Brand New 12v Lead Acid Batteries that will not reach 14.4 volts

[BroncoLera]

I sometimes get a 12v Lead acid battery that will never reach 14.4 volts regardless of how long I leave on absorption charge.

Even if I boost this one I just got to Equalization, it still will never settle at 14.4v during absorption. It will reach 14.4v but always draws a small current such as .05amps

I know that is not much, but it means there is a constant internal drain that will always pull the battery down and will get worse with time.
Left without a trickle charger connected, this battery will self discharge faster.

Most new batteries do reach 14.4v and settle down to 0.00amps draw eventually, this one won't.
The problem is it came from Walmart and they consider it good if it passes the least stringent tests imaginable. Basically if it will charge to 12volts at all they will not replace it.

Would you say that a Lead acid 12v flooded battery that is new and will not fall to zero amps draw has a problem or not?

Thanks

[Mike90250]

> Would you say that a Lead acid 12v flooded battery that is new and will not fall to zero amps draw has a problem or not?

No, it's normal for a flooded battery to always consume amps ( even just 1 or 2 ) when new and fully charged.

[BroncoLera]

> Would you say that a Lead acid 12v flooded battery that is new and will not fall to zero amps draw has a problem or not?

No, it's normal for a flooded battery to always consume amps ( even just 1 or 2 ) when new and fully charged.

Yes, that's true. They have a self discharge rate.

But some can be more than others. This one seems to self discharge at a rate slightly above the others

[chrisski]

I have found with returning batteries, really depends who’s working behind the counter. I’ve had some tell me that the battery is tests good, and other times I will have people tell me they will take my word that the batteries are not starting the truck like they should and replace them with whatever is under the warranty. All I can really do is try to return the battery.

When you say discharge faster, does it die just sitting there? No in the normal way a lead acid battery left unplugged, but quicker?

Seems like you have some data on how much extra this battery draws. Maybe when left unplugged a week, the battery is at X volts compared to most others.

I am going to get something like this for a battery capacity test:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...111c2fc2JYzhIG
EDIT:
Please note this capacity tester is intended for deep cycle batteries and I see you are asking about different batteries intended for cars. Could kill the battery doing a capacity test.

[Murby]

Check your charger to make sure its doing its job as well.

[BroncoLera]

Check your charger to make sure its doing its job as well.

That's always a good starting point. To that end, I don't rely on one....I have a few.

[BroncoLera]

I have found with returning batteries, really depends who’s working behind the counter. I’ve had some tell me that the battery is tests good, and other times I will have people tell me they will take my word that the batteries are not starting the truck like they should and replace them with whatever is under the warranty. All I can really do is try to return the battery.

When you say discharge faster, does it die just sitting there? No in the normal way a lead acid battery left unplugged, but quicker?

Seems like you have some data on how much extra this battery draws. Maybe when left unplugged a week, the battery is at X volts compared to most others.

I am going to get something like this for a battery capacity test:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...111c2fc2JYzhIG
EDIT:
Please note this capacity tester is intended for deep cycle batteries and I see you are asking about different batteries intended for cars. Could kill the battery doing a capacity test.

I am taken to a LiFEPO4 battery cell with that link.

[chrisski]

I am taken to a LiFEPO4 battery cell with that link.

This is the link I meant to post:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HB3XK7L/?coliid=I22EEBZWY5J6GR&colid=AW122EYV5GR1&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

For the other link, those are the cels I’m making a battery from.

[BroncoLera]

This is the link I meant to post:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HB3XK7L...v_ov_lig_dp_it

For the other link, those are the cels I’m making a battery from.

Ah yes.
I have two of these......so I can run two discharge tests at the same time (one just wasn't enough)

I bought both of mine off of AliExpress from ATorch store.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000479624068.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.51d04c4dJWITbw

Let me say that the company selling them has been superb with fast shipping (from China) and they have been VERY responsive to tech support questions unlike many AliExpress sellers. Each one I ordered arrived in less than a month (about 3 weeks). I highly recommend them.
(I have absolutely no affiliation with them and pay full price like everyone else)

They work great. I connect them to my PC which has software to read and display the data as the discharge progresses and records the data to a text file.
I use it to test every type and chemistry of batteries. Even flooded lead acid.
I know that discharging it below 50% costs a tiny bit of capacity but I make sure to fully recharge it the moment the test ends so it's nearly negligible.
The danger is sulfation and I have two Optimate 5 desulfating chargers which help (a tiny bit) to remove any soft sulfation that may occur.

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