Author Topic: batteries making sound (Read 4965 times)

beambeam · « **on:** July 27, 2010, 11:36:11 AM »

I have 2 trojan t125 batteries and when i put my charger on them and put 20A in a couple of seconds i hear a click in the battery
I haven't determined which battery it is yet.I think a battery is opening under load.Has anyone experienced this.

thank you
jim

bj · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2010, 02:00:33 PM »

Never have heard a click, but have had a couple of loud "Booms".

If it is opening up, you could hear one too. Actually the noise isn't so bad, it's the corrosive spray.
Oh---and the small flying pieces.

Use care.

TomW · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2010, 03:08:27 PM »

If it is a sealed type battery it might be the valve clicking??

Not familiar with that model Trojan.

Could be a connector expanding?

Corrosion in a connection heating and the moisture expanding fast?

Just a few thoughts.

put a dowel rod end on each in turn then against your ear (a poor mans stethescope) ;=D start the charging should isolate which one is doing it anyway?

Bubbling is normal under charging at higher cell voltages. A single bubble might sound like a click or pop, too.

Tom

beambeam · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2010, 06:47:54 PM »

Thank you for responding guys.
It is a very audible click.It sounds like a snap disk controller.And BJ i had one blow up so i'm very careful.I have some thing i have to do tomorrow but i will keep this thread updated.The batteries are from a floor machine and they are flooded not sealed.

thank you
jim

ghurd · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2010, 07:05:59 PM »

"when i put my charger on them and put 20A in a couple of seconds i hear a click in the battery"

"sounds like a snap disk"

If it is a snap disk, the the charger would be sending 0 amps to the batteries after in 'clicked'.

Those batteries are about the same as the T-105s. I strongly doubt they have a snap disk, and if they did, it would certainly take more than 20A to snap.

See if the charging amps stop or change after it clicks.

Make sure the terminals are clean.
If the charger has small clamps, make sure they are seated well. And remove the plastic sleeves and check where the wire connects to the clamp.

The only clicking noises I usually hear in that type of situation are sparks in one of the connectors.
G-

beambeam · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2010, 09:41:42 AM »

hey ghurd;
When the batteries make the click the amps go to zero. All my connections are good.I can put them on a solar panel at about 2 amps and they will take a slow charge but when hit with 14 volts and 20 amps they click and amperage goes to zero.

Thank you
jim

TomW · « **Reply #6 on:** July 29, 2010, 11:31:22 AM »

beam;

Are you certain it is the battery clicking?

Could be a self resetting circuit breaker in the charger.

Again, remote troubleshooting is a bit tough because these things are items I would just check without any thought.

Tom

beambeam · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2010, 02:58:29 PM »

Hi Tom.
I'm sure the sound is coming from the batteries.I made the charger out of a 70 amp welder trans former and there is no circuit bkr.
I have a 30A fuse protecting the charger.The only thing in the charger is the fuse,xfmr,and 4 diodes.

thank you
jim

ghurd · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2010, 03:59:16 PM »

Maybe use LONG wires between all the separate parts. Might tell exactly where the click is originating.

Could it be the transformer?
I recall at least two that would make a click then go open circuit.
One maybe(?) had a burnt winding, which worked fine until it had much of a load at all, but that was barely audible.
Other had some kind of issue that overheated the snap disk in the transformer before it felt any warmer than ambient.
G-

beambeam · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2010, 05:57:39 PM »

Hi ghurd;
I'll check that out.

thanks
jim

thirteen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2010, 07:18:07 PM »

try one at a time or maybe one the batteries has been mis labeled if there has been repairs done to them. or charged backwards at one time. far out ideas. toss or laugh at

TomW · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2010, 07:40:14 PM »

Something is going open circuit if the amps drops to zero.

Try immediately disconnecting the charger and check for voltage out of the charger.

Being brave I would just quickly do a spark test by brushing the leads together FAST.

No sparks or voltage on the leads means it is the charger.

Come on guys, lets quit guessing and apply some troubleshooting steps.

Again, all stuff I would do as a matter of course but I have been doing this stuff for decades so it is just ingrained to separate things to isolate the source of the fault.

I supposed a diode could click when it opens but have not experienced that.

Tom

beambeam · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2010, 03:22:32 PM »

I tried the short circuit test and it instantly takes out the fuse.This is a welding xfmr so there is no worry of damaging charger.The diodes are out of 500A welder.As i write this i have a 100watt bulb and clock hooked on the inverter for an hour and light is still on.

I will continue testing and keep posting results.

thanks to all you gurus.
jim

ghurd · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2010, 03:35:41 PM »

If you are 100% certain it is not the transformer, or connections, that only leaves the battery.

