battery question

[blueskies401]

I posted earlier that my engine had been running good, now it won't start. I took my battery to Wal-Mart auto and they tested it. It said "Bad cell, Replace". However when I put my battery on a charger, it shows it is fully charged. <br /><br />1) Is it possible that the battery will show fully charged, but still wouldn't start the engine?<br /><br />2) The battery is supposedly 16 months old, hardly used except for the last three weeks since I bought the boat. Will the battery go bad in 16 months, even when it wasn't getting much use?<br /><br />Chuck

 

[495v]

Re: battery question

1) Your situation is very possible. A battery could read fully charged, but not have sufficient CCA due to a bad cell. Just recently went thru the same scenario. <br />2) It's better to use the battery than let it sit. Trickle chargers that monitor your battery will prevent them from going bad during extended storage.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: battery question

Blueskies401,<br /><br />It is entirely possible for a Battery to be bad, especially as it may have been allowed to sit completly dead for a while, causing it to have a bad cell. It is also possible for a dead battery to be charged, but then go dead very soon afterward. The worst thing you can do to a "Starting" Battery, is to allow it to sit in a discharged state for ANY length of time. The only good way to check the Battery, is to have it "Load Tested" at an Auto Parts store or Garage. That will show if it still has the capacity to turn the Motor over. Most will do it for free! Good luck and Keep your Batteries Charged!<br /><br />Rick

 

[blueskies401]

Re: battery question

Could I hook up my truck battery to the boat this evening and see if it will start the engine? If so, then I know it is a bad marine battery.<br /><br />Would that cause any harm to the engine?<br /><br />Thanks

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: battery question

Sure, you can use any known good battery. Just hook it up directly to the terminals, meaning don't try to "jump start" it with the truck. I use a car Battery as a Back-up in my boat!

 

[oldboat1]

Re: battery question

sounds like your battery is shorting out under load. It happens.<br /><br />You can't run your engine without a battery attached, even for a moment, without doing damage to the charging system. You can jump start from another battery through your current battery, or run the engine temporarily from another battery. Don't just hook up cables to your vehicle battery alone, though, without first disconnecting the battery from the vehicle's electrical system. Keep in mind too that your current boat battery is apparently defective, and may be volatile under some conditions.

 

[blueskies401]

Re: battery question

I jump started the engine last night from my truck, and it really "bogged" down the truck when I tried to start it. I let the truck charge it for about 5 minutes and then it started right away. I unhooked the jumper cables and then let the engine run (with water and ear muffs) for a minute or so.<br /><br />I tried again about 30 minutes later and it started (no jump). Again about 30 minutes later and it started (no jump).<br /><br />About 3 hours later I tried and it was dead again (or at least not enough to turn it over). It sure seems like a bad battery, so I will start with replacing that.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments and advice.