Battery Info File

Battery Size Codes

Battery Date Codes

Battery Explosion

How Long Does A Battery Hold A Charge?

Mounting A Second Battery




BATTERY SIZE CODES

[From: www.exideworld.com/products/light_truck/nascar_select_specs.html ]

BATTERY SIZE CODES: ("BCI Group" Size & Their Dimensions)

Exide Nascar Select Automotive Battery - 84 Month Warranty -12 Volt

BCI Group Size Part Number CCA
at
0° F
CA
at
32° F
RC minutes
@ 25 Amps
Dimensions (in.) Pallet
Load Qty
27½ in.
Length Width Height
75DT 75DT-84N 630 800 100 8-15/16 6-13/16 8-1/8 48
78DT 78DT-84N 770 950 120 10-3/16 6-15/16 8-1/8 48
24 24-84N 675 835 120 10-5/8 6-3/4 8-7/8 48
24F 24F-84N 675 835 120 10-5/8 6-3/4 8-7/8 48
25 25-84N 570 730 100 9-1/16 6-7/8 8-7/8 57
27 27-84N 700 850 120 12-1/2 6-13/16 8-7/8 42
27F 27F-84N 700 850 120 12-1/2 6-13/16 8-7/8 42
34 34-84N 770 950 120 10-3/16 6-13/16 7-15/16 48
34R 34R-84N 770 950 120 10-3/16 6-13/16 7-15/16 48
35 35-84N 570 730 100 9-1/16 6-7/8 8-7/8 57
58 58-84N 500 620 90 9-7/16 7-1/4 7 54
65 65-84N 750 890 130 11-3/8 7-1/2 7-1/2 33
75 75-84N 630 800 100 8-15/16 6-13/16 7-3/16 57
78 78-84N 770 950 120 10-3/16 6-3/4 7-3/16 42


BATTERY DATE CODES

www.pacificpowerbatteries.com/aboutbatts/Car%20Battery%20FAQ/carfaq7.html

7.5. Freshness

Determining the "freshness" of a battery is sometimes difficult. NEVER buy a wet lead acid battery that is MORE than THREE months old because it has started to sulfate unless it has periodically been recharged or it is "dry charged." The exceptions to this rule are AGM and Gel Cell batteries that can be stored up to 12 months before the state-of-charge drops below 80%. Please see Section 16 for more information on sulfation. Dealers will often place their older batteries in storage racks so they will sell first. The new batteries can often be found in the rear of the rack or in a storage room. The date of manufacture is stamped on the case or printed on a sticker.

Some of the manufacturers date coding techniques are as follows:

7.6.1. Delphi (AC Delco and some Sears DieHard)

Dates are stamped on the cover near one post. The first number is the year. The second character is the month A-M, skipping I. The last two characters indicate geographic areas. Example 0BN3=2000 February.

[Source: Interstate Batteries]

7.6.2. Douglas

Douglas uses the letters of their name to indicate the year of manufacture and the digits 1-12 for the month. D=1994 O=1995 U=1996 G=1997 L=1998 A=1999 S=2000 Example S02=2000 Feb.

7.6.3. Johnson Controls, East Penn and GNB (Duralast [AutoZone], Motorcraft, some EverStarts [WalMart], Interstate and some Sears DieHard)

Usually on a sticker or hot-stamped on the side of the case. A=January, B=February, and the letter I is skipped. The number next to the letter is the year of SHIPMENT. Example B0=Feb 2000

[Source: Interstate Batteries]

7.6.4. Exide (Exide, Champion, NAPA, some EverStart [WalMart], some Sears non-Gold DieHards)

The fourth or fifth character is the month. The following numeric character is the year. A-M skipping I. Example RO8B0B=Feb. 2000.

[Source: Interstate Batteries]

7.6.5. Trojan

Stamp on post, 2 Months AFTER manufacture date.

If you cannot determine the date code, ask the dealer or contact the manufacturer. Like bread, fresher is definitely better and does matter.



BATTERY EXPLOSION

[http://www.angelfire.com/wa/TROPEZ/SHO/SHOBattery.html ]

Yup, you heard right, my battery exploded. Don't know what brought it on, but...the battery literally exploded. It was a nice day, so I decided to take a nice trip to the Joliet area to meet up with a fellow SHO go'er and sell him my Riken wheels. Well, got up there and back without incident, and the car couldn't have been running more beautifully! I made it back to my apartment with time to clean up and make it over to my fiancee's parent's cookout, and I even made it over there with no problems.