When it clicks and goes open circuit, disconnect the charger and check the terminal voltage of both.
The bad one should be 0V, or close.

There was a recall a long time ago. The wires inside that connected the terminals to the plate, or one cell to the next, or something in there, were defective.
The disconnect/reconnect caused sparks inside, which could potentially cause an explosion.
Not something I would want to dinker around with.

beambeam · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2010, 04:33:40 PM »

Thanks ghurd;The 100 watt bulb is still going after4hrs 45 min.I expect it to go out soon.Bat volts are 11.5

Ungrounded Lightning Rod · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2010, 04:59:23 PM »

Quote from: beambeam on July 30, 2010, 04:33:40 PM

Thanks ghurd;The 100 watt bulb is still going after4hrs 45 min.I expect it to go out soon.Bat volts are 11.5

Turn it off. Don't run 'em down like that - it damages 'em.

I'd measure the voltage across the batteries while they are charging and the "click" happens. If you include the thing that is opening up, the voltage will go UP when the circuit opens and the meter is reading the charging voltage less the voltage drop of the cells excluded. If you're excluding the thing that's opening up, the voltage will go DOWN as the charging stops and the meter is reading the battery resting voltage.

Start with the meter across the whole battery bank (at the battery terminals) to "make your first diagnostic cut" between the charger and the batteries/wiring. Then if it's on the charger side, try again at the charger terminals to see if it's inside the charger. If it's on the battery side, hunt it down by changing to a battery terminal halfway up the batteries. Keep "cutting" the search space in half (remember it includes both the batteries and the interconnecting wires) by including half of the stuff in the side that has the flaw until you find the culprit. (This is a "binary search" in computer-speak.)

beambeam · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2010, 10:56:15 AM »

Thanks ulg;
I will do that and keep posting.I left the 100w bulb on and these two batteries ran the bulb for 20.5 hrs.I'm charging them with about 90w of solar cell.I also have about 60 alcad 1.2v nicd cells.These will be my final setup when all is said and done.I got these batteries very cheap.Could these nicd bats be charged with a lead acid charger?I'm going to run the tests and post the results.

thank you
jim

beambeam · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2010, 11:48:07 AM »

Hey guys;
I put the charger on a car battery and it works fine.When i put on the trojans it charges good amps for about 5 seconds the the click and amps drop to zero.I can charge these 2 batteries with the solar at about 2 to 3 amps.It takes a couple of days but they ran the 100w bulb for 20.5 hrs.It seems like they won't take any amount of amps.I don't know what's going on.I have an amp meter on the charger and also a clip on and i know there are no amps flowing.I have these 2 batteries on the bench and they are not connected to any other batteries.

I have to go away but as soon as i get back i will be back on line.

thank you
jim

ghurd · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2010, 07:15:50 PM »

That is a capacity test.
It does not seem relevant to the issue.
It works with low amps, but not with high amps.

You need to know what the problem involving the 'click' is.

First need to make it 'click',
then need to immediately find what is not working properly.

Bub73 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2010, 09:30:12 PM »

Hi beambeam;
Are you sure that the transformer has no overload protection built into its windings and that your rectifier has no thermal shutdown ?
Sounds like those trojans are drawing more than the charger can deliver; one or the other has a click in it, you need to find out witch one.
If you can try charging at a lower amperage for a longer period of time and see if they top off and come to rest at a reasonable voltage.

Have care
Bub73

thirteen · « **Reply #20 on:** August 06, 2010, 10:10:09 PM »

can you barrow a battery charger and try it and see if things change. If it still clicks then it's the batteries if if doesn't then it is the charger. I'm not sure of your distance or neighbors. So just an idea to try or toss.

beambeam · « **Reply #21 on:** August 07, 2010, 08:55:58 AM »

From what you guys are saying i suspect it's the batteries.I have a lot of different things on the go and am jumping from project to project.I have a little problem with my truck as well as solar air and water heaters and hydrogen booster for a vw jetta gl turbo diesel.I have confidence in all you guys.Your advice is followed to the letter.You all know what your talking about.I hope you'll be patient with me.I will update status as i do tests.

Thank you
jim

beambeam · « **Reply #22 on:** August 14, 2010, 02:20:31 PM »

Hi guys;I left the batteries on the solar panel at about 3 amps for five days.i then hooked the charger up to them and it's charging at about 16 amps for about 40 minutes.i think i will leave them on for an hour or so and see what happens.I'll post the results.Is it possible that they won't take a 10 amp charge.If they are stone dead?

Thank you all
jim

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Author Topic: batteries making sound (Read 4965 times)