, where you have a main bank and a house bank. They are nearly always mismatched, often a single small main battery (used for starting and that's about it) and then a pair of large house batteries (for trolling, etc).

I'm not personally a fan of the Optima's, but only because you can get much larger/better batteries for the same price.

FWIW, the battery is starting to act up after only 3 years. It's also a Die Hard. When it goes, I'm replacing with the Sears PM-2, I've been very impressed with the PM-1 sitting in my truck.

 

[dtrain]

I had this laying around from a recent install.

Let me know if its to hard to read and I will take a couple new pics.

 

[Brentbba]

I had this laying around from a recent install.

Let me know if its to hard to read and I will take a couple new pics.

Thanks, but I've got mine - remember, I'm an anal retentive OCD bean counter. It's one of the first things I pulled out of my stack of info/receipts from the cruiser mods and reread to be sure my understanding of the separator functionality was correct. I know I've got it wired correctly. Thanks for posting it tho!! I've got the 1314-200.