2013Batteries/Power forum
Ultra 1 24V battery pack showing reduced charge capacity despite charger indicating full charge
13 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- A battery pack can display a full charge indicator while having significantly reduced capacity due to one or more failed cells in the battery bank.
- Battery packs over 3.5 years old typically require a full cell bank replacement.
- A voltmeter reading taken under no-load conditions (such as immediately after charging) can be misleading because batteries with failed cells may still show full voltage without load applied.
- Battery capacity should be evaluated through a test cycle under actual load conditions, as capacity varies depending on the load applied.
- An indicator system inside a battery pack may malfunction independently of the actual battery condition, and resetting this indicator system may be necessary.
- Battery chemistry affects performance under different current draws, and a battery pack that reads adequate voltage may sag significantly when subjected to high current demand.
Depends on
- The original poster's battery LED indicators were not functional, preventing that diagnostic method.
- The specific age of the battery packs was not stated in the original report.
- No definitive resolution was reached regarding whether the issue was a failed cell, a malfunctioning indicator system, or the voltmeter itself.
- The discussion included contradictory advice about the reliability of voltage readings as a diagnostic tool.