Hi everyone,
I have two CSB GP6120 F2 batteries. I accidentally over discharged them. I think I might have damaged it but not sure. Is there any method I can determine it with a multimeter?
Thanks.

 

Hi everyone,
I have two CSB GP6120 F2 batteries. I accidentally over discharged them. I think I might have damaged it but not sure. Is there any method I can determine it with a multimeter?
Thanks.

First, read this:
http://www.csb-battery.com/english/03_support/01_support.php

 

First, read this:
http://www.csb-battery.com/english/03_support/01_support.php

Hi,
So, according to the website in the over-discharge section the battery is recoverable and two to three cycles might get it back to its previous state.

 

Hi everyone,
I have two CSB GP6120 F2 batteries. I accidentally over discharged them. I think I might have damaged it but not sure. Is there any method I can determine it with a multimeter?
Thanks.

A motorcycle (6V) headlamp bulb makes a convenient dummy load so you can check how well the terminal voltage holds up under load.

Damage can be subtle - a fully charged battery can self discharge in not much more than a week.

You can discharge test with a headlamp bulb but they radiate IR instead of convecting like a resistor, so its easier to set fire to things.

 

A motorcycle (6V) headlamp bulb makes a convenient dummy load so you can check how well the terminal voltage holds up under load.

Damage can be subtle - a fully charged battery can self discharge in not much more than a week.

You can discharge test with a headlamp bulb but they radiate IR instead of convecting like a resistor, so its easier to set fire to things.

Hi Ian,
Right now I'm trying to collect some info on the batteries.Now I'm collecting data for the first battery. Its connected to a GE 4150 6.4V 25W lamp. Initial voltage when I measured was 6.31V. As soon as I connected it dropped to 6.08V. Currently I'm running the stop watch and watching how the voltage drops. After 10min11sec and counting the voltage has dropped to 6.06V now. How do you think its holding?

 

After 25 mins the voltage is now at 6.01V. I think this one is pretty much ruined

 

Hi Ian,
Right now I'm trying to collect some info on the batteries.Now I'm collecting data for the first battery. Its connected to a GE 4150 6.4V 25W lamp. Initial voltage when I measured was 6.31V. As soon as I connected it dropped to 6.08V. Currently I'm running the stop watch and watching how the voltage drops. After 10min11sec and counting the voltage has dropped to 6.06V now. How do you think its holding?

How long was it left over discharged? - they sulphate when flat and it doesn't take much sulphation to kill a fair bit of capacity.

Slight sulphation can be reversed by repeated charge/discharge cycles - motorcycle batteries can recover within a week if you use the starter motor a lot and make sure the battery is fully recharged in between.

More serious sulphation can't be reversed and kills a lot of capacity.

With an automotive battery - replacement is almost certainly cheaper than getting towed from who knows where.

A damaged battery can tend to self discharge - in a frequently used vehicle, you might only find out when its most inconvenient.

 

After 25 mins the voltage is now at 6.01V. I think this one is pretty much ruined

Figures are readily available for 12V batteries - just halve them for a 6V battery.

A 50W 12V headlamp bulb is somewhere in the direction of 4A. For a given power, a 6V bulb is double the current - your 6V 24W bulb is about the same.

The Ah capacity stamped on the battery only applies to at least 10 hour discharge rate. If you draw 5A from a 5Ah battery - you won't get 1 hour run time.

If its only slightly damaged, it may recover most of its capacity with continued normal use.