Loose Battery Posts

[RKL2]

My 3 Trojan batteries all have developed loose positive posts...You can raise them up and down about 1/2 inch...In addition, the cable terminals corrode quickly...Batteries hold charge but are 7 years old....Any fix for the posts (epoxy?) or time to replace.....Thanks....RKL

[MrTransistor]

Replace! Quick! If one of the cells were to short, an overcharge could release enough H2 to cause an explosion. The ability to move the post means that the plates are also moving under the post in the cell. That is where a short could occur. If this short were to arc during an overcharge, Poof!

[RKL2]

Mr. Transistor...thanks...out they go..How are the grp 29 Interstates for a replacement..or do you have a better suggestion .No Trojan dealers near me.....Thanks RKL

[MrTransistor]

Hi RKL2,

I am amazed that you got 7 years out of those Trojan batteries.

I have no experience with them but I hear acceptable reports on the Wal-Mart brand batteries. I seem to remember that Sears had pretty decent batteries as well.

I can only assume that the cost is an issue. My personal recommendation is AGM batteries (Concorde/Lifeline). But they used to be 3 to 5 times as expensive as even good quality deep cycle RV/Marine flooded batteries. There may be some brands out there these days, that weren’t available several years ago, that have more reasonable pricing. As they become more popular, the prices should come down. I just bought a new AGM battery for a Suzuki S40 motorcycle from Batteries Plus that has worked out great. It was made by a Co. in China and was branded ‘Xtreme’. $70 versus the flooded original for $40. Try Batteries Plus, they can do the research and get you a fair price on whatever you chose.

The Group 29 Interstate deep cycle RV/Marine batteries are sold at many RV dealers and should be close to equivalent to the Trojans.

Good Luck!

[RCtime]

Just replaced mine with three rv/marine deep cycle from Sams Club. < $69.00 apiece. Group 27, 115 amp. hours.
They did not have any group 29 batteries on their rack that I saw.

[wa8yxm]

Amazed he got 7 years out of trojan's. I am not, those batteries have a reputation for lasting, often as much as a Decade.

If you rate batteries Trojans are normally rated in the top band

Interstates, made by Johnson Controls, are in the 2nd band

However the price difference is GREATER than the quality difference in my not so humble opinion so the interstates are the better buy

And Costco sells Johnson Controls and I **THINK** that the batteries Sams' Club sells are also made by Johnson Controls (not 100% on that)

Let me do a bit of checking.. Group 29, 5 amps 21.4 hours (that is close enough to the 20 hour rate) Figure (rounding slightly) 110 amp hours

You have 3 of them

A pair of U-2200's (interstate six volt golf car) is about 220 amp hours.

If those 3 are all house.. I'd go with interstate 29's

If you have room in the battery tray for 2 pair uf U-2200's I would go that way though. would give you a 33% increase in run time and about a 15% in recharge time

[RKL2]

purchased 3 Interstae grp.29 batteries at $99 each. thanks for suggestions...RKL2

[Chief]

Believe it would be a good idea to figure out why the post of the old batteries pulled out. Sounds like maybe the batteries aren't secured to the tray and may have been bouncing around as you ran over potoles, speed bumps etc.

[RKL2]

Chief....Trojan battery tech told me that it is quite commom for the posts to loosen up after 7 years due to the accumulation of road bumps shocks...He said the posts attach to the plates and the plates are starting to lose their anchorings. He said replace immediately, it is a dangerous condition (possible explosion due to shorting and heavy call for a charge and hydrogen blow off from heavy charge.)....My batteries were tied down very securely....One post was a little loose when I checked it in May in Florida...When I got home they all were about 1/4 inch out of the batteries.....RKL2