dcmodels

Why should you be concerned about your battery? While most batteries last the 3 or 4 years of new car warranty, sometimes they do not. And if your battery dies, you will not be driving. Some minor maintenance to the battery can help to insure its maximum lifespan.

I do not think my dealer properly checked my battery either before or after my purchase (during final dealer-prep). I think that the reason for this is that the battery is supposed to be a low-maintenance type, and theoretically should not need any service. It is possible, as in my own case, that you have a new battery (car) that is about to fail.

My 2009 RDX was manufactured in late December 2008 (VIN tag). It was ‘prepped’ by the dealer 25 January 2009. I purchased it about the 15th of March 2009. That means that the car sat on the lot for around 2 (cold) months without being driven (25 miles on the odometer when purchased).

Well, around October 2009 I thought maybe a look at the battery would be a good idea. The car had 6000 miles at that time. And several cells of the battery were low on water. Three cells were a bit low. And the end cell by the negative cable was low enough that I feel that the battery could have failed soon from a shorted cell. Once the water drops below the top of the cell plates, failure can occur any time.

The low water levels was despite taking the car in for several oil changes. At each oil change the service writer checked the battery voltage and cold cranking amps with a meter. And the battery ‘eye’ has always showed green. But remember that the ‘eye’ checks only one cell, the one by the positive cable. Jiffy Lube (or similar) will check your battery water level (at least mine does). But I have never seen a dealer check a battery, unless you specifically request and pay for it. So what should you do?

CHECK THE WATER LEVEL IN EACH CELL:
First clean the top of the battery, with a mix of baking soda and water. This should be done once per year, even if you do nothing else. Buy a box of baking soda from the market, around two dollars. Mix ‘some/ a lot’ in with a bucket of water. Then carefully pour it over the top of the battery (engine off). Use an old tooth brush to clean any dirt.

The baking soda will ‘foam’ as it neutralizes any battery acid. This will prevent any damage to cables, hold down bolts, etc. from battery acid/ fumes. Remember, the battery is vented, and as it heats and works, it vents battery acid fumes. The vents are in the two caps (OEM battery).

Next, use a garden hose to rinse the battery. Or use a bucket of clean water (as I do). Careful not to get the outside of the car wet, spoiling your wash and wax job.

Wait until the next day, or dry the battery top with paper towels. If you skip this step, you can get tap water in the cells when you pull the caps. Not good.

Now take a large screwdriver and pry up the battery caps. You should be wearing safety glasses or goggles when doing this. Remember, battery acid can cause blindness.

Finally check the level of water in each cell. Using a pen light or flash light, look down each cell. From the top of each cell opening, down about an inch, there is a slot on the side of each round opening. When the water is below the bottom of this slot/ opening, it looks ‘flat’. When the water touches the bottom of this slot/ circular opening, it looks ‘rounded’. Water is supposed to be just at the bottom of the inch deep round opening of each cell. This will be clear when you actually look into your battery.

CHECKING THE DENSITY/ CHARGE OF THE BATTERY ACID WATER IN THE CELLS:
Checking the cells must be done before adding water, even if the cell is low on water. Otherwise, the readings will be invalid. The readings will tell you the charge level of each battery cell. If there is a 0.05 (sometimes expressed as 50 "points") or more difference in the specific gravity reading between the highest and lowest cell, you have a weak or dead cell(s). For example, if the highest cell reads 1275, then the lowest cell must read at least 1225. As a side note, a reading of 1275 is actually a reading of 1.275, where plain water reads 1.000

A special hydrometer must be used. Your hydrometer will come with instructions for use. There are two types. One type has a separate float in a round glass cylinder. I have used the $5 type, and the $35 professional type. I do not like either type, and find neither type is very accurate. This float type is not temperature compensated.

Unless the car has been sitting overnight, the battery will not have the same temperature as the ambient air. Readings should be done only when the battery is “cold”, or at ambient temperature. You must look online and find a table to adjust your readings for the air/ ambient temperature, as related to the standard of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the amount that must the added (or subtracted) from your actual hydrometer readings.

I instead use the one-piece hydrometer, with an integral internal pinned rotating float. Just suck a bit of battery acid into the tool, and read the pointer. You can purchase an inexpensive one from most parts places. I use an EZRED brand #EZRSP101 which I purchased from a battery shop. Other brands may be as accurate, I do not know. I paid around $12 for my tool, and you can find the EZRED brand online for various prices.

The EZRED brand states that it is temperature compensating. You will not have to adjust your readings, but they can be used direct. I am uncertain how the temperature compensation works. I do know that you should fill the tool reservoir with battery acid, and let it sit for about one minute for the reading to stabilize. Perhaps this time is used by the tool to let the temperature of the battery acid stabilize the tool temperature.

Anyway, I normally try to take my readings at an ambient of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I check my battery once in the spring, and once in the fall.

My highest specific gravity reading was 1278, and the lowest reading was 1269. That is a “09” point difference, which is not bad. But a really good battery will have less difference. I must assume that the original use of my battery, with low water cells, has caused this reading difference. My Chevy ACDelco battery has a difference in readings of “05” points.

You are most concerned that the difference between the highest and lowest readings is minimal. This is more important than a high specific reading. Despite the assurance that the EZRED hydrometer is temperature compensated, it still reads slightly different depending upon the ambient temperature. So I look for close readings across all cells, rather than the same exact readings at different ambient temperatures.

ADDING WATER TO THE LOW CELLS:
Add only distilled water. Do not add water above the bottom of the slot in the round opening. The water should just ‘touch’ the bottom of the slot in the round opening. Use a glass eyedropper to add water. If you are concerned about breaking a glass dropper, then use a plastic one. But then you should use a new dropper each time. Plastic is difficult to clean. Eye droppers are available at any Pharmacy.

Put some distilled water into a clean small bottle. I use a vitamin bottle that has been washed out to remove any vitamin dust. Then use the dropper to carefully fill each battery cell.

CHECKING THE LOAD RATING OF A BATTERY:
There are special load meters which can check the health of your battery. These meters can tell you if your battery is getting ‘weak’, so that it is not holding a proper charge, or possibly has an internal short that shows only under load (such as starting the car).

But a hydrometer can tell you pretty much if your battery is healthy. They are different tools, and give you slightly different information. Unfortunately, the cheap voltage/ load meters are not accurate enough to give valid information. I have simply never been able to justify paying the cost of a new battery to get a good load meter (I would have to justify this to my wife, who is never going to allow it).

