Calcium vehicle batteries.

[Ed Sirett]

Got up the other day to find my van was dead. No problem, I thought, battery is flat [1] I'll charge it up.

2 hours later the charging current was less than 1A and the voltage was up to 14.6V.

But as soon the key was turned the pre-heater relay started chattering. Investigations showed the battery was unable to receive a charge and could only deliver a few amps. Battery only about 2.5 years old.

Was told when I went to buy a replacement "if Calcium batteries go flat they die".

Q1. What is a Calcium version of a Lead Acid battery? Q2. Other than my experience is it true that they are less robust (to deep discharge).

The original (FIAT) battery spec was 12V 380A 60Ahr. The new one is Halfords 12V 600A @ -30C + reserve of 25A for 1 hour.

[1] The interior light (probably 1.75A) might have been on all night due to an improperly closed door rear door. This should not have taken all the power out of the battery but may be it wasn't fully charged prior.

[Andy]

I believe it is a longer-life version of a normal lead-acid. I don't understand the chemistry, something to do with calcium ions. I think they're supposed to last three years.

Is it possible a film has built up on the plates? Have you tried those desulphating tablets? They didn't work on my battery when I tried them, but it isn't calcium and it failed over a slightly longer period than yours.

Andy.

[Ian Stirling]

Car batteries of any sort may die due to deep discharge - the plates can buckle and short. Calcium is an alloying element added.

[mindwipe]

AFAIK calcium batteries need a special charger i was told that a normal type of charger will damage the battery

[Andy]

Apparently they've been having problems with them. Prone to sudden failure after as little as a year ( they are guaranteed for 4 years ). Try

as a start, and maybe search around the Internet a bit.

Andy.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's a fine art making lead acid batteries last only as long as the warranty.

No lead acid can stand deep discharge without effecting its life. But some are better than others.

At least with a Halfords one they should honor the warranty regardless. BMW, for example, record the battery state in the ECU - and if you've run it below a certain level by leaving the car parked for more than about 2 weeks, won't replace a failed one under warranty.

[mcbrien410]

Oh yes?? So therefore you need a special alternator too??

Probably just SALES crap.

Check to see if one of the terminal posts is moveable where it enters the battery case itself. High currents can kill that internal connection from the plates to the terminal post.

Chris.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I reckon you're thinking of gel SLA types. Not used on cars.

But if you needed a special charger, you'd also need a special alternator.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The factory fit one on my car died without any warning a few days after the three year warranty. ;-)

[Ian Stirling]

Actually, just a special regulator. Calcium alloyed batteries do have a slightly different charged voltage.

[Bob Eager]

You should have taken it apart and looked for the clock calendar chip!

[:::Jerry::::]

plates can

Yes, but this wasn't, according to the OP, leaving a interior light on over night is not going to cause the problems of a deep discharge.

I suspect the battery was just life expired.

[:::Jerry::::]

voltage.

But then there would be problems if a normal lead acid battery was fitted, are you saying that lead acid batteries can't be fitted to vehicles that had calcium batteries from the factory or are you just a worthless ignorant fool who believes marketing blurb?....

[:::Jerry::::]

regardless.

you've run

I would love to see that to go to court....

[Ed Sirett]

Point taken, but this was hardly an old battery, nor a high current drain. My feeling is that a normal would not likely have dies so easily. Or is that just my irritation talking?

[Huge]

I didn't see the original posting, but IME deep discharging a car battery, by allowing a current drain of 200mA for a couple of weeks, for example, kills them stone dead. No matter if they're new or not. The batteries on my Cosworth used to last until the first time we went on holiday and left the car to stand for a week or two, after which the battery would not hold a charge.

I used to disconnect the battery. I now have a battery conditioner, and haven't bought a battery since I got it.

[Pete C]

Hi,

Might be worth checking the tension on the fan belt, if the battery has been working at a low state of charge it won't do it any good.

cheers, Pete.

[:::Jerry::::]

weeks,

not.

Well, considering that in my trade cars can be sitting around some weeks (whilst claimants, loss adjusters and anyone else do their work) if you were correct we would be fitting many more new batteries than we do...

Hell, cars sit around dealers yards longer than that...

[John Laird]

IIRC, the problem was that an alarm system was drawing a heavy current. So you'd have to disable that or provide an external power supply or trickle charge if leaving such a car for any length of time.

[John Schmitt]

Lead-acids of the automotive type really dislike being taken below 80% of capacity. Taking them to 20% of full charge on a regular basis reduces the lifetime in cycles by a factor of about 10. There are lead acids designed for taking this treatment, leisure type and traction duty (think milk floats) which will go into deep discharge without damage. The problem is they are not designed for suddenly dumping a couple of hundred amps at the drop of a hat.

John Schmitt