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Checking an Odyssey 680 battery?

Steve Crewdog

Well Known Member
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Plugged in my battery to charge it and am getting a red flashing CHECK light, connections are all tight and correct. Shows 10.4v at the terminals and at the end of the charging cord. Thoughts?

TIA
 
This battery is dead and is not recoverable. Replace it.

Side note - for a plane that is flown from time to time, a battery charger is not needed - and some chargers do a lot more harm than good.

Carl
 
Thanks Carl. Looks like I wore it out just sitting on the bench, despite charging it every couple months. Oh well.
 
Agree...you're battery is done for.

Sulfation begins anytime a lead-acid battery hits about 12.4 volts. I leave my two-battery airplane plugged in in the hangar 24/7/365. Previous owner had used a generic float charger...no issues. When that charger went belly up, I just went with an Odyssey float/conditioning charger. Both batteries are going strong after several years.
 
+1 for the Odyssey charger. May cost a bit more but worth it knowing it is “approved “ by the battery mfg. Also peace of mind when you leave it connected in maintenance mode.
 
Also see the Odyssey website for info about the AGM batteries and a procedure to recover the battery if possible.
 
Thanks Dave, I'll do that. Having cut my teeth on LiPO rc airplane batteries, I treat any battery with respect and caution, and have the Odyssey charger.
 
Also see the Odyssey website for info about the AGM batteries and a procedure to recover the battery if possible.

Here's the procedure. Too complicated for me, they also suggest taking it to your local dealer (in my case, AutoZone), and seeing if they can recover it. Will try that this morning. Worst thing they can do it destroy it.
 

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  • ProceduretorecoverdeeplydischargedODYSSEY.pdf
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If however you do manage to breath some life into a dead battery, replace it anyway. There is little confidence that battery has a reserve capacity that you want.

The “recovered” battery can then go into your lawn tractor.

I replace one PC-625 battery every three years - so neither one is more than six years old. I also replace any abused battery (e.g. the one time I left one of the master’s on). I do this to minimize risk of reduced electrical capacity. The pulled batteries go to a second life in a neighbor’s John Deer or such.

Note on charging. I’ve used the same two battery setup in three RVs. None get a battery charger connected to them. For the rare hangar flying occasion and such I connect a regulated DC power supply to the plane, voltage set at ~14.1vdc - just like the alternator puts out. This runs the panel and keeps the batteries topped off.

If you must use a battery charger, never leave it connected and unattended. Monitor terminal voltage like a hawk. Store your battery fully charged with open terminals.

Carl
 
Plugged in my battery to charge it and am getting a red flashing CHECK light, connections are all tight and correct. Shows 10.4v at the terminals and at the end of the charging cord. Thoughts?

TIA

I coincidentally today had an issue with the AGM batteries in my Best Tug (24v system). I left the power on and they discharged. When I plugged them in today...wouldn't take a charge from the supplied battery charger...it just flashed "no connection". I called Best Tug about that and they said that their charger, like most modern battery chargers, won't charge if the battery is below a certain voltage. The solution they offered, and it's in their tug manual, is to get a cheap, simple, automotive charger and give it a shot. I found that that actually worked. I would never trust such a battery in my airplane, but I have no problem with them in my airplane tug.
 
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Yo Steve welcome to the school of hard knocks. I went there many years back. Learned my lesson, as my history in this matter is a mirror of your experience.
Had the Odyssey charger, did the same, with the same results. Had to laugh.
I take care of those babies now.
I actually have one PC680 in parallel with another non descript AGM "Mighty Max" battery
Art
 
If you must use a battery charger, never leave it connected and unattended. Monitor terminal voltage like a hawk. Store your battery fully charged with open terminals.

Carl

Carl, I'm curious why you say that. I respect your opinions here, but in this case I don't agree. I routinely leave cars, boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, quads...and airplanes... on a good quality float charger unattended for months and months during their respective off-seasons. I never disconnect the batteries on these things and have never had problems with battery longevity over the many, many years I've been managing my rolling stock this way.
 
Carl, I'm curious why you say that. I respect your opinions here, but in this case I don't agree. I routinely leave cars, boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, quads...and airplanes... on a good quality float charger unattended for months and months during their respective off-seasons. I never disconnect the batteries on these things and have never had problems with battery longevity over the many, many years I've been managing my rolling stock this way.
Just my experience with other builders having batteries die before their time. Perhaps you are just more rigorous in process than most.

I also note that a standard Odyssey battery does quite well holding it’s charge over several weeks - so this eliminates the need for float chargers, battery minders, battery tenders and such.

Carl
 
A different mind set

If the battery isn't going to hold a charge, I want to know it at my home field. I stopped using a float charger after having to hand prop a Mooney after a long lunch. First and hopefully last time in my life.
 
Yo Steve welcome to the school of hard knocks. I went there many years back. Learned my lesson, as my history in this matter is a mirror of your experience.
Had the Odyssey charger, did the same, with the same results. Had to laugh.
I take care of those babies now.
I actually have one PC680 in parallel with another non descript AGM "Mighty Max" battery
Art

Yup, another notch in my education.

I also note that a standard Odyssey battery does quite well holding it’s charge over several weeks - so this eliminates the need for float chargers, battery minders, battery tenders and such.

Carl

That's what bit me, I got complacent about keeping it charged over the winter.



Wonder how long the battery would have lasted if I had kept it charged up but not being used?
 
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+1 for the Odyssey charger. May cost a bit more but worth it knowing it is “approved “ by the battery mfg. Also peace of mind when you leave it connected in maintenance mode.

The official Odyssey charger is probably better than no-name ones, but it's not a silver bullet. This is what my battery ended up looking like after charging it overnight with the official charger. Obviously an already hugely problematic battery and the official charger was not a magic wand.

I'm on my second Odyssey PC680 battery and I haven't even flown yet.
 
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