Thread: Cold batteries

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  1. Member
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    #21
    Quote Originally Posted by 97tr21 View Post
    Pulled one out of my boat that was weak a week or so ago and all the water in it was frozen
    Dead batteries freeze. The lower the charge, the sooner they will freeze.

  2. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Riccochet View Post
    I've seen a battery literally start to freeze where it damaged cells. Anything is possible.
    That can't happen most places unless the battery is dead. A fully charged battery won't freeze until around 90 below zero. Even half charged, which is dead as a door nail, is good down around 30 below.
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    #23
    Quote Originally Posted by CatFan View Post
    That can't happen most places unless the battery is dead. A fully charged battery won't freeze until around 90 below zero. Even half charged, which is dead as a door nail, is good down around 30 below.
    I can only attest to what happened with my battery and witnessed at the launch ramp for the 2015 Classic on Hartwell. Pro's had heaters in their bilges trying to warm up batteries, replacing batteries, jumping their batteries. It was bitter cold, like 4F when they were putting in. I couldn't get my boat started on day one and it was around 9F, battery fully charged. The next day I ran a heater in the bilge for about 30 minutes prior to launching, boat started, but very slowly. As it warmed up during the day the battery got much stronger. So, the cold definitely had an effect on batteries.

  4. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Riccochet View Post
    I can only attest to what happened with my battery and witnessed at the launch ramp for the 2015 Classic on Hartwell. Pro's had heaters in their bilges trying to warm up batteries, replacing batteries, jumping their batteries. It was bitter cold, like 4F when they were putting in. I couldn't get my boat started on day one and it was around 9F, battery fully charged. The next day I ran a heater in the bilge for about 30 minutes prior to launching, boat started, but very slowly. As it warmed up during the day the battery got much stronger. So, the cold definitely had an effect on batteries.
    Yes it slows them down, but they can't freeze until it gets to -90
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    #25
    It is very possible Flipp you have a defective charger. There have been complaints in the electric motor section about minn Kota chargers going from yellow one light to red flash back to yellow repeatedly those batteries are not charging

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    #26
    Yes just sent In the charger to Minn Kota today, checked all batteries with a volt meter and we was good. The cold weather definitely had an effect on the charger

  7. Member Dennis1's Avatar
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    #27
    We have to heat the battery (fully charged) in our duck boat before it will crank the Merc 40 when it is cold >20.
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  8. Member cashion1's Avatar
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    #28
    I believe I'll throw this one out again. Maybe some will catch it. Some will not. Ask yourself why there is an engine heater on auto's vs. a baterry heater.
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  9. Sprint Boats Moderator Bassmeister's Avatar
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    #29
    Autos have thick cold oil in the pan....2 strokes have fuel and oil mix or dfi's have the oil directly injected to block for one.....

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    #30
    If the battery is fully charged, then the problem is/would be to get the block up to temp. I don't understand why you would have a problem in the south, at 20 down to 4 degrees ! Up here in the N.E. when it gets down to 0 we can still get trucks (diesel) to fire off with not much help from chargers. My boat starts harder below 30, and really hard lower, but it will fire off around zero . It just takes a while! The bats have to be fully charged, and the motor has to be right there mechanically ! I/we, my father in law, used to fish saltwater all winter when the cod were running, up here in the northeast. Never had a problem with starting the motor, just staying warm, ourselves. I don't get it, unless the computer systems today draw so much more power than in the 70's and 80's .

  11. Member
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    #31
    Mike D.
    I don't quite reckon, but I have read single digit temps in many of the previous posting. Perhaps, water freezes at a different temp down yonder, but up our way it tends to go stiff round them single digit stuff. May be, they must be talking feels like temps, or Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, better yet brackish water like up in your bays.
    Even round late March as she starts to loosen up and still round 40 degree water temps, my '03 225 EFI will start up, but rougher than the first nite in prison I tell you, besides messing up the plugs if idled too long. Well, my rig is sitting between my Roush and Saleen in the shop looking pretty till the snow and ice melts. BTW, be sure to plug in that diesel truck like I do the Cat in my dump.

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    #32
    Quote Originally Posted by cashion1 View Post
    I believe I'll throw this one out again. Maybe some will catch it. Some will not. Ask yourself why there is an engine heater on auto's vs. a baterry heater.
    cashion1,
    If you lived in Saranac Lake, Tapper Lake, NY or any of the Northern Territories, you would notice that many vehicle not only have engine heaters, which warms your block jacket and keeps the oil semi fluid, but in many cases you will see these things that look like small heating pad with electric cord that it is used to give your batteries a little warmth. My uncle Bruce Morrison lives between them 2 town East of Tug Hill where temps dip in the minus most of the winter and 400"+ of that frozen white water. But, like he says, where can you go where the snowmachine trail is Main St?

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    #33
    FYI: These are proven facts about batteries!
    A cold temperature increases the internal resistance and lowers the capacity of a lead acid battery. A battery that provides 100 percent capacity at 27°C (80°F) will typically deliver only 50 percent at –18°C (0°F). The momentary capacity-decrease however does differ with battery chemistry.
    The performance of all batteries drops drastically at low temperatures; however, the elevated internal resistance will cause some warming effect because of efficiency loss during use. At –20°C (–4°F) most batteries all but stop functioning properly. Although NiCd can go down to –40°C (–40°F), the permissible discharge is only 0.2C (5-hour rate). Specialty Li-ion can operate to a temperature of –40°C but only at a reduced discharge rate; charging at this temperature is out of the question. With lead acid there is the danger of the electrolyte freezing, which can crack the enclosure. Lead acid freezes quicker with a low charge when the specific gravity is more like water than when fully charged.
    Matched cells with identical capacities play an important role when discharging at low temperature and under heavy load. Since the cells in a battery pack can never be perfectly matched, a negative voltage potential can occur across a weaker cell in a multi-cell pack if the discharge is allowed to continue beyond a safe cut-off point.
    Known as cell reversal, the weak cell gets stressed to the point of developing a permanent electrical short. The larger the cell-count, the greater is the likelihood of cell-reversal under load!
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    #34
    Reduced performance due to atmospheric temperature does not equal BAD for batteries. Not only does the perfectly fine battery not put out as much voltage but the motor and pumps it is trying to run are more difficult to operate due to temps. Cold weather does not harm functional batteries they just work differently.

  15. Member xranger77's Avatar
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    #35
    Bad charger and bad batteries show up when it gets cold. Normal for up north....every winter you will find out if you have a good car/truck battery.....its no different than in your boat.

    Also, all the fluids in your boat will thicken and be harder to run until warmed. Ive had a diesel truck for years, and the difference in starting in 20* temps when not plugged in and starting when plugged and warm is totally different. The plugged in truck is ready to go in minutes with all fluids warm and flowing.....not plugged in takes a while to get going. Truck also cranks right away when warm, not quite as easy when cold. I know when I open the hood on the truck I can feel how warm it is under the hood, Im sure the batteries are somewhat warm as well.

    RV anti freeze is needed in the livewells and bilge area when you get cold in the winter. Easiest to unplug the battery and dump a few gallons in bilge to cover your pumps. If you could have a small heater or pad in your bilge to keep the oil warm and everything else, it would help as well. Thin fluids flow much easier and arent as hard on the motor to turn over.

    I have Phoenix now, and that help with the pump lines from livewells. They are a straight shot and no shut off valves like many boats. Dont have to worry about those freezing.

    Another trick prior to cold is to pull pumps and cover the impellers in vasoline along with the seals.

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