Besides, my Acura dealer has such a meter, and uses it on my battery each visit (or at least if I remind him by asking). The dealer’s meter even prints out the results on paper. Also, my local Checker Auto Parts store has a similar meter. But unfortunately, I have found that I cannot trust the parts store employee to use it accurately. Each time he says my battery is ‘toast’, the dealer says it is just fine.

So while I would dearly love to have a load meter, I simply cannot afford or justify its cost.

CABLE CARE:
The first thing to check is that the cable attachment to the battery post is tight. While changing my air filter, I accidentally bumped the positive battery cable, and it ‘popped’ off the battery post. WOW, not very tight was it?

So I got out my tools and reattached it. You must take care not to over tighten the small bolts, as they seem to be only brass. The factory manual states that the bolts should be tightened only to between 2 and 4 foot pounds. That is not very tight. I used a 10 foot pound torque wrench. As a comparison, the side post battery in my Chevy recommends a torque of 11 foot pounds. The Acura battery is a top-post type. Different post design, different type of cable clamps, different torque specifications.

To check your own battery cables, simply take hold of the cable about one inch from the post, and gently try to move it back-and-forth. Do not push very hard. If it does not move, it is OK.

After making certain that your cables are tight, you should grease them to prevent battery acid damage from fumes. Or I suppose you can use one of the felt pads that can be inserted over the post and under the cable clamp. If you are installing a new battery, that is what I recommend. I get mine from SEARS for a couple of bucks, a red and green one.

However, that requires removing the cables if they are already installed. So in that case, I just use some dielectric grease, and smear it on the cable clamp & post, and on any exposed part of the cable (not the insulation, but the wire part). My cables came from the factory with grease on them. But cleaning and battery maintenance can slowly wash away the original grease.

NOTE: do not put grease on the battery posts, until AFTER you have connected/ bolted the cable clamps. You do not want grease between the cable clamps and battery posts. That would prevent a good electrical connection. The grease is to ‘seal’ the clamps and posts together. A small amount of acid fumes exit around the battery posts. That is why the felt ring pads work. They neutralize any acid escaping from around the posts.

CHECKING THE CLAMP/ HOLD DOWN BOLTS:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=771750
In this RDX forum, in a ‘sticky’ in the section
AcuraZine Community> AcuraZine RDX Community> Acura RDX Discussion> Problems & Fixes
Acura Service News and TSB's for the RDX

in the SERVICE NEWS for January 2009, is a notation about battery hold down brackets. Tighten them too much, and the battery can be damaged. Please check this for your own battery. My suggestion is to try moving the battery, not just the hold-down bracket. A battery that moves around while driving will vibrate enough to loosen the plates, causing a short. So do not make the hold-down bracket too tight, but not too loose either.

HOW (AND WHY) TO READ THE DATE CODE ON YOUR BATTERY:
You may have forgotten when you bought that replacement battery. Or maybe you want to check the actual manufacturing age of the OEM battery. Depending upon the conditions under which you use your battery, it might last 3 years and it might last 6 or more years.

The main reason to read the date code on a battery, is when buying a new one. Never buy a battery that is older than 3 months (manufactured life). The reason is that an older battery has been sitting, and discharging since it was manufactured, and will simply never last as long as a brand new one will. A battery which has sat discharged for a long period, has a greatly shortened lifespan.

Furthermore, when a battery is replaced under warranty, the warranty period is determined by either when you purchased the battery, or when it was manufactured. If you have lost your purchase receipt, then the manufactured date (date code stamped on the battery) is used. If the battery was more than a year old when you bought it, then that is a year older than your actual purchase date, and another year for which you will not receive warranty credit.

When I had a battery in my Chevy replaced under warranty, I discovered after installation that it was already 18 months old. And it did not last much more than one year, and had to be replaced yet again under warranty. For the inconvenience and cost, I almost think it would have been better to directly purchase a new battery.

Unfortunately, date codes vary by manufacturer. And the same manufacturer can change date code styles, usually when a new decade starts. Generally, if someone wants to sell you a battery, they should be willing to explain the date code for that battery to you. I was able to obtain the AC Delco battery date coding system by contacting AC Delco directly by email, through my Chevy dealer.

There are only a few manufacturers of batteries. The same manufacturer makes batteries for AC Delco, and sometimes SEARS (some models), as well as others. So there are only a few different date code systems in use (by manufacturer not by brand). Here are some date codes as examples, to help you decode the date on your own battery (or a new one).

AC Delco old style code and some Sears DieHard: Dates are stamped on the cover near one post. The first number is the year. The second character is the month A-M, skipping I. The last two characters indicate geographic areas. For example, 0BN3=2000 February.

AC Delco new style (through 2009): The warranty date code is located on the top label of the battery. The first character is either a P or S. The next two digits determine the month, the third digit is year and the fourth digit indicates the manufacturing plant. For example, P 094N means the battery was made in September 2004 in the New Brunswick factory. Clearly this date code system is not going to work beginning with the year 2010. I do not know the new decade date code system for an AC Delco battery.

Acura 2009 RDX OEM battery: manufactured by Johnson Controls Battery Group, Inc. for Acura (as stated on the battery). There are two locations for the warranty code. As you face the car, the positive battery post is on the left (toward the passenger side of the vehicle). One code is printed on the top of the battery, on the lower right hand (driver) side corner. The other (same) code is melted into the front top center of the battery. The code on my battery is “8L26C54”, which is a date of December 2008. This is logical since my car was manufactured in December 2008, as stated on the VIN. Actually, the date may be November 2008, since I do not know if the letter “I” is used or skipped, for this manufacturer.

CONCLUSION:
I checked my 2009 Acura OEM battery again this May (first time was last October). Only two cells were low on water, and just barely. Still, even a little use of water means I need to check at least once per year.

As a comparison, my 2001 Camaro Z28 OEM battery lasted 6 years, and I never touched it (or looked at it). On the other hand, my 1998 Chevy Blazer has required a new battery about every 2 years. I guess it just depends on the type of vehicle, engine, and conditions of use.

Careful maintenance, as described above, can actually add years to the life of your battery. At a minimum, checking the charge with either a hydrometer or load meter, can tell you the current status of your battery and help you predict its future lifespan. Just remember that if a cell is low on water, a battery can fail suddenly, without any warning at all.

On my commuting cars, I just replace my battery every 3 years, rather than risk being stranded in a snow storm (or in the middle of the desert in 100 plus degree heat). Yes, here in Utah we have a yearly swing of 120 degrees typical. That is hell on battery life. And to make certain that my less than 3 year old battery is still healthy, I simply follow the recommendations above. If it shows signs of failing, as described above, then I just replace it early. That is my approach.

