EFB Battery???

[Blakefruid]

Hi All,
Has anyone tried an EFB Stop Start battery as a leisure battery? They seem to sound allot more robust than standard lead acid.
something like this- http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/110-no ... ar-battery" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

The 'leisure' batteries (Low Height Xplorer) I've had for the last couple of years haven't even lasted a year- the second one only just made it through the summer- 3 have now been replaced under the same warranty by Alpha Batteries.
The bus is my daily diver, so battery constantly changed and only near fully discharged 5-6 times a year.
cheers,
Blakie

[Cobra88]

just buy AGM mobility batteries.

[Blakefruid]

Hi, would you know of any that fit under the seat?

[Cecil]

Hi All,
only near fully discharged 5-6 times a year.
cheers,
Blakie

Is the problem , that you are discharging the battery too far? If so you may need to increase battery capacity and/or reduce load.
AGM or gel batteries may tolerate a bit deeper discharge better, but they are expensive.you won’t want to ruin them!Also will your charging system be suitable?
It is my understanding that Lead acid batteries should only be discharged to 50% of their Ah capacity for them to avoid deposits building up on the plates,reducing capacity/ life of the battery.
I guess manufactures say that leisure batteries can tolerate a little more than 50%.

[Blakefruid]

Hi,
No, if anything it's the opposite--the battery is charged continuously (daily driver) but loose its ability to hold a charge. I parked in my drive 6 hours ago and the battery is already down to 11.8 with no load.
Maybe a Bosch silver is the way to go?!
Thanks

[Mocki]

Thing is ,are the explora batteries you are fitting actually a deep cycle battery ?
If it has a spec for CCA ( cold crank amps) it’s just a starter Battery with a different sticker
True leisure batteries do not list a CCA capacity.

11.8v is completely discharged .

That said, I suspect you have a drain, or fault somewhere , even a bog standard starter battery would last longer than a year doing the leisure job if not run fully flat

I have been running a 85aH true leisure battery for three years now , far better than previous one I had with listed CCA and couldn’t deal with the useage in winter .
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 1435606948" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Blakefruid]

Pretty sure its just a re-stickered battery and not deep cycle. The original battery was an xplora, since then the others are what Alpha Batteries have supplied under the warrenty.
Thanks

[Cecil]

Sorry to repeat myself but I think it is often expected that a lead acid battery can be allowed to go flat or nearly flat and charging it will return it to full health!
Is your split charge wiring a long run, and if so is it of sufficient cable size.also do you have a good earth,no corroded terminals or burnt contacts in the relay causing insufficient charging voltage? Is the voltage across the leisure battery close to the voltage of the starter battery, with the engine running?
Is your voltmeter accurate? Maybe try it on the starter battery or another car.

[Pinkythelabrat]

I suspect either a FULLY DEAD battery or a parasitic drain.

My ‘leisure battery’ is a teensy starter battery from a Smart Fortwo that suffered a catastrophically deep discharge and it STILL performs better than the battery you are describing after a few years of ongoing misuse by me

You might have a deeply sulfated battery which can take a decent looking float charge but has absolutely no depth to the charge. Some chargers claim to repair but after a certain point it’s really pretty unlikely the plates will ever recover. You can basically stick a few ions in the solution under charge but as soon as you take the 14v off they return to normal state very quickly. It can be quite stealthy and really you need to load test the battery to see if it’s okay.

Or a parasitic drain. I had a 5v USB device drawing a tiny amount and it was still enough to destroy a diesel starter battery after only 3 days. Dead! 10v. Unrecoverable. :’(

Good luck! Batteries are fun and fascinating.


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