Any battery experts?

[sakm]

Just recently it has come to light that my battery on my car is on its way out and its only holding about 75% charge so I went and picked up a new bosch battery from euro car parts got home and the first thing I did was check the charge state!

to my horror its showing 10.6 volts!!!

Am I right in thinking batteries should come already charged and must be kept charged and if the voltage drops below 12.3 then it needs to be charged otherwise permanent damage can be caused and the life expectancy reduced?

I have searched online and found nothing about if they should be supplied fully charged etc

Any advice welcome

 

[Burnerman]

Time to check the alternator output mate - with the engine started and the lights on, expect to see around 14.5v on your multimeter.
John

 

[sakm]

I would be amazed if my alternator could charge a battery while its sat in a shop waiting to be bought!

The battery is new and was picked up with 10 volts showing! As far as I'm aware your supposed to store batteries with charge and not let them go flat otherwise permanent damage can be caused?

 

[Belle427]

id take it back, at that voltage it sounds knackered.

 

[Mursal]

Usually we fit a new battery, then charge it. Never have the time to check standing voltage, which is irrelevant after adding acid and before charging. Most motor factors over here store new batteries dry and add electrolyte/acid just before sale.
They should have told you this at point of purchase.

 

[Burnerman]

Apologies for reading the post incorrectly!
I'd definitely take that battery back - if its reading 10v without any load on it, the chances are its actually lower than that!
John

 

[Avocet]

I agree with the others - leaving a deeply discharged lead-acid battery for any length of time and especially in cold weather can cause problems (sulphate formation on the plates, I think). Was there a date code on the battery? There often is. When they're brand new they're usually fully charged and self-discharge rates are typically low, so it might have been "on the shelf" for several months.

The other option, as Mursal says, is that the acid has been added more recently, by the retailer. If that's the case, he should still have charged it, but it probably means that at least it won't have sitting flat for long enough to cause itself damage.

 

[sakm]

thanks for all the replies guys

its a sealed battery so acid would have been in from the factory

I went to take it back today but something strange is going on!

I randomly checked the voltage before I set off and its showing 12.8 volts now

I'm not sure if it could be a faulty volt meter as it is a cheap one and my decent one isn't to hand at the minute

I cant really take it back saying it was only showing 10 volts but has now jumped up to 12.8 over a few nights!

the volt meter has been sat in the cold for a while so I'm wondering if thats affecting the reading but since I tested it the volt meter has been inside so is warm plus the readings was a little up and down when cold but now its a solid 12.8v I've never known a battery to gain charge and not that much!

I think I'm going to put the volt meter in the cold for a bit see if anything changes and also but the battery on the car and test it with my decent volt meter with load on etc

also I cant work out where/what the date code is on this battery! but it looks brand new and not as if its been stored for any length of time! theres not a spec of dust on it lol

 

[Burnerman]

I don't think there would be any problem with returning the battery in any case - presumably you haven't tried it on the car?
I've usually noticed a first charge date on new batteries, often as a date calendar with the month / year ticked.
I can't ever remember buying a battery faulty from new - even motor bike batteries where you add the acid yourself and then wait one hour have been ready to go.
John