"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
I think this sentence is the core of your confusion. You can apply any
voltage you want on the battery. "Equalization" or "Reconditioning"
modes
of chargers often apply 17 volts, and the battery will rise to that
potential. It will also boil and melt if you leave it there too long.

17 volts is overcharged. "Equalization"
involves the short term overcharge of a battery to blow the crud off the
plates, but it is not a charge that a battery can sustain for a long
period- as
you correctly note.

13.2 is the proper reading for a fully charged battery. That is the level
which
any decent charger will maintain, and there is no "overcharged" condition.

There is a serious difference between a fully charged reading of 13.2 and
an
equalization charge.


I understand Gould. My point was that just as the battery will take a
charge of 13.2 volts when on a float mode charger, it will also temporarily
take the 17 volt equalization charge. Neither has anything to do with the
battery's natural full charge of --- 12.6 volts.

Two final questions for you, then I will give up and let the electrons fall
as they may ...

Following your logic, if 75% of the battery charge takes place during the
bulk charge mode at 14.4 volts - why aren't you claiming that a fully
charged 12 volt battery should read 14.4 volts?

Secondly, if the bulk charge takes place at 14.4 volts, then drops to 13.5v
or whatever for the absorbsion and float modes, what happened to the .9
volts? The charger never turned off.
Hmmmm .... where did those electrons go?

The answer is that your "fully charged" value of 13.2 volts is really just
the output voltage of the charger, not the value of the battery potential by
itself.

Eisboch