Ezee Charging problem

[Pink Nigel Dean]

I have gone over the last few posts and something is a miss with the measurements, the B1- to B1 , B2 , B3 etc,etc, measurements should go up fairly equally by 2.97 - 3v all the way to 29.9v or so, as indicated by the B-/B1, B/B2, B2/B3 etc, etc measurements. Both sets of results should correlate and back each other up.

Do the B-/B1, B1/B2, B2/B3 etc,etc measurements again and write each one down as you see it and post the ten measurements /readings.

I repeated the B-/B1, B1/B2, B2/B3 measurements several times with the new batteries in the meter, and got very consistent results with all ten cell groups reading either 2.97 or 2.98.

Measuring from B1 to B10 using B- as the neutral gave noticeably more erratic results, as above, with three consecutive cell groups showing 19.90v, then jumping by 10V to 29.9.

Since I've now loaded the meter with brand new Duracells I don't understand why the two different methods of measurement are providing such conflicting results. How could this be?

 

[Nealh]

I repeated the B-/B1, B1/B2, B2/B3 measurements several times with the new batteries in the meter, and got very consistent results with all ten cell groups reading either 2.97 or 2.98.

Measuring from B1 to B10 using B- as the neutral gave noticeably more erratic results, as above, with three consecutive cell groups showing 19.90v, then jumping by 10V to 29.9.

Since I've now loaded the meter with brand new Duracells I don't understand why the two different methods of measurement are providing such conflicting results. How could this be?

A thought, with your meter did you have voltage set at 20v or 200v for the B- measuring .

 

[Pink Nigel Dean]

A thought, with your meter did you have voltage set at 20v or 200v for the B- measuring .

My meter doesn't have selectable voltage ranges, it scales automatically.

Something doesn't add up though. As I understand it the two methods are essentially measuring the same thing but in different ways, and reading along the cells from B- should show a cumulative addition of the individual voltages measured between them, surely. I don't understand how the same meter measuring the same cells using the two methods produces results which don't correlate, and it's an important contradiction, because one set of results says charge the individual cells and it'll be OK, whilst the other says buy a new battery...Very odd

 

[Nealh]

I have a similar meter which auto registers voltage and has no issue with both methods correlating. The important factor is the first and usual method of individual cell group measuring confirms all are near balanced, I would tread carefully and with the nice weather raise voltages and charge outdoors.

 

[Pink Nigel Dean]

OK, but there is also the mystery of the voltage drop over this week. Individual cell groups measured 3.70 last week, but still wouldn't charge.

I have a similar meter which auto registers voltage and has no issue with both methods correlating. The important factor is the first and usual method of individual cell group measuring confirms all are near balanced, I would tread carefully and with the nice weather raise voltages and charge outdoors.

 

[Nealh]

We don't know if they were false readings or not ?
Your experience certainly isn't what I have seen before.

If you think the pack is scrap and plan on replacing it, then no loss by raising cell voltage and charging outside away from the dwelling for safety reasons alone.
If all goes well then can only assume an anomaly with meter reading or BMS at fault.
If a cell group has an issue one or two may be different but all appear equal under the first voltage measuring practice.

 

[Pink Nigel Dean]

We don't know if they were false readings or not ?

Well although the battery output and individual cell voltages declined significantly over the week the output of the battery charger remained exactly the same, suggesting that the meter was not the variable. Moreover, the new readings were obtained before changing the meter batteries, which didn't have any effect on voltage readings.

[/QUOTE] If you think the pack is scrap and plan on replacing it, then no loss by raising cell voltage and charging outside away from the dwelling for safety reasons alone.
If all goes well then can only assume an anomaly with meter reading or BMS at fault.
If a cell group has an issue one or two may be different but all appear equal under the first voltage measuring practice.
[/QUOTE]

Fair point, nothing to lose as long as I avoid burning the house down.

I'll do as you suggest and let you know what happens....

 

[Pink Nigel Dean]

I soldered two pins to a 5V phone charger, checked the polarity and connected to B-/B1. The voltage of the cell was 2.98V when I started, and after charging for 2.5 hours the voltage was 2.97. I checked the output of the phone charger at the pins before and after the session and confirmed that it was delivering 5V at the pins.

This battery continues to defy logic....

Thank you for all your help, it really is appreciated, but I think this is now a job for re-celling. Maybe the inability of this battery to respond is down to the fact that it is 8 years old, and so just a little too far over the hill.

 

[Benjahmin]

Eight years old is certainly going some, I think you've had your money out of it.
Sounds like another job for Jimmy. He did mine with Boston Power swing cells - think it was in the £250 region.

 

[Nealh]

Yes scrappy time.

 

[Pink Nigel Dean]

Thanks again, and yes, Jimmy will be fitting the Boston Power Swings....