Battery Question

[Matt42]

I have a pair of Group 27 AGM X2 Power batteries in my truck that are 5-1/2 years old. (X2 Power is the Batteries Plus house brand.) The truck doesn't get driven a lot, so I've been maintaining them using an AGM specific battery maintainer. That device, by Optima, has consistently shown that the batteries are being kept at 100%. When I'm working on the interior, they'll drop to 75% due to the interior lights being on. But the maintainer says that they have been brought up to 100%.

A couple of days ago, I started the truck to take it out for a drive. The batteries struggled to turn the starter, but it started. I took it for a drive to get at least some charge up, and it restarted easily.

I charged both batteries together overnight. The resulting voltage was about 12.9 volts using a cheap digital voltmeter. Then I disconnected the negative cables from each, and charged charged each battery separately.

Right after charging, the driver side battery tested at 13 volts, then dropped to 12.68 volts, where it has stayed. The passenger side battery also tested at 13 volts, but it has dropped to 12.54 volts. Both batteries, with the negative cables disconnected, are slowly losing voltage. But the passenger side battery is losing voltage a little faster.

Are these batteries on their last legs? When they're connected together, is the driver side battery slowly discharging into the other one?

More than five years on a set of batteries here in the Arizona Oven is almost amazing. When I bought them, I could not get two from the same manufacturing lot number. I wondered at the time if that was going to come back to haunt me.

Many thanks.

 

[Tuesdak]

is the driver side battery slowly discharging into the other one?

Yes, one battery is dragging the other down. Maybe you need to charge the batteries more. IMO it's like there isn't a desulfation mode that hits the batteries with a higher charging voltage. (Maybe there is and the bats are just bad.) After that if the voltages are still going below 12.6 after 24 hours with nothing connected they are going bad. The lower voltage one would be the weak one, but, the other one isn't far behind.

In AZ at 5 years old it's best to just replace them and not bother trying to bring them back due to batteries being somewhat dangerous and the reward isn't very high. I have had the vents hissing like a snake trying to charge one that turned out to have a shorted cell. Note the open door and this video scares me every time I watch it.



The AGM record-holder for me in AZ is 7 years on a gas rig that was garaged and not driven often. (It was a warranty replacement for a set with leaking cracks near the posts. The sister to it is in the video above.) 3 of 4 I bought at the same time didn't make it much over 2 years. So after getting warranty exchanges from diesel use I put them in two gas rigs. The vehicle was totaled at the 7 year mark and the old battery died in the body shop attempting repairs.

 

[Matt42]

Yes, one battery is dragging the other down. Maybe you need to charge the batteries more. IMO it's like there isn't a desulfation mode that hits the batteries with a higher charging voltage. (Maybe there is and the bats are just bad.) After that if the voltages are still going below 12.6 after 24 hours with nothing connected they are going bad. The lower voltage one would be the weak one, but, the other one isn't far behind.

In AZ at 5 years old it's best to just replace them and not bother trying to bring them back due to batteries being somewhat dangerous and the reward isn't very high. I have had the vents hissing like a snake trying to charge one that turned out to have a shorted cell. Note the open door and this video scares me every time I watch it.



The AGM record-holder for me in AZ is 7 years on a gas rig that was garaged and not driven often. (It was a warranty replacement for a set with leaking cracks near the posts. The sister to it is in the video above.) 3 of 4 I bought at the same time didn't make it much over 2 years. So after getting warranty exchanges from diesel use I put them in two gas rigs. The vehicle was totaled at the 7 year mark and the old battery died in the body shop attempting repairs.

Thanks, Tuesdak. I was afraid that's what you were going to tell me. But it's also what I expected.

I once got 6 years out of a set of Optimas, but that was back when they were still made in Colorado. Once their factory got moved to Mexico, I was lucky to get 18 months. I usually got less, because the leakage at the terminals was bad.

Now it's a small matter of finding the $$$ at this time of year.

A friend in Wyoming got 8 years out of her OEM batteries. She constantly reminds me of that. In turn I remind her of the difference in climates.

 

[Tuesdak]

In turn I remind her of the difference in climates.

It's hard to get used too reduced life due to extreme heat. X2 on terminal leakage.

https://lifelinebatteries.com/knowledge-center/

https://321166-984045-raikfcquaxqnc...F-Lifeline-Technical-Manual-Final-5-06-19.pdf

Battery calendar and cycle life are also affected by temperature. As a rule of thumb, the battery life decreases by 50% for every 10⁰C rise in temperature. Thus, a battery that lasts 6 years at 25⁰C will last 3 years at 35⁰C, 1.5 years at 45⁰C, and 0.75 years at 55⁰C. Similarly, a battery that lasts 1000 cycles at 25⁰C will last 500 cycles at 35⁰C, 250 cycles at 45⁰C, and 125 cycles at 55⁰C.

 

[Joe Mc]

On the OEM batteries: got truck in signature 5/01 with OEMs and 75k miles, build date 12/98. 6/05 had to jump start. 7.5 years on OEMs! New set of MaxxStart from Wallymart lasted just over 5 yrs. I'm on my 4th set just replaced I think around June. So I've figured around 5 years-ish is replacement time. Live in suburbs of Philadelphia so we get all 4 seasons temps range from 100° to well below 20°. It's time to get new ones for you. I rarely recommend products unless I've gotten good service out of them and a good value. Only time I had bad luck with a MaxxStart was with wife's 01 XC-70 battery was 2yrs and a few months old, needed to jump start. Took tools and receipt with me, took battery out, put in a cart, went to auto section looked for newest dated shelf unit, rolled to customer service showed receipt, no hassle "thank you for shopping Wallmart". Can't argue with that IMHO. Almost forgot the 2011 Prius I have still has OEM battery. Hope I didn't just jinx myself...

