Maintaining Happy Batteries
MEXICOWANDERER wrote: "We've all read about person X who does nothing more than plug in their converter and claims the batteries are just as good as new 6 years later, although this is an impossibil...
Forum Discussion
Matt_Colie wrote:
I kind of hate to lean on Kendall's bubble, but the electrolyte density does not equal actual capacity. All it does tell you is that it is as good as it can be today.
Matt
From what I have seen with my batteries when they are at reduced capacity (sulphated), is that they will do the normal voltage per SOC just as though they were not sulphated and at full capacity.
However, their max SG at full (won't accept any more amps) is lower than "baseline" SG is when not sulphated. So 12.8v is still full and 12.1 is still half full, but "full" is now at say 1.260 instead of 1.280.
It may be possible to restore some capacity by desulphation methods and get that SG number up, but if the battery is older with permanent loss of capacity that lower SG is the new max indicating full.
YMMV. More people should report the same thing as I get to be sure it is not just me getting some readings wrong or whatever.