All done.

jspagna1

For maintenance I just check the batteries in my cars for any battery acid build up. Keep the terminals clear and use a vaseline or a superlube grease to kep the terminals clean.

And as for replacing my batteries, I have them replaced every 5 years and that has worked on all my vehicles till this day without getting stranded once.

brizey

Sorry, but I think that is way overkill. Batteries are what, $200 at the most? I am NOT going to spend time maintaining something that I can replace for $200. Plus, the chances of getting truly stranded are pretty remote for a typical suburban driver. Just replace them every few years at Sears while you are shopping at the mall.

737 Jock

Thanks for a very nice write-up dcmodels.

I've found it neccessary to top up the OEM RDX battery at the end of every hot summer. (Batteries die in the cold, but they got sick in the heat.)

Additionally, most of these "maintenance free" batteries simply have a deeper reservior with more water above the plates, but they still evaporate and get low.

dcmodels

Thank you for confirming OEM RDX battery water topup. This is the first battery/ car that I have owned that evaporated this much water, or perhaps this car has spent more time in Vegas in the summer than my pervious cars

I am perhaps not a typical suburban driver - Montana, Wyoming, Neveda, North Dakota etc. has lots of places you do not want to be stranded. When it is 100 miles between service stations, the temp is either -40 or plus 130 then you will know what stranded really is. And I am pretty sure that North Dakota has no Acura dealers. So for me, a yearly check of my battery, as preventative maintenance.

brizey

In your circumstances I would do the same. There are four Acura dealers here in the metroplex! Also, I have the dealer do all the basic maintenance (they are 5 minutes from work), and they are SUPPOSED to check the battery (it is one of the fluid levels they should be checking) on the "B" service. I can do very little at the house--wife said no oil changes in the garage, and our driveway is too sloped to do it, and the HOA would freak if I did it out front (it is explicitly against the rules to do non emergency repairs on the street). So I guess in some ways, I DO do battery maintenance. I just do it with a credit card.

dcmodels

Keeping the battery topped up with water, can help prevent sudden battery failure, which for me always seems to occur at the most inconvenient time. If you have a Gel or AGM type battery, those batteries cannot have water added.

DANGER:
You should be wearing safety glasses or goggles when checking and adding water to the battery, or doing anything with the battery. Remember, battery acid can cause blindness within a few seconds.

And an exploding battery caused by a spark can not only harm you, it will make an incredible mess of the engine – you will spend hours trying to clean up before the wiring harness is melted. Using a large piece of cardboard, ‘fan’ the area of the battery. This will disperse any explosive battery gas.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT BATTERY WATER LEVEL ?
Above the cell plates, and below (or touching) the bottom of the cell vent tube. If the water is below the top of the cell plates, the plates will sulfate immediately, damaging the battery.

Overfilling the cell is almost worse than under-filled. Movement of the vehicle (driving) can cause battery fluid to spill out of the vent caps. Normal charging during driving can also force water out, if the cell has been overfilled.







WHY BOTHER to CHECK THE WATER LEVEL?
A vehicle-tow and/ or battery replacement on the side of the road, because your battery died, can cost more than a new battery that you purchase at your own convenience.

Also, a dry battery (low water level) can start an electrical fire that you cannot put out, that will burn your car to the ground. And just how does that happen? When the battery water level gets below the top of the plates, the best thing that can happen is that the car will not start (dead battery). Or the battery can short across the plate tops, especially if the engine is running, and then a fire begins.

The nice thing about a hood that has springs (or gas supports), is that the hood is automatically held open while you put out the fire (if you happen to have a fire extinguisher). Trust me, you will not be able to open the RDX hood with an engine fire going, because as soon as you open the hood, the fire flares up (more air, more oxygen). So you cannot hold the hood open by hand – you will just get seriously burned and still have to watch the car burn completely to the ground – it takes less than 15 minutes. Not long enough for the fire truck to arrive. So keep the battery full of water.


BATTERY TYPES and WATER:
All Wet Cell (flooded) batteries have removable cell caps, so that water can be added. Note that maintenance free types actually have removable caps, ‘hidden’ beneath a removable flat label. I had the service tech at Sears show me how to remove the ‘top’, as they sometimes do that to check the water level themselves, before replacing a maintenance-free battery under warranty.

A true “sealed” battery can be either the GEL cell or Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) type. Water level cannot be checked or added to this type. Consider this type of battery if it will not receive regular maintenance, or if your car is not driven (almost) every day, or if the battery is located where you must partially disassemble the car body to access the battery.

But, even a sealed battery can ‘boil-off’ or lose water when operated in very high ambient temperatures (USA desert areas). Any water loss will shorten the battery life, since water cannot be replaced. If a Gel or AGM battery is not overcharged or overheated, it can (in theory) last 2 or 3 times as long as a wet lead acid battery. It also costs twice as much as a Wet Cell battery.

LOW-MAINTENANCE or MAINTENANCE FREE BATTERY?
Current Wet Cell flooded batteries are of two basic types. Low Maintenance batteries have lead-antimony/ antimony or lead-antimony/ calcium (dual alloy or hybrid) plates. Maintenance Free batteries have lead-calcium/ calcium plates.

The advantages of maintenance free batteries are less preventive maintenance: up to 250% less water loss, faster recharging, greater overcharge resistance, reduced terminal corrosion, up to 40% more life cycles, and up to 200% less self discharge. However, they are more prone to deep discharge failures (dead battery).

Inexpensive batteries with short 1-year warranty times, are usually just lead-lead chemistry. These batteries will require water addition more often than either low-maintenance or maintenance free types. Believe it or not, they do not necessarily have a shorter life than the more expensive types, so long as they are kept topped-up with water, and are not completely discharged by leaving the headlights on.

It used to be that sellers (such as Sears) would advertise the type of technology (material) used in their batteries. This would help a consumer to determine whether the battery was truly maintenance-free, or some other type of construction. Unfortunately, this information is no longer easily obtainable. If truly interested in battery construction chemistry, perhaps a search online is in order.


HOW MUCH WATER DOES A BATTERY USE?
How often, and how much water a battery requires (topping up), depends upon the type of battery, the vehicle charging voltage, and the conditions under which the vehicle is operated (heat/ cold). High charging voltage and high ambient temperature will boil-off battery water faster.

The AC Delco Professional 7-year (84 month) Low-Maintenance battery that is currently in my Chevy 4x4, is four years old. It has required the addition of only a few drops of water in a single cell, during the entire time. It has removable cell caps, and is sold as a low-maintenance type battery. GM sets their voltage regulators at a higher charging voltage than other car manufacturers, at 14.8 volts, to recharge sealed maintenance-free lead-calcium/calcium batteries, like the original AC Delco OEM batteries. Another brand of battery would probably require more frequent water addition, when used in a GM vehicle.

