1931 Model A Battery Charge Issue

R

Rob Rose

Junior Member
Newbie here with a new-to-me Model A. Had it a few weeks. The battery was low when I got it, and I put a trickle charge on it that took several days to charge fully, then overnight the battery went dead. Zip. Too low for the trickle charge to kick on, so I got a 6 or 12 volt shomacher battery charger that is on it now, Positive on a head bolt, negative on the starter nut. The LED says it is not charging, but I'll leave it overnight and see. The battery looks recent-but i don't know.

Why would it go fully charged and then lose the charge overnight , then appear to not charge?
 
There should be a date code on the battery, usually a little sticker about the size of a nickle with a letter and a number. It may look good but be old.
Also check and make sure the brake lights are not stuck on.

Bob
 
is the car actually + ground? Check the battery connections to be sure.

Was it charged backwards the first time?

Is the brake light sw stuck on as mentioned above, or some other accessory stuck on?

remove battery and have auto parts store test it; they test them for free

if you have a bad ground at the frame of the grounding battery cable as I suspect from your first post then maybe the charger output is not reaching the battery at all

time to get some help as mentioned in the other thread
 
Years ago I read that each time you fully discharge a lead/acid battery you have just killed 10% of it's life. So, you can see just how bad it is to have a drain that goes unchecked. And charging a dead battery in reverse is really bad and most times leaves you having to buy a new battery.
 
Try a non-trickle charger, for 12hr.. And not over night.. do the 12 hr charge a second day and see (my crap trickle chargers I think discharged my battery... It's held the above 12 hr twice charge for 13 months without any outside charging...
 
Tom, post # 4: ". . . each time you fully discharge a lead/acid battery you have just killed 10% of it's life."
----------------------------

I live off-grid and use solar panels to charge up my bank of batteries to give me a reservoir of 12v DC electricity to run my small cabin. As such, maintaining batteries is a major part of my life in the wilderness.

With 35 years experience with daily living with battery maintenance, I can tell you that what Tom says is pretty much true. Specifically, any drop below 80% of full charge, starts eating away at the batteries longevity. And a drop down to 'dead' takes a big chunk out of battery life.

Removing the battery and taking it to an auto parts store would be a good start to see what you have. The better stores have a 'battery life' measuring device. For a few bucks they can tell you how much life is left in your battery. Then you can make an informed decision if buying a new battery is a better choice than 'fighting' a dying battery.
 
Fred K-OR said:
This looks like the best option. But like said above, get it tested first.
Click to expand...
Why do people jump to conclusions so easily? With the info given no one can make an informed decision about the condition of your battery. There are a few things you need to check, and post results if you want any kind of informed advice. 1. Check the battery polarity AT THE BATTERY. 2. Check the battery voltage with a good VOM at the battery. 3. Check the voltage at the battery after trickle charging for 24 hours. 4. After charging 24 hours, check the voltage on the battery posts, NOT the battery clamps, while attempting to crank the engine. 5. Use the VOM in current mode to check for any discharge current to see if its killing the battery. (inline with the battery) After these numbers are posted THEN pay attention to the advice you get, anything prior will be only guesses.
 
DougVieyra said:
Tom, post # 4: ". . . each time you fully discharge a lead/acid battery you have just killed 10% of it's life."
----------------------------

I live off-grid and use solar panels to charge up my bank of batteries to give me a reservoir of 12v DC electricity to run my small cabin. As such, maintaining batteries is a major part of my life in the wilderness.

With 35 years experience with daily living with battery maintenance, I can tell you that what Tom says is pretty much true. Specifically, any drop below 80% of full charge, starts eating away at the batteries longevity. And a drop down to 'dead' takes a big chunk out of battery life.

Removing the battery and taking it to an auto parts store would be a good start to see what you have. The better stores have a 'battery life' measuring device. For a few bucks they can tell you how much life is left in your battery. Then you can make an informed decision if buying a new battery is a better choice than 'fighting' a dying battery.
Click to expand...

Deep discharge batteries are designed to take large swings. Auto batteries are not. A photo of my solar panels.
 

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eagle said:
Why do people jump to conclusions so easily? With the info given no one can make an informed decision about the condition of your battery. There are a few things you need to check, and post results if you want any kind of informed advice. 1. Check the battery polarity AT THE BATTERY. 2. Check the battery voltage with a good VOM at the battery. 3. Check the voltage at the battery after trickle charging for 24 hours. 4. After charging 24 hours, check the voltage on the battery posts, NOT the battery clamps, while attempting to crank the engine. 5. Use the VOM in current mode to check for any discharge current to see if its killing the battery. (inline with the battery) After these numbers are posted THEN pay attention to the advice you get, anything prior will be only guesses.
Click to expand...

Guess it is from experience with four vehicles that use this kind of battery.(6 volt). It saves a lot of work if it is the problem. But like I pointed out, get it checked to be sure.
 
What Eagle said X2.

If you take a battery in for testing, be sure to charge it up first. I would use a 6 amp charger and leave it on for a minimum of 12 hours before testing.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
What Eagle said X2.

If you take a battery in for testing, be sure to charge it up first. I would use a 6 amp charger and leave it on for a minimum of 12 hours before testing.
Click to expand...
Yes. People jump a vehicle that's dead and drive away, thinking if they just drive it for a few miles its good to go. If a battery in a vehicle goes dead, you need to put it on a low rate charger for overnight to get that battery up to what it should be. Jumping to get you going is fine but when you get home in the evening put it on a slow charger at least overnight. A low rate charge for a longer period of time is much better than a high rate charger. I like a 2 amp motorcycle charger for 24 hours. Will bring many batteries back from the abyss. Don't get me wrong, draining a battery completely is REALLY tough on them but properly charging them when it accidentally happens is very important.
 
Not that this wasn't checked but I didn't see mention of it. Also make sure the cells haven't gone dry or are low on fluid prior to charging.
 
Rob Rose said:
Newbie here with a new-to-me Model A. Had it a few weeks. The battery was low when I got it, and I put a trickle charge on it that took several days to charge fully, then overnight the battery went dead. Zip. Too low for the trickle charge to kick on, so I got a 6 or 12 volt shomacher battery charger that is on it now, Positive on a head bolt, negative on the starter nut. The LED says it is not charging, but I'll leave it overnight and see. The battery looks recent-but i don't know.

Why would it go fully charged and then lose the charge overnight , then appear to not charge?
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with the condition of the battery, but
What I learned 45 years ago : a battery has to be charged without been connected on the car (so not on the head bolt and starter contact)
 
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