Recharging Exide 6tmf

[tobyS]

I thought my dump had hawkers but I found I had Exide. This is the only one of 15 5 tons that started under its own power when I bought it and with some convincing (charging) has lasted a couple years without major attention. I sure was glad to find Exide, it seems my small charger works with them, where recharge of Hawker....no.

I have two out and two others ready to come out. Initially the first 2 read around 10.5 and 11.2volts open circuit. There was not much corrosion but had some, with a couple loose bolts. Now, using my 2/10 amp charger, the hold at 12.35v and 12.45v. I read that full charge will hold at 12.9v. This will take days with my small charger, but my success on Exide is very good. Oh yea....manufactured 2009.

Photo is of 2 amp setting and the 10 amp. On the 10 amp manual setting it's charging around 15 volts, so I'll stay with the 2 amp at 13.5.

If you are noticing the polarity of my meter, the leads are switched.

 

[Jbulach]

Do you have a load tester? If not I’m sure you can improvise. In an old battery open voltage is not a very good indicator of condition. If you leave the other two in the truck, just the load of the lights will probably prove there junk (test each 12v individually under load to find a bad one even while seriesd in 24v). I think my batteries where 2005, including my parts truck, and was able to weed through eight of them for several years until my last two gave up. One or two of the four being bad will affect how well the others crank.

 

[glcaines]

Hawkers are AGM type batteries. The Exides are not if I remember correctly. The Hawkers behave differently when being re-charged.

 

[tobyS]

Yes, they are lead acid. No load tester but on these Exide the open circuit voltage is a good indicator....or seemed to be in the past. Hawkers....no. With alternating (battery being charged) most the day on the 2 amp setting, both are holding at around 12.5. The 10 amp setting seems to be too much but I don't know why, other tha 15 volts seems high, even though there is minimal heating.

 

[tobyS]

Has anyone done magnesium sulfate reconditioning? I'm at 12.7 on these two and would like to see them reach 12.9. I've read both that it shortens battery life but other reports that it can be done several times to reduce the crystalline coating. I read also that debris can accumulate in the bottom and short the plates. I don't think I would have accumulated debris at this point.

Note....the charger is on manual....the auto mode gave up at about 12.0 volt.

Edit...got out the last two and they were both above 12. Great! Most problem must be in bad connections. Still, I will go as close to 12.9 as I can get.

 

[WWRD99]

Has anyone done magnesium sulfate reconditioning? I'm at 12.7 on these two and would like to see them reach 12.9. I've read both that it shortens battery life but other reports that it can be done several times to reduce the crystalline coating. I read also that debris can accumulate in the bottom and short the plates. I don't think I would have accumulated debris at this point.

Note....the charger is on manual....the auto mode gave up at about 12.0 volt.

Edit...got out the last two and they were both above 12. Great! Most problem must be in bad connections. Still, I will go as close to 12.9 as I can get.

Have the batteries ever had the recon done before? I am not sure that trying to get the last .2 out of the battery would merit it but you can try since they are old and may not last much longer anyhow....the debris on the bottom will be there if they sat for a long time without being charged...have you tested the acid content yet? I usually do that first and do what you are doing now with a 10 amp charge for 12 hours then down to 2 amp for 2 days...leave the caps loose or they may boil off some...I do let them sit for about 3 days then I know where they level off to...I do this inside to keep the temp the same for the entire test...5 day endeavor.

The 2 I just did this to have given me results of one battery sitting at 12.69 and the other at 12.50 after sitting hooked up for 2 months and not started. The load test is where the cookies are though so if you have a load tester that will give you the real condition of the cca...I got a cheap one from the freight guys...it's not much and if I drop it it may fall apart but it has done the load application well.

 

[tobyS]

WWRD thanks for sharing. This has taken a long time and since I don't leave them on at night due to charger hum, even longer.

You seem right on with the time and amps. To anyone reading.... go for the schedule WWRD recommends. It would seem to be the deep charge these monsters need. Of course only a load test will tell but open circuit voltage has followed a proportional curve of input amps and time. Since I'm in my kitchen, the slow charge is tolerable. Yes, I think warming them is good but 70f to 25f will shave some capacity too. Thus my interest in magnesium sulfate.