The Acura OEM Johnson Controls Inc. battery in my 2009 RDX is 3 years old. It requires water to be added, twice per year: once in the spring, a few drops to one or two cells. And once in the fall, significant water to most cells. Significant means 1-2 teaspoons, or 10-15 ml. True, not much water at one time. But enough water-loss to eventually dry out the cells, unless periodically replaced.

The total amount of water added to my RDX battery, over the life-to-date of 3-years, is given here below, in milliliters, where 20ml = 4 teaspoons approximately. The order is left-to-right for positive terminal to negative terminal. The right-most cell #6 was low when the vehicle was delivered at purchase, and therefore shows the most water required over the battery life.

+ 1 (31) 2 (33) 3 (20) 4 (21) 5 (26) 6 (41) -

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dcmodels

Heat kills a battery faster than cold. Where you live and where you drive your car, can affect the life of your battery. Is there anything you can do about it? If possible, purchase a battery specifically built for the highest temperatures where you live and drive.

And always purchase a battery manufactured no more than 3 months before the purchase date, so that the battery is not already sulfated.

DANGER:
You should be wearing safety glasses or goggles when working around the battery, or doing anything with the battery. Remember, battery acid can cause blindness within a few seconds.


BATTERY LIFE and AMBIENT TEMPERATURE:
My Camaro Z28, was delivered with an AC Delco OEM wet cell maintenance free (sealed) battery, that lasted over 6 years. The battery received no maintenance. The car was driven daily, rain or shine, winter (zero degrees) or summer (100 degrees), but only on short trips. Can an AGM battery really last 12-18 years in a vehicle? I mean, they are supposed to last 2-3 times longer, but is that realistic?

On the other hand, the batteries in my Chevy 4x4 have usually lasted only around 3-years. So what is the difference? The Camaro was (almost) never driven during the day time (night job). The Chevy 4x4 was seldom driven during the evening/ night, and mostly during the daytime.

It is pretty well accepted that high heat kills a battery faster than cold. Also, the position of the Camaro battery was better protected from engine heat. The Chevy 4x4 battery is located right next to the radiator. In even modest temperatures of 70-80 degrees, the battery gets so hot that it is difficult to hold your hand on the top.

The Acura RDX battery has an air-insulated box around it, plus a heat deflector which prevents radiator air from blowing directly onto the insulated battery-box. If your vehicle has a battery box or insulated blanket, removing them for convenience can shorten battery life.

A second probable reason for the shorter life of the Chevy 4x4 batteries, is that each new replacement battery was purchased from the Chevy dealer. In one case that I am certain of, the battery was already 8-months old when installed in the vehicle.

Any battery older than 3-months on-the-shelf, is already suffering from sulfation. Sulfation prevents a battery from accepting a full charge, and shortens its life. Since the primary business of a car dealer is not to sell batteries, battery turn-over is low, and it is not unusual to find that all of the batteries in stock are old. Out of curiosity, I once checked the battery stock at my Chevy dealer, and found one battery that was 1.5-years old, sitting on the shelf. But the convenience of a dealer battery installation has its own value.

I live in an area that has both extreme cold in the winter, and extreme high heat in the summer. It is zero degrees in the winter, and 100 degrees in the summer. Since battery life is shortened (more) by heat rather than by cold, when possible I purchase a SUMMER type battery, rather than a WINTER type battery.

For example, SEARS calls these types NORTH and SOUTH batteries. The actual physical construction of each type differs. The SUMMER type of battery has a longer life than either the WINTER type, or the ‘normal’ type of battery, when operated in high ambient temperatures. Since battery life is (more) shortened by heat rather than by cold, purchase a battery based upon the maximum temp in your area.

If you primarily live/ drive in an area that has a very high summer temperature, or high average yearly temperature, it would be best to use a car battery with removable caps. Then the battery water level can be topped-up when required. Under extreme high heat, such as summers in Las Vegas, even sealed batteries can require the addition of water. You just will not be able to do so.
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dcmodels

Do SMART CHARGERS really work? Can they restore a weak and sulfated battery? Are they really smart/ intelligent? Well, not A.I. intelligent, but do they actually do anything that a simple $20 manual trickle charger cannot?

The following test will attempt to answer these questions, for a specific charger (and brand). No attempt is made at a direct comparison with any other charger. You can decide if this information is of any help to you, in determining whether to use a trickle charger yourself, and what kind to use.

DANGER:
You should be wearing safety glasses or goggles when checking and connecting any charger to the battery, or doing anything with the battery. Remember, battery acid can cause blindness within a few seconds.

And an exploding battery caused by a spark can not only harm you, it will make an incredible mess of the engine – you will spend hours trying to clean up before the wiring harness is melted. Using a large piece of cardboard, ‘fan’ the area of the battery. This will disperse any explosive battery gas.


WARNING:
Understand that even a battery that reads an acceptable charge level, whether taken by a load-test or a hydrometer test or a voltage test, can still fail suddenly from an internal short.

This can happen because the battery is low on water. Or it can happen because the battery has been damaged from heat (warped/ damaged cell plates). Heat damage is most likely when the vehicle is operated in an area with very high temperatures (Las Vegas comes to mind). This is especially likely if there is no battery box (as on the RDX) or protective heat blanket around the battery.


CONCLUSIONS from CHARGER TESTING:
The BatteryMINDer Model 12117 charger was connected to a weak (sulfated) battery for approximately 4 weeks. The battery was in a vehicle driven regularly, but not every day, and mostly on short trips. The vehicle battery cables were not disconnected during charging. Before using the charger in this test, the only maintenance that this battery received was to check the water level. It never required any water to be added.

The battery was not damaged by the charger (by being overcharged). And the obviously sulfated (weak) battery was de-sulfated, because the battery charge level at the end of the test period, was restored to almost a new charge level.

Details in the table below.


SUMMARY of CHARGING:
A 3.5-year old weak and sulfated battery, installed in a 1998 Chevy, was charged with a SMART CHARGER.

Ø Battery was 6 months old when placed into service, and therefore already partially sulfated.

Ø After one year of service, battery charge level was about 90% of what a new battery should be.

Ø After three years of service, battery charge level was about 75% or less, definitely a sign of sulfation. The car was driven regularly so that the battery was charged at the highest level it would accept. I had intended to replace the battery at this time, but decided to test a de-sulfation charger instead.

Ø After 4-weeks of charging, battery charge level was higher than 95% but not 100%

Ø Then battery suffered a complete discharge, because of a vehicle electrical failure. After 13-days of charge, battery was restored to a charge level of almost 95%

Ø An additional 4-weeks (8-weeks total) of charging caused no significant increase in the charge level.


