Leisure battery load test

Mel

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Mar 17, 2007
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Just had the van serviced by a very thorough AWS chap.
He said that the leisure battery “only just” passed the load test. It passed at the usual test load but failed when the load was increased. He put this down to the van being in storage for the past couple of monthis and only charged by the solar panel ( and there has been very little sun). We plan to get the battery home and put it on a charger..

The battery report looks like this:
SOC: 98%
Voltage: 12.63V
SOH: 69%
Measured: 500A

It passed at this load.

The battery is a 110 and 5 years old.

My question is, will a good charge up at home sort it; or is it likely that the battery is on its swan song and I should consider a replacement.

Please remember that I am not technical. Please assume( correctly 😀) tha I have no knowledge.
TI
mel
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I would try a recharge. Do you have a smart charger as they can help restore a battery. The solar panel has been doing something so it’s unlikely to have gone to fully discharge state.
 

Mel

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Mar 17, 2007
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I would try a recharge. Do you have a smart charger as they can help restore a battery. The solar panel has been doing something so it’s unlikely to have gone to fully discharge state.
Thank you. Yes, we have a charger. That is Plan A.
mel
 
Sep 29, 2016
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Mel, happy to be corrected but I think you are always on EHU.

12.6v is just a tiny teensy weeny bit short of being fully charged.

Testing under load would I assume be using a meter to measure cold cranking amps, and I hardly think that his should have much relevance to you as CCA is only of particular relevance to starting an engine via a starter motor.
The only load you likely subject the battery to will be the motor mover that requires very little in the way of high amperage.

OK, you said to avoid being technical, so I will not be, and only add the link below in case it might be of interest to you.

I wouldn't even bother putting the battery on charge as the voltage is already good.

I feel you are being given irrelevant diagnostic information relevant to your uses of the leisure battery.

Just use your battery, keep it in a good state of charge (12.63 volts is very good by any standard).

Of course any battery can suffer catastrophic failure, but I would be relatively comfortable in thinking that your battery is good for providing good service in the foreseeable future.

SOC \ SOH
 
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Nov 6, 2005
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SOH 50% is the replacement point - at 69% it's still serviceable.

If you have access to a smart charger with a conditioning cycle, eg CTEK, then it may benefit from being removed and recharged over several days.
 
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Nov 16, 2015
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My 110 amh battery showed 70 % two years ago, over winter month I put it on a charger every couple of weeks for a day or two. If it fails whilst away, I can always go and buy another one. A morning out to Halfords.
 
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