One of mine has 12.72 written on it. That must have been where North Dakota unit kept them. I'm at 12.62 and .63 with one now to holding at 12.70 @ 70f.

 

[tobyS]

I overcame my timidity to turning the charger on 10 amp and leaving it on overnight. I have two that stabilized at 12.82 and two at 12.80. Good enough for now. They were made Nov. 2008, installed in 2009 and look nearly new.

Here is the underlying issue. They are in/for the dump truck that I'm selling.. I can keep and use them if I get new for the 929 but I spend near $500. Hmmmmm

Edit....my meter leads will not make connection with the correct polarity (color) but oddly enough they will work reversed, red to - and black to +. About time for new meter.

 

[WWRD99]

I overcame my timidity to turning the charger on 10 amp and leaving it on overnight. I have two that stabilized at 12.82 and two at 12.80. Good enough for now. They were made Nov. 2008, installed in 2009 and look nearly new.

Here is the underlying issue. They are in/for the dump truck that I'm selling.. I can keep and use them if I get new for the 929 but I spend near $500. Hmmmmm

Edit....my meter leads will not make connection with the correct polarity (color) but oddly enough they will work reversed, red to - and black to +. About time for new meter.

Glad you got this to work!! I have had a decent success with doing this to batteries over the years...I had my meter smoke out a few months ago, had it for about 20 years though...can't beat a good fluke 88...I would use the batteries in whatever you're going to sell...unless you work new ones into the price or add it to it or you are trying to add value to the vehicle and not wanting a haggler to try to look for "things it needs"...We all know how much batteries are...one thing I am not sure of is selection...I don't know the vehicle you're putting these in...is there a large selection that people would want one brand over another or size like CCA? That might give some direction? If there is only a few to choose from then it probably isn't a big deal...I know if it's like motor oil and filters the preferred one can be very different from one person to the next!!

 

[juanprado]

I have a load tester from harbor freight. It is a knock off the milton. Works great.
I call it my toast warmer:

 

[tobyS]

Closest Harbor freight is 50 miles. Wish it was closer. I'll find a load tester or take them to oreilly.
They are out of the m929a2 that I'm selling. It's the only 5 ton I bought out of 15 that would start under its own power when I got it from government. I've had 2 years with just a couple connection issues. If I put new ones in, I get to keep these.

I've replaced a lot of batteries with the Oreily bus battery 8d in either the 1100cca or the 1400cca. They are the same physical size as 2 of the 6tmf.....massive.... and are just over $200 each (x2). Nobody has complained they didn't like my new batteries in the past, so it will not depreciate the truck for sale like having 11 year old would.

Having been stimulated by the government, I may go that way ....and keep these for my projects.

 

[WWRD99]

Closest Harbor freight is 50 miles. Wish it was closer. I'll find a load tester or take them to oreilly.
They are out of the m929a2 that I'm selling. It's the only 5 ton I bought out of 15 that would start under its own power when I got it from government. I've had 2 years with just a couple connection issues. If I put new ones in, I get to keep these.

I've replaced a lot of batteries with the Oreily bus battery 8d in either the 1100cca or the 1400cca. They are the same physical size as 2 of the 6tmf.....massive.... and are just over $200 each (x2). Nobody has complained they didn't like my new batteries in the past, so it will not depreciate the truck for sale like having 11 year old would.

Having been stimulated by the government, I may go that way ....and keep these for my projects.

Sounds like you've done this before!! joking...pretty obvious you have done this before! Glad you have an outlet to get batteries that work well and not that expensive! I got agms for my one genset and were 160 each! 800cca car battery size...Having the set there and ready to go into something is nice to have.

 

[juanprado]

My son works at o'reillys. I have gotten 3 6tl's from him over the years. They have all failed in 2-3 years. Their batteries are not exides and there is a definite difference.

I have also brought back old 4-6 year exides that kept going. They do need a long conventional charge and I used a pulse tech desulfator at the same time.