REASON for TRICKLE CHARGERS:
If you have a lot of toys, with batteries, keeping the batteries from going dead can be a lot of effort. A microprocessor controlled 3 or 4-step charger is a must.

Toys like motorcycles, snowmobiles, garden tractors, riding mowers, etc., when left unattended, their battery will sulfate and die, and every spring/ fall you will need a new battery. But a trickle charger connected once a month, for a couple of days or so, will keep everything nice and fresh, ready for the next required use. Some chargers even allow connecting multiple batteries at once, so that connecting a separate charger to each battery in turn, is not required.

A trickle charger can charge a completely discharged battery, it will just take longer than using a regular ‘fast’ charger. Both the trickle type and regular type are available as either manual or Smart (electronic). There are now many “flavors” of chargers, and the cost range is $20 up to hundreds of dollars. Only a Smart electronic controlled type of charger can be left connected indefinitely, without damaging the battery.

Whether a Smart 3-4 step charger is better than a simple manual charger, and worth the additional cost, is something that only you can decide.


TRICKLE CHARGER TYPES:
The $20 simple manual chargers will damage (overcharge) your battery, if left connected for too long. I have a simple 1-amp charger that I purchased about 30 years ago. It still works fine.

But, the instructions (yeah I am that OCD) state specifically not to leave the charger connected for too long, or the battery will be damaged. Yes, this is even though this charger is meant to keep a battery ‘topped-up’ in charge. And the definition of “too-long” is completely vague. You are expected to compute the allowed charge time, based upon the current charge level of the battery, and the amp-hours rating of the battery itself.

But today’s Smart chargers have internal microprocessors. They are also meant to keep a battery fully charged, but can be left connected indefinitely. Smart chargers can also desulfate a battery. Simple manual chargers cannot. A sulfated battery is a weak battery. It will not accept a full charge.

So, when buying a charger, whether only a low-amp trickle type, or the ones that can quick charge and then maintain your battery, read the label and know what you are buying.


BatteryMINDer Plus Model 12117, manufactured by VDC Electronics, Inc.:
This is the model discussed in this test. The Instruction Manual states that this charger can be left connected indefinitely, and that it will perform Desulfation to the extent possible.

Both claims are tested, and reported on here. This model charger can be used with both flooded lead-acid (and variants), as well as the AGM-dry or Gel (Optima, etc.) type. Note that this manufacturer also makes a specific charger model for the AGM type of battery, model #12118.

The specifications for the model #12117 are that it will not charge a battery with a voltage of less than 10.5 volts. The charger has an output of 1.33 amps when the battery voltage is 10.5 volts, and an output of 1 amp at 12.0 volts. And an output of 5mA to 200mA during maintenance mode, after the battery has reached a full charge.

Charge mode output is 14.4 volts. Maintenance mode output is 13.4 volts. LED lights indicate the current charger mode.

Maintenance mode is also called FLOAT mode, during which the battery is also desulfated. Desulfation is the removal of sulfate build-up from the battery’s plates. Desulfation occurs any time that the charger is connected. Sulfation occurs when a battery is not kept fully charged. Sulfation prevents a battery from taking a full charge from a non-microprocessor controlled charger. Sulfation will eventually kill any battery.

The charger drops into maintenance/ float mode after a short time, each time that it is connected to the battery. That means that the battery has accepted the maximum charge possible, for its current condition. Then the charger drops into maintenance mode to prevent over-charging, and for continued desulfation. Desulfation allows a battery to accept (and hold) a higher charge.

There is also a button on the charger to force the charger immediately into maintenance mode. The instruction manual does not explain why you would want to do this. I think that this feature is meant to be used when you have already used the charger to fully charge the battery, and just need to maintain the charge and perform desulfation.

Also, the Maintenance-button could be used to prevent the voltage from rising higher than the voltage required to trigger some optional piece of accessory equipment on the vehicle. Please see my comments on this topic in the section below: EXCEPTIONS to the TEST PROCEDURE

And I have no idea if the BatteryMINDer Plus charger is any better than any other charger. I simply wanted to know if a microprocessor controlled battery charger was any better than the simple manual 1-amp model that I purchased 30 years ago.


BATTERY BEING TESTED:
The battery used in this test was an AC Delco Professional 7-year 700cca (cold cranking amp) installed in my Chevy 4x4 SUV. The battery was 3.5 (manufactured) years old at the beginning of the test sequence. It was 6 months old when installed in the car, which is why it was partially sulfated from “new”. Never buy a battery older than 3-months. In my case, I was pressed for time and did not know how to read the date code on this particular brand of battery.

This Chevy is driven regularly, but not every day. And most trips are short. Both conditions contribute to a weak and sulfated battery.


TEST PROCEDURE:
The battery was first LOAD tested by the local Sears auto shop, on 5 December 2011. The LOAD-TEST equipment reported CHARGE AND RETEST, a sign of a weak but not yet dead battery.

When the BatteryMINDer has charged a battery as much as possible, as much as the battery will accept, the charger drops into maintenance/ FLOAT mode to de-sulfate the battery.

On 20 Dec 2011, the BatteryMINDer charger was used to bring the battery up to its maximum possible charge level, which took approximately 4 hours. Then the battery was charged in Maintenance mode for 4 days. Then the first baseline charge level test was taken with a hydrometer test. This test was consistent with the Load-Test taken by Sears (above). It showed that not only was the battery weak, it would not take a normal charge. In other words, the battery was clearly sulfated.

During charging, the car battery cables were not disconnected, and the battery was left in the car. The charger was connected during most nights, over a period of several months. In the table below, one day is 24 hours. Since the charger was only connected during the nights, it took several calendar-days to accumulate each total of 24-hours of charge.

It can take several weeks (of 24-hour days) to desulfate a battery, and not every battery can be completely desulfated. During my testing, the battery charge level was checked after each period of charging. When a charge period was terminated, the vehicle was driven, then allowed to sit for at least 12 hours without starting, before testing the charge level.

Driving (and using the engine starter) will ensure that the charge level reported is the level that the battery can actually “hold”. And letting the vehicle sit overnight will remove any “surface-charge”. Both must be done to ensure an accurate tested charge level for the battery.


EXCEPTIONS to the TEST PROCEDURE:
Note that if there are any devices in the vehicle that are triggered when the battery voltage reaches about 14-volts, the battery cables must be disconnected when using the charger. I am not aware of any device that would cause a problem on the Acura RDX, if the battery is charged, without disconnecting the battery cables.

