Quality of Exide Batteries

[MN_Traveler]

Ok ... I have searched past threads and can not find an answer to this, so I will go ahead and post this (but maybe don my flame-proof suit first...).

My recent posts have been about batteries and wiring in general, as I am finding uneven battery condition and significant "colorful" stuff on the connectors of my batteries of my one-year old DP (though the corrosion actually started during it's first summer of use). I spent time today cleaning off said batteries and connectors and applying connection protector ... but along the way one of the people at the dealership I store my unit at poked his head into my battery compartment and said " ... My, that is colorful. Oh ... Exides, they tend to blow a lot ...".

Yes - I have Exide GC-135 6V batteries in the MH installed by the Mfg.

So ... my question is: is there any kind of concensus as to the relative quality of the Exide 6V batteries, and can I do "better" (in terms of mess or lifetime)??? My guess right now is that either I will get tired of the maintenance and replace the things next year, or they will die an untimely death, and I will end up replacing them anyway .

So ... what do people think about the relative quality/reliability of the Exide batteries?????

[rexabbot]

I think it sounds like he was trying to sell you new batteries.

Gassing causes the corrosion and maintaince is required on an on going basis.

If it is truly worse on your batteries it could be improper use. Do you monitor your usage and not drain them below 50%?

Or maybe you have another issue such as your charger overcharging the batteries.

[amanda_h]

What did the guy mean by "blow a lot?"

I've never heard a huge amount of negative comments on Exide golf cart batteries "blowing" a lot. Many RVers purchase them at Sam's Club and are happy with them.

I agree with rexabbot, there may be something else going on that is causing the corrosion other than the battery themselves.


-harry

[Moonrover]

Consider purchasing a battery maintainer. A good maintainer puts a float charge on but will not over-charge. Also it pulses the charging to keep the electrolyte stirred up. Thus a battery will live longer.

[amanda_h]

Originally Posted by Moonrover

Consider purchasing a battery maintainer. A good maintainer puts a float charge on but will not over-charge. Also it pulses the charging to keep the electrolyte stirred up. Thus a battery will live longer.

I would think that the inverter/charger on a 2013 diesel pusher has a float stage. And if so, it shouldn't be overcharging the batteries.

Maybe check the inverter/charger settings to make sure it's set to the proper setting?

-harry

[MN_Traveler]

Not sure exactly what he meant by "blow" .zz I took it to mean letting acidic fumes versus just hydrogen/ oxygen escape.yes the coach does have chargers with"float" stage ( maxims) and they are correctly set. I don't have a point if comparison, so it is quite likely that the issue is my maintenance - I have kept the electrolyte level topped up, but frankly today is only the second time I have cleaned the batteries, and the first time I have applied terminal protector ...

[MN_Traveler]

Oh ... To my knowledge the batteries have never been below 12 volts (even under load)

[amanda_h]

I'll just throw out two things you might want to ponder.

Be sure not to "over-fill" when you add water. The plates just have to be covered. Many think that by putting more water than is needed to just cover the plates, that they won't have to check the water level as often. If you have a regular routine in checking the water level, then it really isn't necessary to add more water than necessary.

And many put a small layer (1/8" to 1/4") of mineral oil on top of the electrolyte. This is suppose to help corrosion, etc. As a side benefit, some say they don't lose as much water or don't have to add water as often.

I'm thinking those batteries should last at least five years if properly cared for and it really shouldn't take that much time and effort. I sure hope you don't have continued problems with corrosion.


-harry

[94-Newmar]

Working at a Fleetwood dealership I see this problem quite often. Corrosion around the terminals and posts that continually builds up, even after removing the terminals and cleaning real well, is most likely from a compromised seal between the lead post and the top of the battery. We have entirely replaced many sets of house batteries in coaches less than 2 years old. I found that the L shaped bracket used for hold-downs across the top edge of the battery is being tightened way too tight (at the factory) and crushing the edge of the battery just enough and that the hold-down bracket is only about 1-1/2" wide which applies a lot of pressure on such a small area of the top edge of the battery. What I have started doing is to fabricate the same hold down bracket but long enough to almost span the entire depth of the battery. This way we're applying the hold down pressure over a wider area. Oh, and of course, they don't require 200 ft lbs of torque either

The attached photograph is what I found on a 3 month old Fleetwood Providence 42 (with GC135 house batteries) that had come back in for service for something else. On a whim I decided to check the batteries too. Notice the small hold down brackets? Notice how the top of the battery is obviously being crushed by the short hold down being overtightened?

[BCooke]

I use Exide in my camper, GNB (Exide brand) in our fork trucks. Any battery if not properly maintained will experience problems. Unfortunately if you are constantly using 12 volt from the battery they require more attention.
If your battery compartment does not have a fresh air hole in the bottom and a vent in the top that will contribute.
Keeping an eye on the water level. Using only distilled water.
Keeping them clean. Dust, dirt and moisture on the top of a battery can lead to minuscule discharge that will reduce the life.
We get a product called Neutra-Clean from the Ramsey Group. We have found that to be a good product to keep our lead acid batteries clean. Others using a baking soda mix (water).
We rebuilt my fathers cabinet with the batteries. We found over the past 2 years that bed liner spray on coating keeps corrosion in the cabinet from forming.

[MN_Traveler]

Originally Posted by 94-Newmar

... Corrosion around the terminals and posts that continually builds up, even after removing the terminals and cleaning real well, is most likely from a compromised seal between the lead post and the top of the battery.... I found that the L shaped bracket used for hold-downs across the top edge of the battery is being tightened way too tight (at the factory) and crushing the edge of the battery just enough ...

Actually, compromised cells might just be my issue: when working on the batteries yesterday, I did note some distortion on the top-sides of the batteries near the hold down brackets. regarding other suggestions, I have plenty of ventilation (the batteries are actually in the open engine compartment) ... I have read about the use of mineral oil, but unfortunately I just topped up the water in the cells, and so can not add mineral oil for a while. (which per another posting might be another issue - keeping the water level TOO high .

I think my "solution" for now sounds like keep keeping the things as clean as I can, add mineral oil when I can ... and try to push them another year or so (I plan to replace with AGM's anyway, it would just be nice to wait another year or so...).

Thank you all for your thoughts and insights!

[cj5 jeeper]

Many years ago another driver was washing his truck, and he pulled off the cover over his batteries and hosed them off. He told me that he had been doing it for years, and it the best way to keep the terminals clean. Driving a truck in construction keeping batteries clean is a constant problem, so I tried it, and I do not want to tell you how many years I have been doing this, and it works very well. The only time I clean a terminal is if I remove it to cut power if I am working on something, or changing batteries.

[chboone]

MN_Traveler,
Here is a link on the use of mineral oil in batteries. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/miner...ry-112373.html When I clean my battery terminals I always spray them with battery protector. You can get it from Wally World or any auto parts store. It just thinned out grease in a spray can.

Chuck

[singpilot]

I saw yesterday that Exide Batteries declared bankruptcy.