Re: (ET) GE-20 Transmission Oil Specs

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

At 4.15V from a 6V batt and no bubbles when overcharging you likely got a
shorted cell.   Current just flows through that short to the other cells.
  12V batts are famous for going bad by becoming 10V batteries.  They
often will still start the car but if left in there can blow out the
alternator by overlheating it (the poor thing is always running full
blast as it always senses 'lo battery').  However, individual cell shorts
are rare in 6V batts which have better plate separators and are not
designed to go 3 yrs as car batts are.  (with fullsize EV's demanding
heavy current polls on the order of 400A,  we figure decent brand new
105's to be good for 500 charges or 22,000 miles before they go to 'half
range' - at which time they are still good for Etractors.
    However, it is normal that when you are charging the whole pack, some
cells will start to show bubbles before the others. In theory, all cells
are the same, should charge and discharge equally.  In actual practice,
they are not, and do not.  Yours, though, is abnormal. 

Not a good idea to charge a questionable 6V in series with a good 6V
using 12V charger.  The good one will get an overcharge which is
damaging.   Best to attempt to charge questionable 6V batteries with a 6V
charger. 

Nothing I have ever tried has made any bad battery better.  People used
to put in epsom salts yrs ago maybe it fixed a few but never any of mine.
 That 'vx6' or whatever they call that miracle battery additive now is
just epsom salts.

However;

Have had a lot of experience with 'mixed recycled packs'.  sometimes
especially if a battery has been left outdoors, rain water will get in
and dilute the acid.  So if you got a batt that tests good with a
voltmeter (6.3 or better) and tests dead with a hydrometer and goes down
faster than the others and you know it's been outdoors for a while before
you got it,  suck out most of it's 'above the plates' acid with your
hydrometer and fill that space up with new acid.  This has helped a few
of the 'recycled' batts I get to balance better with the rest of the
pack.  All the 105's here are recycles, have never bought a new one for a
tractor or the shop PV solar system.

I figure 105 tractor batteries to be good enough to do all my jobs if
they will charge up to 6.2 (measured after an overnite rest).  Of course
they, in that 'much used' condition  wouldn't mow 2 acres on one charge
but will do mine (3/4 with a lot of hills) fine - with sometimes a
refresh charge while I have lunch.  The regular charge on em is PV solar
bout 2.5A in full sun, takes about a week after mowing to bring em up
fully, never more than 10 days rain or shine.

Good luck


Dave
Weymouth MA




  

On Sat, 2 Dec 2006 14:09:54 -0500 "Raymon Ellis"
<raymonellis adelphia net> writes:
> David C Robie [mycroftxx1 juno com] Thu 11/30/2006 9:41 PM wrote, 
> your
> tractor slows down in the cold likely not due to heavy tranny oil, 
> but due
> to the battery's loss of efficiency in the cold. I found out this 
> morning
> that the end cells on two T-105s are bad. One tested almost plain 
> water and
> the other is very low. I cannot read the individual cells voltages 
> and I do
> not really understand how any current flows through the battery now
> measuring 4.15 volts. I will go to the battery book and try to find 
> out how
> they work. The batteries are old and probably need replacing now. Is 
> there a
> magic cure or something you could pour into the dead cell to wake it 
> up? I
> have tried a small 12v charger on hooked to 2 batteries for 12 volts 
> and
> switched to the high starting position until the adjoining cell were 
> boiling
> away but not even a tiny bubble came from the dead cell. Should I 
> give up? 
>