An example device would be the GM windshield washer-fluid heater installed in some GM cars, which is triggered into operation at approximately 13.8 volts (when the engine is operating and the alternator is providing that level of voltage). The heater pulls (requires) 50-amps when first triggered on, and the charger I have used in this test can only supply 1-amp during charging.

Yes, I am aware of the washer-fluid heater electrical problems, and subsequent GM recall notice. But people are simply replacing the OEM heater with aftermarket heaters, which would cause the same problem with a battery charger.

This is just an example – I do not know all of the different devices on every car. Just be aware of this situation when using a battery charger, and if you have not disconnected the vehicle battery cables.

Note that if the battery is an AGM or Gel type battery, that a hydrometer test cannot be performed – because there is no free water inside (and no removable caps). That type of battery can only be tested with an accurate digital voltmeter. The specified voltage for a fully charged battery, depends upon the type of battery, whether Wet Cell flooded lead-acid or AGM or Gel type.


TEST EQUIPMENT – HYDROMETER:
For this test, all battery charge levels were tested using the same EZ-RED Hydrometer, model EZRSP-101. Knock-off copies of this hydrometer are available from most auto parts places for around $6. I paid about $14 for my genuine EZ-RED from a local battery maintenance shop. The EZ-RED hydrometer can also be purchased from any number of online sites.

The EZ-RED hydrometer is temperature compensated, meaning that it gives the same reading, whether the ambient temperature is 80 degrees or 30 degrees. While the readings may not be accurate in an absolute sense, since this cheap tool is not calibrated to a standardized hydrometer, readings at various temperatures are consistent with the same tool.

I have used (and own) expensive $100 float type hydrometers. These require adjusting the reading based upon the ambient temperature, because float-type hydrometers are not temperature compensated. The problem is that it is not practical to measure the temperature of the battery fluid itself. Using the air-ambient temperature instead never seems to give (me) an accurate adjustment.

Anyway, the battery shop where I purchased the EZ-RED had hundreds of batteries they were charging, and the EZ-RED is what they were using. They did say that after the batteries were fully charged, and just before returning the batteries into service, they also used an expensive float type hydrometer for a final read-check. But then, the batteries were inside, in a controlled temperature building, so that no temperature-compensation was required on the readings. The shop was maintaining and recharging batteries for fork-lifts and other types of warehouse equipment, as a commercial enterprise.

Yes, they offered to sell me a battery to go with my new tester


TEST EQUIPMENT – EVERSTART BATTERY MONITOR VOLTMETER p/n 932W:
This inexpensive digital device measures between 8.0 and 19.9 volts DC. It displays only to a single decimal point. It draws 0.1 amps because it has 3-LEDs and the 3-digit display. The device was purchased from Wal-Mart. Since I do not own a ‘real’ digital volt meter. I have no way to calibrate or verify the accuracy of this simple device. It is useful only to give comparison readings during charging.

However, I did check the Battery Monitor Voltmeter against the BatteryMINDer when charging my battery. The specification of the BatteryMINDer is that it trips into Maintenance mode at 14.4 volts. The Voltmeter reads 14.1 volts. The specification of the BatteryMINDer for Maintenance mode charging is 13.4 volts. The Voltmeter reads 13.3 volts. This gives an indication of the relative Voltmeter accuracy, because the BatteryMINDer is probably rather accurate, to prevent damaging any battery that it is charging.

Again, a valid battery charge-level voltage reading can be taken only after the battery surface charge has been removed, by letting the battery sit overnight for 12 hours.

This device is also useful in indicating any problems with the vehicle charging system, e.g., the alternator. For example, the RDX voltage should read between 13.5v and 15.1v when the engine is running. The device can be plugged directly into one of the (cigarette-lighter type) charging ports on the dash, which will give a reading only when the engine is running.

This voltage-meter device can also be used as an alternative to a Load-Test, by verifying that the battery voltage is between 9.5-10 volts (minimum) during an engine start.


TEST EQUIPMENT – BATTERYMINDER BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR:
Model 12103 made by VDC Electronics, Inc., the same company making the battery charger used in this test. Push a button and one of three conditions is indicated with a built-in LED light: POOR, FAIR, GOOD.

This device was included (free) with my purchase of the battery charger. It is a simple device, meant to be ‘permanently’ wired to the battery, and attached underneath the hood (with double sided tape). Alas, the terminals on the device wires are the wrong size (too large) for the RDX battery terminal bolts. But if you are at all handy, changing the wire terminal connectors is easy enough.

Again, a valid battery voltage reading can be taken only after the battery surface charge has been removed, by letting the battery sit overnight for 12 hours.


WHAT is the CHARGE-LEVEL for a FULLY-CHARGED BATTERY?
There are basically two ways to test a battery charge-level: hydrometer reading and voltage reading. In general, the following are standard accepted values for a fully charged battery. Note that the voltage reading level given below is an open-circuit reading. That means that the vehicle battery cables should be disconnected.

If the cables are left connected, modern vehicles always have some small battery load for various accessories, which over time would eventually completely drain the battery. Therefore, with a battery that is still connected in the vehicle, the voltage reading for a fully charged battery would be slightly less that that given below. The EVERSTART voltmeter might also read slightly low, since the device itself pulls 0.1 amps. A really valid battery voltage reading requires a real digital voltmeter.

The Specific Gravity (hydrometer) readings for a battery at 100% will vary by plate chemistry, so if possible, check the battery manufacturer's specifications for their State-of-Charge definitions for the battery being measured. Depending on the plate chemistry, the Specific Gravity can range from 1.215 to 1.300 for a fully charged wet Low Maintenance (Sb/Ca) or Standard (Sb/Sb) car batteries at 80° F (26.7° C). And GEL and AGM type batteries have their own voltage specifications for a 100% charge. Again, check with the battery manufacturer.

The following values are to be used only as a general guide.

A 100% fully charged wet-cell battery should read 1.265 hydrometer and 12.65 volts DC at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.Readings taken above or below 80 degrees, should be temperature compensated, unless the hydrometer itself is already temperature compensated.

A 75% charged wet-cell battery should read 1.225 hydrometer and 12.45 volts DC at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Most inexpensive volt meters are not temperature compensated, so take your readings near 80 degrees when possible.

HYDROMETER:
A hydrometer measures the density (specific gravity) of the battery acid, compared to plain water at 1.000

Now, the problem with using a specific absolute hydrometer reading to determine the charge-state of a battery, is that this is dependent upon the type of battery, as well as the type of plate-chemistry used in the same type of battery.

Note that the readings shown in the table below, in some cases, are significantly higher than the full-charge levels given just above.

