Battery charges fully, but can't hold over 12.3v???
08-15-2012, 01:36 PM
#1
Battery charges fully, but can't hold over 12.3v???
OK, it seems (per my other thread) and a lot of testing, that the car does NOT have a parasitic drain. Two different alternators, AND my battery charger are able to charge to a full 12.7 volts. ...over the course of about 4 hours, the battery will drain down to about 12.3 volts, and then hold there.
Is that typical? Does that happen? I guess I just expected that if it couldn't hold a charge, it would continue to drain, not stop at 12.3 ...and I'm no expert, so maybe it's something else, but at the moment, based on the testing I've done, this is what I'm seeing, and my diagnosis is a battery that just can't hold a FULL charge.
Is that typical? Does that happen? I guess I just expected that if it couldn't hold a charge, it would continue to drain, not stop at 12.3 ...and I'm no expert, so maybe it's something else, but at the moment, based on the testing I've done, this is what I'm seeing, and my diagnosis is a battery that just can't hold a FULL charge.
08-15-2012, 02:01 PM
#2
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Re: Battery charges fully, but can't hold over 12.3v???
Does it have a hard time starting? Full is actually 12.6 so it's only .3 volts off. Not much.
08-15-2012, 02:20 PM
#3
Re: Battery charges fully, but can't hold over 12.3v???
11.7 is about 0% charge. 12.3v is a touch under 75% depending on who you ask.
....and yeah, it'll start no problem.....at 12.3. What I've found is that anytime I put any kind of strain on the battery (radio w/car off, multiple starts back to back, etc. etc.) then I DO have hard start issues. ....and I figure starting off with only a 75% charge would certainly cause those issues. What I didn't realize is that a battery could lose a charge on it's own, BUT....not all of it's charge. Guess I figured all or nothing I suppose.
....and of course maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's another problem I haven't found yet! LOL
....and yeah, it'll start no problem.....at 12.3. What I've found is that anytime I put any kind of strain on the battery (radio w/car off, multiple starts back to back, etc. etc.) then I DO have hard start issues. ....and I figure starting off with only a 75% charge would certainly cause those issues. What I didn't realize is that a battery could lose a charge on it's own, BUT....not all of it's charge. Guess I figured all or nothing I suppose.
....and of course maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's another problem I haven't found yet! LOL
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