During the cookout I even had to move my car for someone, and that didn't have any problems! It was when I was about to leave my fiancee's parents home that I turned the key to move the car, that a very loud "POP/CLUNK" was sounded, and I knew that the car wasn't supposed to do that. The SHO had quickly gone from being full of life to being a doornail, everyone stopped their discussions and looked my way. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but then I noticed some smoke/steam coming out of the right front of the car. I popped the hood and at first, didn't notice that the battery was in 5 different pieces, I really thought the tranny had locked up, I busted a rod or something really bad. It was then that I noticed it and said, "Yup, looks like the battery." We fortunately were able to get the car into neutral and roll it to a better spot where it now rests; waiting for a tow truck to take it to the dealer.
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[ http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Built-in_20battery_20charger ]

I've seen the results of a battery explosion. They told us all the minivan needed was a jump-start. When I got there, the top had blown off the battery and splattered acid all over everything. Ate a hole in the aluminum head, you could see the piston...Made a major mess...
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[ http://uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq14.htm ]

There two types of battery explosions are external and internal. Recharging a wet lead-acid battery produces hydrogen and oxygen gasses. While spark retarding vent caps help prevent external battery explosions, sparks occur when jumping, connecting or disconnecting charger, or battery cables and ignite the gas. Internal explosions usually occur while starting the engine and normally blow the filler caps or cover off and splatter electrolyte all over the engine compartment. The most probable cause is from a combination of low electrolyte levels in the battery and a low resistance bridge formed between or across the top of the plates called "treeing" between a positive and negative plate. When heavy current flows in the battery such as starting an engine, a spark occurs and ignites the residual gas in one or more of the cells. A second possible cause is a defect in the weld of one of the plate connecting straps.

Periodic preventive maintenance (Please see Section 3.), working on batteries in well-ventilated areas, or using sealed AGM or gel cell type batteries can significantly reduce the possibility of battery explosions. To neutralize the residual battery acid, be sure to thoroughly wash the engine compartment and the back of the hood with a solution of one-pound baking soda to one gallon of warm water and rinse with water. The largest number of battery explosions, while starting an engine, occurs in hot climates. While not fatal, battery explosions cause thousands of eye and burn injuries each year. Should a battery explosion occur and battery electrolyte (or battery acid) get in someone's eyes, flush them out with any drinkable liquid immediately because seconds count.
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HOW LONG DOES A BATTERY HOLD A CHARGE?

www.diy-nos.freeserve.co.uk/battery-park-vehicle.htm

HOW LONG CAN I PARK MY VEHICLE?
The amount of time, usually referred to as "airport" or "garage" time, that you can leave your vehicle parked and still start your engine is dependent on such things as the battery's initial State-of-Charge, the Reserve Capacity, the amount of natural self-discharge and parasitic (ignition key off) load, and temperature. Car manufacturers normally design for at least 14 days or more "airport" time; based on a fully charged battery in good condition, moderate weather, and no additions to the original car's parasitic load (for example, an after market alarm system). When a battery drops below 100% State-of-Charge, permanent sulfation starts slowly occurring, and this will reduce the capacity of the battery.

If you leave your vehicle parked for more than two weeks, then you have several options:

15.1. The best option is to connect a three or four stage "microprocessor controller" battery charger, voltage regulated float charger, or solar float charger continuously to your car battery. You will need a "float" charging voltage between 13.2 and 13.8 VDC and at least .5 amps (500 milliamps) to overcome the vehicle's parasitic load and the natural self-discharge of the battery.

15.2. Disconnect the negative battery cable to remove the parasitic load, but be sure that you have saved any security codes or radio stations presets that will have to be reprogrammed.

15.3. Replace the battery with an AGM or a Spiralcell AGM type battery, e.g., an Optima or Exide Select Orbital with very low self-discharge rates. For periods greater than three months, also disconnect the negative battery cable.

15.4. Install a battery with a larger reserve capacity or connect an identical battery in parallel.

15.5. Replace the battery, especially if it is over three years old or in a hot climate.

15.6. Have someone drive your car during the day on the highway every two weeks for at least 15 minutes to recharge the battery.

15.7. Jump the battery and hope that there is no latent damage.
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MOUNTING A SECOND BATTERY

[Battery Mounting Info]
...my 1/0 battery cables from my dual battery tray, that sits behind this crossmember, next to the gas tank...
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[ http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/DualBatteries.shtml ]

Introduction:
When I first started building my truck for wheeling, *the* thing to get was the Optima red-top battery. So I got one and replaced the aged lead-acid battery that was leaking all over my fender. Seemed like just after that, *the* big thing was dual batteries. My single red-top filled the area under my hood and worked fine for nearly two years of hard wheeling, but after picking up a Premier Power Welder, I had to find some room to install the large control box for the welder.

So, what you might ask, does needing more room under the hood and dual batteries have in common? Well, needing more room led me to explore alternate locations for some of the equipment already living under the hood. I ruled out the engine electronics, my 12V air compressor and that basically left the battery. Batteries are big and heavy, so I thought if I could find someplace low and out of the way for the battery, I could free up valuable space, lower my center of gravity and get my welder installed.

{NOTE: Photo is of battery tray mounted under the floorboard- RJ].