So what to do? Consistent readings across all 6-cells of the battery, are more important than the actual absolute reading from your hydrometer. And unless you are using a laboratory quality hydrometer and the battery readings have been carefully temperature compensated, the best that you can do is to use the same hydrometer for each reading and make comparison readings only. So if possible, take a reading on your battery when it is new, for later comparison readings. Or perhaps you can find the specified readings for your specific battery. Check with the manufacturer.

Different level readings across different battery cells, indicates a battery with some weak cells. If all cells read close to the same level, then at least you know that the battery is taking as much charge as it can, and that the ‘health’ of the battery is the best that is can be.

A difference in readings of greater than 10 points (0.010) between all cells, indicates a battery that needs some maintenance charging, because it is partly sulfated. Generally, a difference of greater than 50 points between cells, indicates a battery that should be replaced.

DC VOLTAGE:
As indicated in the previous section, you can only make comparison readings with your meter, unless you have a calibrated and laboratory quality meter. Still, it does not really matter whether your reading is 12.5 volts or 12.6 volts, so long as the comparison readings are taken at the same temperature with the same meter each time.

NOTE: even some cheap hydrometers are self temperature-compensating. Most simple DC digital meters have no built-in temperature compensation adjustment (lab-meters do). So take all of your voltage readings as close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit as possible.

Make certain that you understand this simple point: it is the battery itself that will generate different voltages at different temperatures, not that the voltage meter itself will generate/ display different voltages, at least not at the voltage levels being discussed here.


TEST RESULTS:
The days are 24 hours each. So the charger is sometimes connected over several calendar evenings, in order to total one 24-hour day. The continually increasing charge level of the battery (over time), indicates that the battery is being slowly desulfated. The number of days in the chart below is the accumulated total number of days of charge, not an additional number of days between the dates.

Yes, the desulfation process obviously takes some significant time. But the time required is within the time limit (2-4 weeks) stated in the BatterMINDer charger INSTRUCTION MANUAL. But their advertisements do not indicate such a long charge time to de-sulfate a battery – no surprise I suppose.

Since all hydrometer readings are greater than 1.200 only the last two digits are included in the table below. That is, a reading of 1.270 is given as only 70 and a reading of 1.265 is given as only 65:


BATTERY is an AC DELCO 7-year (84-MONTH) PROFESSIONAL
BATTERY MANUFACTURED: MAY 2008, CODE = P058R
INSTALLED in car: DEC 2008

24 Oct 09: ......./ 65 .. 70 .. 70 .. 71 .. 69 .. 65 .. 90% charge level
22 Oct 11: ......./ 57 .. 68 .. 70 .. 70 .. 64 .. 47 .. 75% charge level

20 Dec 11: 04 days/ ................. 70 .. 68 .. 47 .. 12.2v ç
09 Jan 12: 11 days/ ................. 78 .. 72 .. 55
14 Jan 12: 15 days/ 69 .. 68 .. 78 .. 78 .. 72 .. 57
26 Jan 12: 19 days/ ................. 76 .. .. .. 56 .. NOTE 1
04 Feb 12: 23 days/ ................. 78 .. 74 .. 59
15 Feb 12: 31 days/ 71 .. 70 .. 80 .. 80 .. 76 .. 65 .. 4-weeks ç
04 Mar 12: 44 days/ 75 .. 72 .. 83 .. 80 .. 79 .. 66 .. NOTE 2, 12.6v
24 Mar 12: 58 days/ 70 .. 72 .. 80 .. 80 .. 77 .. 68 .. 8-weeks ç
20 Apr 12: 63 days/ 70 .. 72 .. 80 .. 79 .. 76 .. 65 .. NOTE 3
30 May 12: 77 days/ 70 .. 74 .. 78 .. 78 .. 77 .. 67 .. NOTE 4

NOTE 1: Before this reading was taken, the car was driven to the airport, where it sat for 5 days. Then it was driven home, and sat overnight to remove the surface charge, before being tested on 26 January 2012. The charge level on 26 Jan shows that the battery has improved in the level of charge from the baseline taken on 22 Oct 2011. And that the battery is holding its charge, because the car sat for 5 days without being driven, or the battery being charged (except for the drive home from the airport).

NOTE 2: The VDC Battery Condition Indicator did not indicate a GOOD condition, until the Wal-Mart voltage meter indicated 12.6 volts.

A few days after this reading was taken, the HVAC (heater, ventilation, and AC) blower-motor controller failed closed (shorted to ground). This powered and ran the blower-motor, even though the ignition was off, for 2 hours while I was shopping. That completely killed the battery. After a jump start, I drove home and immediately charged the battery overnight with the charger described above. I did not have to replace the battery, which I expected.

NOTE 4:This reading was taken after the battery was NOT charged for over 2 weeks, the vehicle being driven normally during that time. This was done to ensure that the battery charge had stabilized, that the charge level was ‘holding’ and not the result of constant daily charging, so that the reading is valid.


FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
The BatteryMINDer model 12117 definitely de-sulfates a weak battery, if it is not too badly sulfated. I cannot say just how well it would work on a severely sulfated/ dead battery.

If the charger can be left connected for 24 hours of each day, instead of only a few hours each night, calendar charge time would be much less. So this charger would be more practical for toys that are not being used, such as a snowmobile during the summer, rather than to desulfate your car battery. Also, if a battery is kept fully charged, it will not sulfate in the first place. Using this charge once or twice a month would do that.

However, note that this company VDC Electronics, Inc. also makes another desulfating-device that is attached under the hood, continuously to a battery, but not plugged into a wall power-socket. It is supposed to keep the battery from sulfating, and to desulfate a mildly sulfated battery, while the vehicle is driven. I do not know how well that would work for a battery in a vehicle that was driven only on short trips, so that the battery was not kept fully charged.

I purchased my BatteryMINDer online. There are many sites, including the manufacturer’s site, selling this and other models. There are also other manufacturers of similar devices. I chose this specific device based solely on various online forum reports.

I can offer no other information on this battery charger model or any other manufacturer’s model.
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dcmodels

The BatteryMINDer was tested on a weak (sulfated) OEM 2009 Acura RDX battery. The weak battery was restored to an almost new charge level. Details of the charger, test equipment, and test procedure is in post #9 above.

DISCLAIMER:
I purchased the BatteryMINDer charger after reading about it online, and chose it based upon what I read in various forums. My only actual knowledge of this charger is based on my own experience, such as the test described below. Otherwise, I have no connection to the company making this charger.

