Originally posted by: DavidL on 3/29/2006 11:43:08 AM

Here's my story.....
By the end of last summer I noticed that my batery (a standard 12V lead acid type) was losing power early, after about three hours on the water. When it was new I was getting about 6 hrs per charge. So I figured that cheap battery that it was, cost me $50, it was probably kaput. I didn't touch it all winter and when I tried to charge it last week my charger indicated that charging was complete after only a few minutes. I have a newish Minkota charger. I took this to mean that the battery wasn't charging and ordered myself, quite happilly and with great self justification, a new AGM battery for $170! When I got the new battery I had to do something with the old so that my wife wouldn't see two and wonder what the .... I am spending my money on so I took the old batt. down to AutoZOne for recycling, they charge you ten bucks to recycle the battery but that's a whole other subject! I said to the guy 'Why not check it before we dispose of it, I mean why not...' So he put it on the machine there and it told him that there were 12.25 volts and that the battery seemed to be in good shape! So he put it on the chrger there and it charged for 30 minutes! He landed up selling me some battery acid and sending me home with my old battery feeling somewhat dumb for spending so much on a new AGM.
I am happy to own the AGM and it will be my main one this season but I am interested to know what could be going on with old battery, do I have a problem with the battery? With the charger? How can I check? How much acid should I put into battery? ANd how should a lead acid be maintained?
I only use the battery for my 36 pound Minkota motor in my inflatable.