Here were my design goals:

Dual batteries with high-current and deep cycle capabilities / Improved winching capabilities / Allow for 12V accessory use in camp / Provide redundant starting power supply / Relocate battery from engine compartment to frame area / Lower center of gravity / Free up valuable under-hood space (for welder control box) / Allow for flexible power connections / Support for batteries in series (for emergency welding) / Front and rear power connections for jump starting / Easy to disconnect batteries for servicing

Installation:
So, to start the process, I used the highly scientific method of a creeper and a tape measure and basically measured the dimesnions of all the likely spots under my truck where a battery might possibly be attached. I had not yet picked a battery, but I had a few types I had dimensions for and then checked the available locations to see if the battery volume would fit. Besides the location I found, below, I also noted that the area above the rear axle is quite open and would also make a good battery location, although I plan to install a 2.5 gallon air tank there.

Lo and behold, I found a location for two small batteries up above the rear drive shaft, below the passenger seats (they are mounted in a frame made of 1x1" angle, painted red). To attach them, I used 4 threaded rods that essentially hang from the floor. I drilled 4 holes in the floor pan beneath the rear seat bottom. A nut on the top of the floor supposrt the weight, another nut snugged up against the bottom of the floor panel, with a length of pipe to serve as a spacer, holds the threaded rod tight. Then a third nut holds the battery try in place from below.

In the above picture, you can see the threaded rods running along the side of the battery tray. And what's that silver/gray stuff wrapped around the tray? Looks like duct tape and that's what is is. I used the duct tape to strap the upper and lower trays together while I slid it up onto the threaded rods, that in turn pass through holes in tabs welded to the sides of the trays. Once the nuts are tightened down, the trays clamp the batteries in between them snugly and nothing can move. As it is, the pair of batteries are sandwiched between the gas tank and the heat shield above the muffler.

There's not a lot of room, but the tiny BP-800MJ Black Panther batteries don't take up much more room than a single conventional battery. As an added benefit, they are totally metal jacketed and completely sealed, so should be up to the harsh environment down there. The batteries are bolted up through the floor, and 1/0 welding cable is used to bring the power up, under the body to a pair of 350A disconnects, pictured below:

These disconnects serve several functions:
The main and auxiliary battery may be swapped with the disconnects (since their terminals are inaccessible) to equalize their service life

The engine and/or aux. power may be cut for working on the engine (see #1)
Pictured above, I have the engine power disconnected

I also ran a new 1/0 cable directly to the starter, this made a huge improvement in starting torque

The batteries may be hooked up in series for DC welding, if needed, since they are "floating"

The grounds are tied together after the connectors and the positive leads terminate on insulated studs (these can be seen at the far left of the image above). A pair of 1/0 cables run up to a 200A continuous duty solenoid which can be controlled in a number of modes. I ordered both batteries at the same time, so hopefully they'll be out of the same lot. This is important to minimize problems with the two "fighting" when in parallel. Also, the Black Panther batteries are true deep-cycle units and can be safely discharged to 0V without damage.

The purpose of the solenoid is to isolate the two batteries from each other when the engine is not running. Even with two identical batteries, they can have slight internal differences in charge and resistance that could cause them to self-discharge when the alternator is not supplying power.
Another option for this function is a battery isolator. This is a solid-state device that uses diodes to isolate the batteries from each other. While an isolator is ideal for isolating a deep-cycle RV-type battery for aux. power use, its inherent voltage drop makes it less than ideal for use in high-current situations like winching and crank starting.

I've slightly departed from this recommended setup, by placing all my auxiliary devices, like winch, power points, CB, lights, etc. on the 2nd battery. Since I use a 12V DC cooler, I want to be able to run it all night off the 2nd battery and not have to worry about draining the main battery. Anyway, the idea is that in normal operation, ignition power energizes the solenoid to connect the batteries together, for charging and double starting current. With the ignition off, the batteries are separate. The jump start mode allows the solenoid to be energized manually.

For safety and convenience, I made up a pair of 5' extension cables, with a 350A connector shell on each end as well as a pair of 5' jumper cables (with a 350A connector on one end and battery clamps on the other end). I'll be installing a similar, single battery system in my pickup and intend to share these cables with it. For emergency welding, I can unplug the two battery connectors, plug in extensions and jumper cables, tie one "-" to the other "+" lead and obtain 24V DC from the remaining clamps. While I plan to have a Premier Power Welder to do the main welding chores, for the price of a few connectors and some cable, I can provide a backup welding system, so why not add it to the system? The front and rear connectors allow for safe battery jumping (no battery fumes to explode) and it just so happens that the quick disconnects that portable winches use are the same as I used, so if needed, I can hook up a portable to my rear bumper.
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[http://www.thesolar.biz/Battery_cable.htm ]
350A Quick Disconnect w/ Lugs for 2/0 Ga. Wire $ 20.97
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