Proper way to season new batteries

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sosha
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Proper way to season new batteries

I've had the little Zapino since June, and have already had to replace the batteries. Not very pleased about that. They were all at approx 12.37 amp with a load. The shop told me that they couldn't tell how long the batteries had sat around before I bought it, and they prorated the charge for new ones.

NOTE: Anyone buying a new EV should get a detailed report on existing battery amp on the vehicle before purchasing. If they are not at 12.9, don't buy it!

The prorated charge was a source of contention also. I ended up paying him $87.50 for 3 months worth of sub-optimal battery. Not so great.

So, now I have new batteries, and they gave me instructions on "seasoning" them: 10 miles, charge, 10, 10, then 20 and charge. Well, I pushed it and barely got the 20 miles. I probably went too fast ;-). Do you think I should start the process over, or just go slower for the next 2 20 mile legs? Or maybe drop it to 15?

What is the purspose/science behind seasoning the batteries?

Thanks for the input.

Patty

reikiman
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Re: Proper way to season new batteries

Hm, for some reason 'season' makes me think of barbecue sauce .. uh.. I suppose that's not what you mean.

The purpose is to break in the batteries. There was some discussion on the site a couple years ago about a similar strategy and some claims that a proper break-in procedure helps set up good conditions of some sort on the plates in the battery.

I would simply take it easy for a few rides.

djkees
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Re: Proper way to season new batteries

I agree with David that taking it easy for a few rides is probably not a bad idea. I think proper charging habits over the long haul will have more impact on your battery life. It's pretty unanimous that bank charging or using some type of battery pack balancing system will greatly extend the life of your batteries. There is an exhaustive amount of info for both systems in these forums.

I bought a brand new Zapino and have ridden 1500 KM so far. I charge my scooter after every ride no matter how short. I also unplug the charger when the charging is complete. I charge about 50% with my bank charger, and 50% with the stock string charger. I just haven’t had time to build a second bank charger and I charge at home and work.

Hope that helps,

Dan

Tanner
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Re: Proper way to season new batteries

Dan. The odometer on my Zapino just turned 2000km and I'm still using the original batteries. I bought the Zapino new in May 2008. Are you still using your original batteries too? I often use the Zapino for a 12 mile round trip ride and my PacTrakr shows that the batteries have about 40 percent remaining when I return. I read one of your other posts and you reported that your Zapino goes into a "governed" mode after about 18.5 miles. So it seems that the batteries can last a long time if they are treated well.

Steve Tanner

djkees
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Re: Proper way to season new batteries

Steve, sounds like we are seeing similar performance on the 2008 Zapino. I am still on my original batteries. I have seen a few posts of problems starting around 2500km, so I am anxious to hear your experiences when you hit that point. How do you like your PacTrakr? Was it difficult to install? I was thinking about getting one as well.

Have you ever pushed your scooter to the point of auto governing? I would be curious what your PakTrakr reads at that point. It thought I read somewhere that it kicks in at 25%, but I think that sounds low.

Tanner
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Re: Proper way to season new batteries

Dan - The PakTrakr is easy to install. It requires a connection to each battery and ground. But I think it is pretty pricey at $150 and it is not that durable. I fried mine when installing it and I don't know how it happened. Fortunatly I was able to get a replacement from the manufacturer under the warranty. It comes with an in-line fuse that you have to solder in-line rather than already having a replaceable fuse installed in the unit. The big plus is that you can see the voltage of each battery with the press of a button. There is also the State of Charge (SOC) feature that shows the battery pack percentage remaining. I don't know how accurate the SOC is because the lowest reading I have seen on it is 35 percent. I have run the battery pack low enough for the Zapino to enter a "governed" mode but I didn't look at the PakTrakr to see what the SOC was at the time. I was too concerned about getting home! I mounted the PakTrakr in the compartment under the seat on the side. Others have mounted it near the handlebars so it can be viewed while riding but I would be worried about the elements affecting the electronics.

Steve Tanner

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