Despite improvements in manufacturing and materials, it’s important to stay on top of your batteries’ condition to prevent premature failure.
Thanks to improvements in manufacturing and materials, the number of threats to battery longevity has been reduced from three to one. Unfortunately, the remaining problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
battery longevity has been reduced from three to one. Unfortunately, the remaining problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
Not long ago, the life of many truck batteries was cut short by vibration, overheating or deep discharging, a.k.a. deep cycling. Only the last causes much trouble nowadays, but that’s little comfort to truckers who accidentally have left on-board appliances running while their trucks are shut down for a few days, prompting an unscheduled trip to a battery dealer.
Even when current drain is stopped before replacements are needed, deep cycling can cause permanent damage, says Gale Kimbrough, technical services manager for Interstate Batteries in Dallas.
“Every time you take a starting battery below 50 percent depth of discharge, you’ve eliminated hundreds of normal starting cycles,” Kimbrough says. “Deep cycling deteriorates the batteries’ paste material, which is the chemical substance that actually creates electricity.”
Kimbrough advocates low-voltage-disconnect devices to prevent such problems. These cut the power supply to cab fixtures and outlets when battery voltage falls below a set limit, usually 12.2 to 12.3 volts. A lot of company trucks are fitted with LVDs, much to the disappointment of drivers whose electrical creature comforts occasionally are shut off. Normal current is restored as soon as an afflicted truck’s engine is started.
