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Batteries have quite a gurgle

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
I have this vision of small bubbles floating to the surface as the battery creates some gas while charging. Mine seem to produce a large gurgle. It would seem a lot of gas is trapped and then makes its way to the surface. Can really hear it plain and clear as if a large bubble forms below the plates and releases when bumped or disturbed.

These are vintage 11 year old Costco GC2 batteries. I assume should be replaced.

Anyone experience this? I believe it has been going on for at least a year.
24 REPLIES 24

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
Edited out my confusion--now clear that HCL is 210 and ECL is 225.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
time2roll wrote:
They did say 12 month warranty so maybe they are GC2-HCL and not PF-GC2.


See above--did you get Trojan T-605s for $83 ??? ๐Ÿ™‚
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
They did say 12 month warranty so maybe they are GC2-HCL and not PF-GC2.

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
Seems to be a new line-up

http://interstatedealers.com/pdf/MKT1233-00_GolfSellSheet_LR.pdf

Compare with T-605 for 210 and T-105 for 225

http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/TRJN0111_ProdSpecGuide.pdf

Hmmmmm--does Interstate have a new source for its GC2s?

Note here on Interstate site, link to GC2 gets you a Trojan page.

http://corporate.interstatebatteries.com/msds/
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
What's an Interstate 210? They used to be 208, 232, etc.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Four new Costco/Interstate GC2 210 a/h today has cured the issue. :B
Long overdue. Solar had them topped up so much faster... made a real difference.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
time2roll wrote:
Definite loss of capacity. .
I'm sure a couple (or 6) new batteries will be a very pleasant return to the capacity you expect.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Definite loss of capacity. I think the solar has been masking the issue for some time. Yes I am concerned with potential expelling of electrolyte or worse.

Thanks again MEX for the explanation.

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Fiberglass mats can clog with shedded plate. Avoiding hydrodynamic theory let me put it this way...older batteries can gurgle. I have seen GC220's burp so bad undergoing a 40 ampere charge they expelled electrolyte out of an opened cap.

Guesswork always loses. Without total kWh usage data and maintenance values is it not pointless to ponder the exact state of the batteries? Seldom cycled properly maintained GC's can endure a dozen or more years.

Carbon pile load test, hydrometer analysis, and impedance testing is the only way to get a grip on the state of these accumulators.

RJsfishin
Explorer
Explorer
2oldman wrote:
Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.
why?


I kinda agree,.....batteries are cheap considering how long they last.
Rich

'01 31' Rexall Vision, Generac 5.5k, 1000 watt Honda, PD 9245 conv, 300 watts Solar, 150 watt inv, 2 Cos 6v batts, ammeters, led voltmeters all over the place, KD/sat, 2 Oly Cat heaters w/ ox, and towing a 2012 Liberty, Lowe bass boat, or a Kawi Mule.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.
why?
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bubbling/gurgling seems exactly like what I think all liquid batteries do when their electrolyte is getting exposed to high "boost" voltages or getting "conditioned" by even higher voltages from multi-stage chargers.

This is probably not possible with either your RV's built-in charger or your solar charge controller, but if it is ... I'd recommend merely setting it's highest voltage at a lower value to stop the bubbling/gurgling. The reduced high end voltage necessary to stop the sounds is also temperature dependent -> the reduced voltage value necessary to stop the bubbling/gurgling would have to be set lower in warm weather than the setting necessary to stop it in cold weather. I expect that the high end charger voltages necessary for boosting or conditioning should also be reduced as a battery ages.

P.S. When your batteries are making sounds like this they're also emitting more corrosive fumes out of the caps, which of course is hard on equipment close to them.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

Sam_Spade
Explorer
Explorer
Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.


And before you decide that they are bad......change out ALL of the other electrical components first.....just to be sure.
:S
'07 Damon Outlaw 3611
CanAm Spyder in the "trunk"