Battery life expectancy

[Mark42]

The battery on my boat is an Interstate RV/Marine Deep Cycle, 550 CCA, 690 MCA (30 month rating). The "punch out" date of sale shows June 2003. <br /><br />It sat unused and disconnected since August and was stone dead today. Had to add some water and charge it. Just wondering if these deep cycle batteries will lose their charge if sitting for 2 months or if this battery is on it's way out.<br /><br />Also wondering if my regulator is going and overcharging the battery because it needed water. Took about 2 - 3 cups.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Battery life expectancy

All batteries eventually die from no use. They constantly make juice and surface charge disapates.<br /><br />All you can do is charge it up, give it a good soaking charge (if the charger reads 'full' leave it on for another day).

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Battery life expectancy

Get a Load Tester (or take it to a auto parts store-they will check it for free). Harbor Freight sells them too....on sale about $20. It will tell instantly if its good or not. After 5-10 seconds, it it falls below 12 volts, buy a new one. One never knows how long a battery will last. And on the charging, get a digital voltmeter, and put it on the battery terminals and run the motor up to 2000rpm. If its more than 14-14.5 volts, ya got a problem.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Battery life expectancy

I never owned a deep cycle marine battery before so I wasn't sure if they were different that regular auto battery. <br /><br />Reading the service manual last night it states that a deep cycle battery should NOT be used as a starter battery. Guess they don't like the short heavy starter motor load. But its what came with the boat, I didn't buy it. If it won't hold a charge, I'll replace it with a regular auto battery.<br /><br />It is a 30 month battery, and its getting close to 30 months old, so I shouldn't be too surprised if it fails.<br /><br />Thanks guys.

 

[DangerDan]

Re: Battery life expectancy

Battery info.<br /> http://www.marine-electronics.net/techarticle/battery_faq/b_faq.htm#6

 

[cbcrawford]

Re: Battery life expectancy

If it's running your accesories as well you may want to compromise and get a dual purpose. You'll get differing opinions on this site about them (not as good for deep cycle as a deep cycle and not as good for starting as a starting), but it sounds like it might be right for your situation.<br /><br />Make sure with your deep cycle (or starter for that matter) that it gets a charge as soon as possible after usage, if it sits in the discharged state you are greatly reducing the life expectancy of the battery.<br /><br />Best of Luck!<br />CC

 

[Perfidiajoe]

Re: Battery life expectancy

I receintly went to a clinic given by Interstater battery, & the first thing the instructor said was "All battery manufacturers know how long there batteries will last, with very few exceptions, what is on the battery is all there is." 29 months on a 30 month battery, it's time. Sorry about the bad news, but what it is, is what it is. Don't fool around, get a new one, & don't get stuck. IMHO, Joe

 

[jtexas]

Re: Battery life expectancy

that's a dual-purpose battery, says deepcycle on the case but check their website, I have that same one for cranking & accessories - dated March 2002, 43 months & starting to weaken...takes longer to charge, won't go above 12.5v, self-discharges quicker, etc. I'm satified with the performance.<br /><br />Automotive batteries aren't built to take so much of a pounding - get a marine battery for sure.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Battery life expectancy

Deep cycle batteries love to start motors. Their plates are thicker, they hold more acid, they take a overcharge better, longer. Just make sure it has the cold cranking amps you need. They beat starting batteries in any normal boat use. Golf carts destroy on ANY starting battery that is used in them.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Battery life expectancy

I've had a DeepCycle from Costco in my 125 Force Bayliner for the last 5 years........nuff said

 

[Mark42]

Re: Battery life expectancy

I found that Fords car batteries really last. Have original in the 98 Towncar and replaced the original in the 97 Mountianeer last year. Can't ask more than that from a factory battery.<br /><br />Maybe I should put one in my boat?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Battery life expectancy

Car batteries for cars.<br />Marine batteries for boats.<br />Marine starting battery for starting.<br />Marine deep cycle for trolling motors and accessories.<br />Marine dual purpose (starting and trolling motor use) for all around use.<br /><br />Charge batteries once a month when not in use, or use an automatic battery maintainer.<br /><br />Yes, do check the charging output from your motor to be safe.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Battery life expectancy

If your boat is a small fishing boat forget the start and trolling battery deal that some larger boats can carry. The deep cycle trolling battery will do both functions all day , no problem. Pick one the has enough cold cranking amps. and reserve capacity time. A 5 to 25 hp engine will start everytime and a 35 to 40# trolling motor will run all day on a single charge. Nautilus deep cycle NG-27 or NC-27 are good combination batteries.

 

[trog100]

Re: Battery life expectancy

the only thing special about a starter battery is its ability to give out a lot of cold start performance for its size/capacity.. in other words it cheap to produce with its extra thin plates compared to a real "battery" with more lead in its belly..<br /><br />its a donkey on steroids compared to a carthorse..<br /><br />for the two or three seonds its takes to fire up a motor it works very hard indeed.. after that it does bugger all.. during its life it never gets discharged any more than about 5% of its capacity and soon gets charged back up again by the alternator..<br /><br />thats how its supposed to be.. and if things are kept within these limits that poor old donkey on steroids will last a reasonable time..<br /><br />example.. 350 amps for five seconds = roughly 29 amps for one minute or less than a measely 1/2 amp for an hour.. <br /><br />take for example a 30 amp hour capacity donkey.. its loses about 1/2 an amp.. or it gets discharged by about 1/60 of its capacity.. in other words bugger all..<br /><br />the manufacturer dosnt know exactly how long his starter battery/donkey is gonna live.. but he does know exactly how many engine starts/cycles similar to the one described above it will do before it dies..<br /><br />350 amps is heavy load for that poor old (about 30 amph) donkey on steroids.. ask it to work at that load for much more than the expected 5 seconds which is the same as deepening the discharge cycle and its life-span will get dramatically shortened..<br /><br />this is the real reason starter batteries have such shallow charge/discharge cyles.. they are expected to be disharged at 350 amps or so and boosted back up at about 30 amps or so.. in other words from a batties point of view "abused"..<br /><br />treat one more gently and it will behave pretty much like a 30 amph leisure battery..<br /><br />the answer is to thow out the little 30amph starter donkey and fit a nice 110 amph carthorse.. it will be well capable of performing the job of the little donkey and its job of a leisure battery as well..<br /><br />things known as "car" batteries are starter batteries.. they will happily start a boat engine or a car engine they dont know the difference.. they wont provide much capacity for all the bits and bobs when the engine isnt running thow.. and if u use them for anything else than simply starting the engine (deepen their discharge/charge cycle) they wont live very long..<br /><br />marine batteries are really deep cycle leisure batteries with a "marine" price premium.. an ordinary high capacity leasure battery will do the job just as well.. it does have to be big enough thow..<br /><br />my 3.OL 20 foot boat has two 110 amph leisure batteries.. one is used to start the engine and provide enough spare capacity to power my other bits and bobs when the engine isnt running.. the other is just a spare in case i run the main one down too low and get stranded.. i swop them around every so often.. the spare is always kept fully charged..<br /><br />the other thing to note is that the average 13.6 or so volts an alternator puts out will not fully charge a battery.. it manages about 75%.. to fully charge that 110 amph carthorse for example and put a real 110 amps in it instead just 80 or so it needs a taking up to well over 14 volts..<br /><br />this dosnt matter much with a starter battery but with a dual purpose battery it does if u want to get as much time out of it as possible to power your bits and bobs without that engine running.. <br /><br />trog