One low battery

[jimj]

I have a problem with one of the four 6v batteries that I just installed earlier this month. I have tested the voltage on all four and 3 of them read 6.4v but the 4th one reads 5.4v. It stays like that and doesn't go lower or higher. I have checked the wiring from the picture that I took before I installed and the wires look the same as before. Batteries are orientated the same as before the box.
I have taken it back to Sams and it tested ok but very low charge. They couldn't replace it because it tested ok.
Do some batteries not take a proper charge? Therefore bad battery.

Thanks

JimJ

[wildmanbaker]

wvabeer wrote:

femailyetti wrote:
Very carefully tip the battery over and remove the fluid, refill with water, take it back and say its dead with your best straight face, if they tell you it just needs a charge, see how straight of face they have when lying to you.

Good idea 🙂

Although this may bed a good idea, I would think real hard about it as Sulfuric acid it a hazardous material, and if someone might observe you performing this, and contacts someone, like the Fire Department, you could find yourself in some real trouble. If you take back again and they still say it is just low charge, ask them to charge it for 4 hours and you will come back and pick it up. When you come back to get it, have them test it with you present to verify it is in proper working order. Changes are, you will get a new battery. Sometimes, getting warranty is hard to do.

[wvabeer]

femailyetti wrote:
Very carefully tip the battery over and remove the fluid, refill with water, take it back and say its dead with your best straight face, if they tell you it just needs a charge, see how straight of face they have when lying to you.

Good idea 🙂

[femailyetti]

Very carefully tip the battery over and remove the fluid, rinse the outside so you don't get acid all over everything, as that stuff will eat holes in you an anything it touches, refill with water, take it back and say its dead with your best straight face, if they tell you it just needs a charge, see how straight of face they have when lying to you.

[tommy_g]

Please follow up with the outcome of this.

[tropical36]

jimj wrote:
I have a problem with one of the four 6v batteries that I just installed earlier this month. I have tested the voltage on all four and 3 of them read 6.4v but the 4th one reads 5.4v. It stays like that and doesn't go lower or higher. I have checked the wiring from the picture that I took before I installed and the wires look the same as before. Batteries are orientated the same as before the box.
I have taken it back to Sams and it tested ok but very low charge. They couldn't replace it because it tested ok.
Do some batteries not take a proper charge? Therefore bad battery.

Thanks

JimJ

You could do this, that and the other, but the easiest would be to just discharge it completely, for getting it replaced and since Sam's doesn't know how or doesn't bother, taking the time, to properly check a battery, anyway.

[ksg5000]

Take the battery down to an impartial source - most auto/tire places will test battery to determine whether it's good or not. If a 3rd party says it's dead then go back to Sam's for further "discussion".

[wa8yxm]

It is possible that the battery is good. You need to "Equlize" perhaps 2 or 3 passes to bring that battery up. Just it and it's mate, drop the other two off (Disconnect them) for this job.

ALT put a 6 volt charger on JUST that battyery and bring it up.

[DiskDoctr]

If you unplug your camper so the converter is not powered, check the voltage of your batteries at the battery terminals where the converter/charger connects.

If you are about 6v low, you have a wiring problem with your bank of 4 batteries. If it reads 11.6v-13v, it is wired correctly to the converter/charger.

If wired correctly, the ONLY possibility is that one battery is defective.

Second method is comparing battery to this chart for 6v batteries:



5.4 volts is NOT a state of charge for a properly functioning 6 volt battery. Print out the chart and take it with you. If they argue, ask for a manager. Perhaps mention how you expect at least a working knowledge of how to test and evaluate batteries and that recommending continued charging and use of a defective battery that has failed internally could pose a risk of damage and possibly even danger to the user and his property.

Then ask, "Why are you refusing to honor the warranty on a defective battery? Please put your reasons in writing, including why you believe 5.4 volts is an acceptable level of charge for a 6 volt battery when all the documentation shows otherwise."

What people will say verbally is too often a far cry from what they are willing to back up in writing.

Guaranteed results 😉

[MrWizard]

5.4v
That battery is technically dead
Are you sure it is not in there backwards
Have you disconnected the wiring
So you have the two pairs separate from each other
Then read the voltage of each 12v pair
Do you get 11.x on that pair, or something like 2v ?

[GordonThree]

2oldman wrote:

jimj wrote:
..the 4th one reads 5.4v..
I have taken it back to Sams and it tested ok but very low charge. They couldn't replace it because it tested ok.

It's a bad battery. They are not honoring the warranty.

Agreed.

It's not Sam's I think anyone that sells batteries tries to wiggle out of the warranty.

Battery in my SUV wasn't charging right, it's one of those sealed kind so no way to check water.

Auto parts store I bought it from, with a 36 month free replacement warranty says...

Oh no, that battery is fine, it just has a low charge. Ya right, I say, I've been driving for an hour. Well maybe your alternator is bad. Ok I say, let's hook up the tester. Yup alternator is fine.

Well we're not replacing the battery, it just needs a charge. So I gave up and bought a battery from someplace else.

[stickdog]

Time to move to the next level of customer service.

[gsf35099]

2oldman wrote:

jimj wrote:
..the 4th one reads 5.4v..
I have taken it back to Sams and it tested ok but very low charge. They couldn't replace it because it tested ok.

It's a bad battery. They are not honoring the warranty.

Agree. Low voltage is not testing good. Not sure how they say it test good. I deal a lot with batteries on golf carts and batteries behaving like this one is bad and all dealers I work with exchange it. Take it back.

[2oldman]

jimj wrote:
..the 4th one reads 5.4v..
I have taken it back to Sams and it tested ok but very low charge. They couldn't replace it because it tested ok.

It's a bad battery. They are not honoring the warranty.