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I did it again, gray moment.

Geo-TH,In

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
My GMC truck doesn's warm me when I turn the engine off and forget to remove the key. By morning the battery is completely drained. At -11 I was worried the battery may have frozen. I removed the caps and it wasn't.

I realize car batteries are rated in CCA. It got me to thinking, why don't they also have amp hour ratings too? That way I could calculate how long it will take to fully charge battery.

My charger is putting out 12 amps. At that rate, it will take many hours, like 24, before it shuts off. Looks like I'll be staying inside for a while.

The last time I had a stupid moment, I let the battery charge for 6 hours and drove to town. I could smell the alternator. I drove very slowly. It's a wonder I didn't toast the alternator. So today, I'll wait. Hope nothing comes up where I have to go to town.
 
I just got into the habit of pulling the key out just a bit, then push it back in. Then I know it"s in the "off" position. Not all my vehicles are the same when turning off, like they used to be. Some don"t have "accessory" position anymore.
 
I pull the key, somethimes even remove it and hide it in truck. It's the gray moments that's killing the battery. Just wish turck would remind me of my mistake.

I always park turck in barn or garage, so I don't worry too much about someone stealing it.
 
Seems years ago batteries were labeled and advertised and sold based on Amp Hrs (more then CCA) which in my way of thinking is a good meaningful energy storage capacity figure. Like many things they change ratings and labels and hyperbole to sell an item. Nowadays you hear more of CCA and Reserve Capacity for an auto battery. However, for an automotive starting battery where you need a short term sudden burst of high amperage I can understand the significance of Cold Cranking Amps while in say my RV where I'm more interested in a longggggggggg term low amperage deeper draw down I see why Amp Hours is a good measure. SO MAYBE THATS PROGRESS LOL

On my RV's Solar Panel system I have both an ammeter and a voltmeter which really tells me whats going on.

John T
 
The way chargers are designed, a 12A charger does not put out 12A for x hours. If the battery is dead, it usually puts out a little more for a few minutes or so and then comes by the rated number and over time, as the battery voltage builds the current drops off.

So the only way you know your battery is charged is to look at the charging amps. At about 4 my Schumacher 10 a unit goes into the green area indicating full charge; or full enough.

On the alternator, last time I bought a replacement from Autozone, there was a note in the box that said if you don't charge your battery prior to installing this alternator you would void your warranty. Like you realized they are designed for sustaining, not deep cycle charging.

Good luck,
Mark
 
JohnT,
I had to put a jumper battery on dead battery to get charger to start charging. It charged at 12 amps for about 5 hours before turning off. Truck didn't want to idle right. I think the battery wasn't up to full speed and alternator was putting a an extra load on engine. I had to adjust the idle stop up to get it to idle at 600 rpm. I let the truck run for about an hour, pulled it back in the barn and connected the batteryminder to top off and desulfate the battery.

I just wish truck would tell me that I didn't pull the key when I open the door. Got any ideas how to invent a buzzer to tell me to pull the key? Or got any pills to improve memory?

Still in Florida?
George


George
 
(quoted from post at 13:18:54 02/11/14) JohnT,
I had to put a jumper battery on dead battery to get charger to start charging. It charged at 12 amps for about 5 hours before turning off. Truck didn't want to idle right. I think the battery wasn't up to full speed and alternator was putting a an extra load on engine. I had to adjust the idle stop up to get it to idle at 600 rpm. I let the truck run for about an hour, pulled it back in the barn and connected the batteryminder to top off and desulfate the battery.

I just wish truck would tell me that I didn't pull the key when I open the door. Got any ideas how to invent a buzzer to tell me to pull the key? Or got any pills to improve memory?

Still in Florida?
George


George
Click to expand...

Any truck that was built in the last 20 to 30 years already has that function. Yours has probably been dis-abled for some reason. Probably just un-plugged. Get out the owners manual, find the wiring schematic, and reconnect the warning buzzer.
 
Hello George Marsh,

A 12 Amp charger will not charge at 12 amp until the battery is 100% charged. Even the manual ones won't do that. Temperature and internal resistance are some of the factors that determine charge rate.Its all relative!...........


Guido.
 
Guido,
My smart charger is from sears. It's rated at 15 amps, it held the amps at 12a for 4 hours before the current fell off rather quickly.

It really isn't that big of a deal what the charging rate is, is it?
George
 
I don't remember unplugging it, but then again, I don't remember leaving the key in the truck until the next day when it won't start. I have CRS, Can't Remember Stuff.
 
What year and brand is your truck? Could it be possible that the ignition warning uses the same buzzer as the seat belt warning, and the seat belt buzzer was disconnected? If you truck was originally equipped with an ignition warning, your mechanic should be able to re-connect it or fix it.
 
I don't get it - what was draining the battery? I don't pull a key from a single thing here - 1958 right up to 2007. None of those are dead.

My car from 1972 has a door buzzer (same one as seat belt). How old is the pickup?
 
George, just get yourself one of those key-back devices that clip to your belt. When you pull the keys a small chain unwinds from the key-back device and winds up the return spring. As soon as you remove the keys from the ignition the spring retracts the keys. If you FORGET and leave the keys in the ignition when you go to get out, the chain will tug at your belt reminding you to remove the keys.


Doc
 
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