kentb

kentb

Well Known Member
I recently left my key on and ran the battery down (5.5 volts). I put it on the charger and brought it back up, but don't know how good it is going to be. The battery is over four years old now. It is the odyssey battery.

Should I replace it?

Do you replace your battery at routine intervals or just run it tell you can't start the engine any more?

Kent
 
kentb said:
I recently left my key on and ran the battery down (5.5 volts). I put it on the charger and brought it back up, but don't know how good it is going to be. The battery is over four years old now. It is the odyssey battery.

Should I replace it?

Do you replace your battery at routine intervals or just run it tell you can't start the engine any more?

Kent
Click to expand...

Kent, run a search on "odyssey" and you will get a lot of good info for your question.

This thread will get you started.
 
Do you replace your battery at routine intervals or just run it tell you can't start the engine any more?

Kent
Click to expand...

Kent,

I was down for about 2 months for maintenance and an annual and when I tried to do an engine run I couldn't get my Odyssey to hardly turn the prop. Found out some culprit got in my hangar, played with some strip lights that had a hot wire to them, left them barely on and depleted the battery.
I charged it up from it's depleted condition and haven't had any problems since the February incident. The PC-680 I have is over 4 years old and still going strong!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Every 2 years...

Personally I replace mine every 2 years although I admit to being a little OCD when it comes to maintenance. I also run dual electronic ignition so the electrical system is pretty important to me :D
 
I just replaced my 680 after four years...a longer interval than what Nuckolls suggests, but I think its to each their own. BTW, I left a GPS plugged into an always hot plug on my plane and was unable to revive a 680 with a charger...ymmv
 
I don't use Odyssey, but my PowerSonic batteries typically last about 7 years.
 
I just replaced my PC625 after 6 years. I only flew 10 hours last year (building a house), so that, coupled with -20C temps in the winter, were just too much for it.
 
When do you replace your battery

Kent: I replace mine every two years, no real reason. I guess I just can't bring myself to fully believe that little battery can crank an O-360 more than 2 years. I use the Gruber Power System (GPS) batteries (2) designed for wheelchair/scooters. I get them on the internet, $60 for two shipped to Reno. I install one and sell the other. They are the size of the Odessey 680, (I think that is the number for the battery box supplied by Vans). BTW, I am in Wilsonville OR visiting the Evergreen Museum, go home tomorrow (Wed) morning, wx permitting. My -9A is at the Jet Center at Aurora. Dan
 
my old golf cart...........

batteries got replaced every 2 years. needed to be. the pc-680 is going to last a lot longer. i have heard on 8 years by some rvers. there is an old post on this.
 
Depends...

kentb said:
I recently left my key on and ran the battery down (5.5 volts). I put it on the charger and brought it back up, but don't know how good it is going to be. The battery is over four years old now. It is the odyssey battery.
Should I replace it?
Do you replace your battery at routine intervals or just run it tell you can't start the engine any more?
Kent
Click to expand...
How 'electrically dependent' is your plane in the missions you fly? If you lost your alternator and the battery died rather quickly, how much of a problem would that be for you?
If losing electons is no big deal, then run the battery until it won't start the engine.
If you'd really like, or need, to keep the electrons flowing, then you need to replace the battery on a regular basis (tbd based on your comfort level). It's the capacity that degrades with time, even if the voltage stays high.
For the electrically dependent crowd (like me), Bob Nuckolls recommends either regular replacement of the battery (like yearly) or do a capacity test to determine how long it will last in your plane's alternator-out environment. If the battery will last as long as the fuel, then it's not a limiting factor. If not, you should have a good idea of how long it will last, so you know how soon you need to get on the ground.
 
BatteriesPlus will test the condition of your battery. Similar stores probably have that service. An annual condition test is actually required in certified aircraft.

Ken
 
Haven't gotten beyond two years so far

My first Odyssey PC680 lasted approx 2 years. One cold morning, it did not have enough to spin the engine fast enough.

Interestingly enough, I just picked up my second replacement PC680 today. Number 2 developed a dead cell but fortunately I discovered it BEFORE I left for a 500 mile trip. Even tho it was in service for 18 months, the Odyssey dealer replaced it with a new one at no charge, but the remaining warranty is limited to 6 months.

My O-360 starts easily with min spin.
 
MrNomad said:
My first Odyssey PC680 lasted approx 2 years. One cold morning, it did not have enough to spin the engine fast enough.

Interestingly enough, I just picked up my second replacement PC680 today. Number 2 developed a dead cell but fortunately I discovered it BEFORE I left for a 500 mile trip. Even tho it was in service for 18 months, the Odyssey dealer replaced it with a new one at no charge, but the remaining warranty is limited to 6 months.

My O-360 starts easily with min spin.
Click to expand...

Could be your 680 is not being charged properly. I replace mine at 4 years and that probably is not necessary as the factory says they typically last 7 years. Multiple deep cycles will not harm them, but an improper charge voltage will. It should be about 14.2 volts. Old lead acid charges will kill an Odyssey real quick. They require a AGM (absorbed glass mat) charger. If your engine alternator is not putting out 14 volts, that too could be a culprit with your short battery life.
 
I have tested my battery.

Wednesday, after being on the charger (the one designed for the Odyssey) for a couple of days, it measured 13.16 volts. I went for a short flight and put it away without the charger being hooked up.
Thursday I checked to voltage (24 hours latter) and it was at 13.13 volts.
According to the Odyssey documentation (thanks Sam for pointing me to the information) any voltage above 12.84 is full performance.

I'll wait longer before I replace it.

Kent
 
Keeping it properly charged will extend battery life. I purchased a 12v Aviation Battery charger similar to this one:

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/12-volt/gel-cell/BM12248.html

(There is a different model specifically for Odyssey batteries.)

My ariplane isn't finished yet but I use it to maintain my motorcycle battery while the bike is stored during the "off" season and the charger has worked flawlessly. It comes with a cable that can be connected to the aircraft battery and left in place to simplify charging when the aircraft is hangared. Plug it in and forget about it. It will even regenerate some sulfated batteries (dependent on level of sulfation) which will keep the battery healthy longer.
 
Batteries are stronger if they are used/cycled

Batteries are dynamic. If you use a battery and take it through charge discharge cycles it will have more capacity than if it sets idle even if it is on a charger (max or trickle charge). I use my battery until it can't start the engine and can't be recharged since my airplane flies just fine with a total electrical failure.

Bob Axsom
 
8 years on a gel cell

A friend of mine got eight years out of a gel cell (wheel chair battery). I use the same battery and never have got more than five until failure. The difference is he would fly only one time a month, weather permitting. That's about 8 times a year, or eight hours. What saved his battery is that, he uses a float charger. At eight years, he thought it was about time and gave me a perfectly functioning battery (no I didn't put it in my plane thank you) but gave it to a guy that collects junk cars. The gel cell has a reputation of of failure after being totally discharged only once.

Steve Barnes "The Builders Coach"
 
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