Club 80-90 Forums

this is a new one on me and i've seen over 30 years of swiss winters.

the battery is only a couple of months old and it was about minus 15°C last night, the battery was installed in the normal place under seat.

i always have a spare battery with me and jump leads. no ice on that battery which was in the back of bus.

comments please!

oorwullie wrote:comments please!

It's much colder in the front of the van?

Condensation....cold air hitting a warmer surface (the battery residual heat after charging) producing condensation and then the battery left to cool and the wet turning to ice.....I don't need to tell you that if the battery freezes internally it will be the death of it!..beware!

Martin

i drove the bus last night a short distance, today it wouldn't start.

the battery has been charging for about 8 hours now and it ( the battery) is still really COLD.

they generally get warm............

it's got 5 years garantie so that's no problem.

it's got a 5 year gaurantee....just don't tell them what has happened as that gaurantee certainly won't cover freezing.

Martin

freezing is a perfectly normal situation here.

Mine froze solid last year when it dropped to -23.
It buckled the plates a bit but it still does the job.

Batteries don't mind being cold but they won't take a charge or give out power when cold.

California Dreamin wrote:Condensation....cold air hitting a warmer surface

I though condensation formed when warm moist air hit a colder surface. Mirrors in bathrooms when you run a hot bath, dehumidifiers etc?

You're right Bren....having one of those senior moments again...in that case it was probably a cold battery and the warmer moist air in the cab causing condensation....then freezing.....

Martin

I'll let you wear my "Senior Moments" tee shirt at the next Pikey meet

the cab didn't even get warm, i only droveabout 1.5 km and back again, total 3km.

breath was freezing on the inside of the screen.

battery is still charging and still not in the slightest warm.

i'll go see if the bus will start in a minute. it's slightly warmer than zero right now.

Hmmmm...your average 4 amp home charger will take an awful long time to create enough activity to actualy feel warmth from the battery. I usually find mine only starts to feel slightly warm after 8 hours or so (I've got 2 chargers 8 & 12amps), depending on how flat the battery was in the first place of course.
I know this is an obvious statement but it is best to keep car batteries fully charged as the 'freezing point' is lower (freezes earlier, on a discharged battery) some figures I have just been reading state -15C at 1.15 specific gravity (pretty flat) whilst electrolyte freezes considerably lower when charged.

BTW....My dad comes from Affoltern, Ottenbach Nr Zurich......

Martin

the battery wasn't anywhere near totally flat to start with, it was turning the engine over pretty well but the bus wasn't starting.

when i plugged the charger in it was charging at 6 amps for an hour then went down to about 3.5.

after 23 hours it wasn't charging any more.

the last time i had a starting problem and ran this same battery down it was pretty warm after 24 hours charging.

freshly charged it checked out pretty well on the tester but i'll put it in the bus again soon and test it using the starter and with headlights etc switched on.

oorwullie wrote:the battery wasn't anywhere near totally flat to start with, it was turning the engine over pretty well but the bus wasn't starting.
.

Well it seems like you have answered your own question ^^^^^^ turns over pretty well but isn't starting! it ain't the battery then is it....

The battery supplies the starter and ignition....turns over fast (tick) so look at ignition, fuel or basic mechanical fitness (compressions) or a combination.

Martin

i never anywhere said that the battery was the cause of non starting..............

i've had some injector problems which seem to be sorted now.

my question was about the ice.