DANGER:
You should be wearing safety glasses or goggles when checking and connecting any charger to the battery, or doing anything with the battery. Remember, battery acid can cause blindness within a few seconds. And an exploding battery caused by a spark can cause serious harm. Using a large piece of cardboard, ‘fan’ the area of the battery, before working on the battery. This will disperse any explosive battery gas.

WARNING:
Understand that even a battery that reads an acceptable charge level, whether taken by a load-test or a hydrometer test or a voltage test, can still fail suddenly from an internal short. Operating a battery under high ambient heat, or running the battery down to a very low charge, such as leaving the lights on, can damage the battery internally.


SUMMARY of CHARGING:
A 3.5-year old weak and sulfated battery, installed in a 2009 RDX, was charged with a SMART CHARGER.

Ø Battery was manufactured in November 2008.

Ø Battery was installed when the vehicle was manufactured, which was December 2008.

Ø The vehicle was dealer-prepped 28 Jan 2009. Vehicle was purchased 14 Mar 2009, with 25 miles on the odometer. That means that the battery basically sat for 3 months.

Ø After three and a half years of service, battery charge level was about 70% or less, definitely a sign of sulfation. The car was always driven daily, but primarily on short trips of 10 miles or less.

Ø After 3-weeks of charging with the BatteryMINDer, battery charge level was approximately 95%, the voltage reading was 12.6v, and the BatteryMINDer Battery Condition Indicator reported GOOD.


CONCLUSIONS from CHARGER TESTING on a 2009 Acura RDX:
The BatteryMINDer Model 12117 charger was connected to a weak (sulfated) battery for approximately 3 weeks (of 24-hour days), over a 2-month period.

The obviously sulfated (weak) battery was de-sulfated, because the battery charge level at the end of the test period, was restored to almost a new charge level. And the battery was not damaged by the charger (by being overcharged).

The battery was in a vehicle driven regularly, every day, commuting to work and on short trips under 2 miles. The vehicle battery cables were not disconnected during charging. Before using the charger in this test, the only maintenance that this battery received was to check the water level. The battery required the addition of a small amount of water each spring and fall.

During the 2-month charging period, the vehicle was driven on a 1,200 miles trip, over a period of 5-days. It is possible that this constant driving helped to restore and re-charge the battery, as much as the battery charger. I admit that I was not careful to take a charge-level reading just before the trip, which would have indicated how much the trip contributed to the rejuvenated battery.

On the other hand, this RDX is taken on a yearly trip of around 1,000 miles and that has never seemed to have much effect on the battery charge-level. So I think that the primary reason for the battery rejuvenation is the BatteryMINDer charger, especially because of the results of my previous test with a weak/ sulfated Chevy battery (see previous post #9 in this thread).

Details in the table below.


BATTERY BEING TESTED:
The battery used in this test was an Acura OEM Group 35 with 440 cca (cold cranking amps) installed in my Acura 2009 RDX, and manufactured by Johnson Controls Battery Group, Inc. for Honda Motor Co. The battery was about 3.5 (manufactured) years old at the beginning of the test sequence. It was 3-4 months old when I purchased the car, which is why it was partially sulfated from “new”. Never buy a battery older than 3-months. In my case, I purchased a new car off-the-lot, and the battery came installed.

I can recommend, however, that if you purchase a vehicle that has been sitting for more than 3-months, that you ask that a new battery be installed as a condition of purchase. For example, in negotiating to purchase this RDX, one of the vehicles that I considered (because of color), had been sitting on the lot for 6 months. And it had a dead battery.

This RDX is driven daily. It commutes to work 5-days per week, 10-miles each way, and is the grocery-getter. It seldom sees the freeway, except for a yearly vacation trip. The constant engine-restarts, idling, and short trips probably contributed to the weak and sulfated battery.


TEST PROCEDURE:
The charge-days are 24 hours each. So the charger was connected over several calendar evenings, in order to total one 24-hour day.

Each time that the charger was connected, it was allowed to first charge and then drop into maintenance mode. The optional button to immediately select maintenance mode was not used.

During charging, the car battery cables were not disconnected, and the battery was left in the car. The charger was connected during most nights, over a period of just over 2-months.

It can take several weeks (of 24-hour days) to desulfate a battery, and not every battery can be completely desulfated.

Before checking the charge level, the vehicle was driven, then allowed to sit for at least 12 hours without starting, before testing the charge level. Driving (and using the engine starter) will ensure that the charge level reported is the level that the battery can actually “hold”. And letting the vehicle sit overnight will remove any “surface-charge”. Both must be done to ensure an accurate tested charge level for the battery.


TEST RESULTS:
The number of days in the chart below is the accumulated total number of days of charge, not an additional number of days between the dates.

Yes, the desulfation process obviously takes some significant time. But the time required, as indicated below, is within the time limit (2-4 weeks) stated in the BatterMINDer charger INSTRUCTION MANUAL. But their advertisements do not indicate such a long charge time to de-sulfate a battery – no surprise I suppose.

Since all hydrometer readings are greater than 1.200 only the last two digits are included in the table below. That is, a reading of 1.270 is given as only 70 and a reading of 1.265 is given as only 65:


BATTERY is an Acura OEM, manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc.
BATTERY MANUFACTURED: NOV 2008, CODE = 8L26C54
VEHICLE MANUFACTURED: DEC 2008
VEHICLE PURCHASED: 15 Mar 2009

09 Sep 09: ......./ 70 .. 68 .. 70 .. 72 .. 67 .. 66 .. 90% charge level
19 Apr 10: ......./ 75 .. 75 .. 78 .. 78 .. 77 .. 69 .. 95% charge level
04 Jul 11: ......./ 60 .. 60 .. 67 .. 68 .. 65 .. 57 .. 80% charge level
29 Oct 11: ......./ 60 .. 65 .. 68 .. 70 .. 70 .. 60 .. 80% charge level

29 Mar 12: 02 days/ 56 .. 56 .. 60 .. 60 .. 57 .. 50 .. 70% charge levelç
05 Apr 12: 08 days/ ...................................
19 Apr 12: 14 days/ ................................... NOTE 1
10 Jun 12: 20 days/ 70 .. 71 .. 76 .. 78 .. 78 .. 70 .. 3-weeks ç 12.6v

NOTE 1: on 24 Apr the vehicle was driven on a 1,200 mile trip over 5-days.


FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
The BatteryMINDer model 12117 definitely de-sulfates and re-charges a weak battery, if it is not too badly sulfated. I cannot say just how well it would work on a severely sulfated/ dead battery. If the charger can be left connected for 24 hours of each day, instead of only a few hours each night, calendar charge time would be much less.

I have no other information on this battery charger model or any other manufacturer’s model.
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