[TR] Battery troubles

[John Innis]

Solar is an OLD name in battery chargers and testers.  Basically it is the
good stuff.  I remember our local service station (remember those) had a
big rolling Solar brand battery test cart.  Would charge or test anything
from a 6v motorcycle battery all the way up to a 24v semi-truck battery.
When that station finally closed my dad went to the auction and tried to
buy that rig.  I don't know how much it went for but I know he came home
empty handed.

It was a Battery tender brand unit (Junior model) that cooked the
motorcycle battery, but I have been using these and a 4-bank battery tender
plus on my Triumphs for years without issue.  It seems to me they only tend
to cause issues with smaller batteries.

On Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 1:31 PM Rye Livingston <ryel at mac.com> wrote:

> Two points.  I learned from my local mechanic that even the higher end
> Battery Tender Plus that is in the little metal box, will not maintain a
> battery, but will cook a battery when left on all the time.  I was advised
> to plug it in for a week, 2 at the most, then disconnect if for a week or
> two.  What a pain.
>
> In my Airstream trailer, which has a charging system when plugged in, to
> charge the deep cycle batteries.  I learned the hard way that the unit that
> comes from the factory is crap and will cook the batteries.  I upgraded to
> a model that will let me leave it plugged in for months to years, no
> problem.
>
> So back to changing and knowing the status of your battery, this handy
> tool is excellent.  SOLAR BA7
> https://www.amazon.com/BA7-100-1200-Electronic-Battery-System/dp/B0015PI7A4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3UHUBUZLSG9K3&dchild=1&keywords=solar%2Bbattery%2Btester&qid=1602785609&sprefix=solar%2Bbattery%2Btest%2Caps%2C852&sr=8-3&th=1
> <https://www.amazon.com/BA7-100-1200-Electronic-Battery-System/dp/B0015PI7A4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3UHUBUZLSG9K3&dchild=1&keywords=solar+battery+tester&qid=1602785609&sprefix=solar+battery+test,aps,852&sr=8-3&th=1>
> No idea why it has Solar in the name as it has nothing to do with solar.
>
> You don’t have to disconnect your battery.  Battery doesn’t need to be
> fully charged to test it.  You just connect it and enter it what kind of
> battery it is and the Cold Cranking Amps it’s rated for, and it tells you
> the condition of the battery and how many CCA it still has.  I was blown
> away when I tested a 5 year old Optima battery in my Triumph TR3, and I
> think it’s rated for 700 CCA, and it still has 620, which is why it still
> works great.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Rye Livingston
> Activities Chairman
> Triumph Travelers Sports Car Club
> 1960 Triumph TR3A
> PH: 530-FIND-RYE
>
>
>
>
> On Oct 15, 2020, at 11:06 AM, dave <dave at ranteer.com> wrote:
>
> Funny you should mention this.
>
> I have a battery charger that I bought from Kmart (remember them) around
> 1978.  All steel construction with an analog gage in front.  It still works
> great.
>
> I purchased a modern charger about 10 years ago and it lasted only a few
> years.
>
> If you have a light timer, you can plug the charger into the timer and let
> it charge only an hour or so a day.  Old tech + old tech beats new tech!
>
>
>
> *From:* Triumphs <triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Chris
> Simo
> *Sent:* Thursday, October 15, 2020 8:27 AM
> *To:* list Triumph <triumphs at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* [TR] Battery troubles
>
> My Tr4 hasn't gotten out at all this summer.   I put my new battery
> charger on it -  It's all electronic  vs my old one that just had a 3
> position switch and an analog meter.
>
> This new charger is quite fancy, it will tell you if the battery is
> connected backwards,  light a light with a bad battery, etc.  Trouble is
> I"m not sure I trust it.
>
> I've had this thing tell me 4 batteries are bad.  I havent been driving my
> truck, my wife hasn't been driving her Z4,  and my mom's car battery showed
> bad as well....
>
> I think I'm going to buy an old school charger and see what happens.  It's
> cheaper than buying one of the four batteries....
>
> Or they just sat so long they died.....     Anyone have experience with
> those newer fancy chargers?  Any issues or concerns?
>
> Thanks!
> ** triumphs at autox.team.net **
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