 

[JKellis]

On the OEM batteries: got truck in signature 5/01 with OEMs and 75k miles, build date 12/98. 6/05 had to jump start. 7.5 years on OEMs! New set of MaxxStart from Wallymart lasted just over 5 yrs. I'm on my 4th set just replaced I think around June. So I've figured around 5 years-ish is replacement time. Live in suburbs of Philadelphia so we get all 4 seasons temps range from 100° to well below 20°. It's time to get new ones for you. I rarely recommend products unless I've gotten good service out of them and a good value. Only time I had bad luck with a MaxxStart was with wife's 01 XC-70 battery was 2yrs and a few months old, needed to jump start. Took tools and receipt with me, took battery out, put in a cart, went to auto section looked for newest dated shelf unit, rolled to customer service showed receipt, no hassle "thank you for shopping Wallmart". Can't argue with that IMHO. Almost forgot the 2011 Prius I have still has OEM battery. Hope I didn't just jinx myself...

I am running a pair of maxxstart batteries dated 4/16, no problems so far but I realize that I may be on borrowed time.

 

[GrantP]

I once got 6 years out of a set of Optimas, but that was back when they were still made in Colorado. Once their factory got moved to Mexico, I was lucky to get 18 months. I usually got less, because the leakage at the terminals was bad.

Optima quality is definitely gone. The last two sets in my truck lasted two years. I had an older yellow top Optima (Colorado made) in a Jeep that was still good when I sold it 8 years later.

The latest failure below. I just replaced them with plain ol' Interstate Batteries this time with a 3 year free replacement warranty from costco. I've given up on Optima.

 

[Tuesdak]

@GrantP Now I don't feel so bad. This is a crack that was starting to leak acid and the battery(s) that was warrantied for the ones above. Had one optima eat the battery tray and new cable that was slowly leaking out of a side post.

 

[GrantP]

@GrantP Now I don't feel so bad. This is a crack that was starting to leak acid and the battery(s) that was warrantied for the ones above. Had one optima eat the battery tray and new cable that was slowly leaking out of a side post.

View attachment 125872

@Tuesdak That's the exactly the way my first set failed. Live and learn I guess.

 

[Joe Mc]

Typical "good ol` American way". Make something awesome, get a client base then screw everyone and sell to a company that'll move out of the states and put profit before quality. Won't take long before the word gets out then they'll loose their client base, start a home office in the states, go bankrupt with millions invested elsewhere and start the cycle all over. F-ing MUTTS!!! Sorry, just pisses me off what our "elected" (HA!!!) government officials allow.

 

[endoscott]

Yep. And when they go "bankrupt" all the contractors who work with them get screwed. All the executives milk the company for "golden" parachutes, then they close up. It's the new American way. Why work hard when you can just "do business" like this?

 

[Joe Mc]

Sad for sure. Well at least, when it comes to batteries I've had good luck with Wallymart. Of course you never can tell who they use for vendors and when they can change to save a few pennies per unit to make bra-zillions for big wigs...

 

[DavidC]

I had to put new batteries in a few Months back. Just over 3 years and I usually get 5+. Auto Zone use to be 8 years and pro-Rated after 3. Now it's just 3 total. Just a little P***ed off after laying down 300+ for new batteries. So they know they are now junk but do not back their junk.

 

[Chief USA]

It can be a pain in the butt but I keep a Battery Tender on both of our trucks when not running as they don't get as much use as the daily drivers. If I recall correctly (and I rarely do) , I got about 11 years out of the original OEM set. I replaced them with a set from Wally World and they are still going strong. One Battery Tender will keep 2 batteries up to full charge and in good condition for a LONG time provided they have been properly maintained.

 

[DavidC]

Yeah, mine has a tender on it also. Didn't help this last time.

 

[Tuesdak]

Typical "good ol` American way". Make something awesome, get a client base then screw everyone and sell to a company that'll move out of the states and put profit before quality. Won't take long before the word gets out then they'll loose their client base, start a home office in the states, go bankrupt with millions invested elsewhere and start the cycle all over. F-ing MUTTS!!! Sorry, just pisses me off what our "elected" (HA!!!) government officials allow.

Agreed. The EPA forced "lead" to leave US. Soil. No more lead smelters left in the USA since 2013. So getting virgin lead to make better batteries with is now impossible in The USA. (You gets to import it.) Some would say it's a back door way for Gun Control. EPA just moved the smelters to a country with LESS or NO regulation. I think it's just stupidity like the energy act that put the last light bulb plant out of business in The USA as well. Now we got to buy foreign made toxic mercury filled fluorescent (at the time now it's LED) bulbs for 100x the cost of the energy used vs. the energy a $1.00 for a pack of four 100w lamps would have used. $10 per bulb now buys a lot of electricity. Also ~200 people lost their jobs at the GE lamp factory that was closed.

https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2013/11/03/last-primary-american-lead-smelter-closing/

 

[Joe Mc]

$$$ is the root of all evil and the more that can be pulled from our pockets the more evil the filthy become.

 

[endoscott]

I been researching Battery Tenders too and I don't think they are what they used to be either. Finally decided on a NOCO genius, but I dunno, might just be more Chinese crap, we will see.

 

[dieselshadow]

NOCOs are great. I have a small fleet of them. I can’t say enough good about them honestly. Zero issues, works as advertised.

 

[DavidC]

I been researching Battery Tenders too and I don't think they are what they used to be either. Finally decided on a NOCO genius, but I dunno, might just be more Chinese crap, we will see.

Say's they are made in USA