Fsher21

So I have my battery out of the jeep, and hooked up to a diehard battery charger. it has 2,10,50amp settings, as well as a conventional and deep cycle charge setting. At 2amp, deep cycle, and with the clamps on the correct terminals, the needle bounces to full every 5 seconds, keeps the fully charged light on for 3 seconds, then bounces back to not charged. Just keeps repeating. It ran fine for about 30 mins at those settings, now it just keeps bouncing.

What did I do wrong? It bounces at the 2 and 10amp setting with the conventional battery setting also, even when i first plug it in. I know this really isnt the place to post this, but i cant figure it out. Autozone said my battery charge was at 47% last week.

Fsher21

so its a stupid question, but still need an answer. I have my battery pulled, and I need it back in and charged tomorrow for class and work. Really dont want to put it back in then take it out just because my dumb *** had a setting wrong.

dilljeepo

I would just put your battery back in the jeep, boost it with another vehicle and waste some gas charging it. If your battery charger is too confusing to work, don't use it.
P.S- dont use deep cycle, your battery isnt a deep cycle, those are usually for R.V's. It should be conventional, 10 amp

and- if it's a trickle charger it'll take at least all night to charge

Fsher21

It runs the jeep just fine, but when i make short trips to work without long trips between, it starts funny and threatens to stall when not on the gas. Figured since it was at 47% it needed to be charged. Wish it was as simple as it seemed.

HCCAFan

Sounds like you have a charging problem in the Jeep.

Also, quit messing with 2 amps and go to at least 10. Check your water level in the battery.

caffeine_pirate

sounds like the battery is charged according to the charger. I would rather jump the jeep to get it to start.

Check the water in the batter? Phhhffttt, most batteries are maintenance free. The last time i had to check the water in a battery was in a electric fork lift and pallet truck.

HCCAFan

Interesting. Both my boats, my lawn mower, and two of my cars have serviceable batteries. I think my truck does as well.

Fsher21

It is a 7 year old red top optima. It runs perfect and even under load from the winch. Load test passed and alternator passed per autozone. They just said it needed to be charged since it was at 47%, so I listened lol. i will put it back in, I will just not make so many short trips to work without a good run around the block every once in a while i guess.

HCCAFan

Def no water in that one then. Make sure your cables are good and tight on both ends.

Fsher21

Yeah no water lol. I cleaned the terminals real good, and made sure i had a nice solid connection to the clamps. It has two screws in the back my winch hookup was attached to, any difference if i connect the clamps to those?

HCCAFan

No, it all goes the same place. I had an odyssey battery with a broken terminal once but it would wiggle all around and was pretty obvious.

caffeine_pirate

my 94 xj would not start if the ground wire was not secure on either the battery or fender

Fsher21

10amp, conventional charge, and both top and back posts still get it to bounce back and forth from empty to full. I will just put the damn thing back in the jeep in the morning before class. thanks for the help guys

5-90

Buy a headlamp and a pair of heavy clip leads (10-12AWG) during the week. When you get home fFriday, do this:

- Remove your battery.
- Check the electrolyte level, top off with distilled/reverse osmosis filtered water PRN.
- Connect the headlamp to the battery, using the clip leads.
- Leave it run overnight (midday Saturday ought to be about right.)

Next step:
- Remove the headlamp
- Check electrolyte level as above
- Put the battery on standard charge, 10A.
- Leave it on charge for a minimum of 24 hours. Check electrolyte level every couple of hours while you're awake, top off PRN.
- Reinstall.

What happens is that the lead plates in the battery can get "sulphated" - clogged up and/or coated with lead sulphide. Fully discharging the battery will help to loosen up sulphide deposits, then the slow charge helps keep them from building back up. Keeping the electrolyte topped up will help keep the battery cool - you're using distilled or R/O filtered water so you don't add minerals to your battery that will deposit and short out cells internally. You can even use "demineralised" water - but it's uncommon, and R/O filtered water is easy. Do not use bottled drinking water - most of that is mineralised water, and will cause the same trouble as tap water!

HCCAFan

He has an optima battery.