This unit functioned well the two times I’ve used it. The third time, though, does not seem right. A car parked for several weeks was driven roughly 1 km, then parked and the IP65 applied. It shows absorbtion mode with no current.
After roughly 30 minutes, it did switch to float mode, but still without current, which makes no sense. Is the current sensor broken? Is this a software bug? Or do I misunderstand how this should work?
I’ve tried powering the unit off, waiting till the mode lamp goes out, and powering it back on (i.e., it has been rebooted). The unit is using bootloader v3.16 and firmware v3.65.
Bulk is a CC- constant current stage (voltage rising)
Absorption is a CV- constant voltage stage (used for balancing does not always need current ) should hold it there for a period of time, either a fixed period if programmed so or variable if you have used adaptive charging which would vary that based on the voltage at start.
Since the charger only measure its charge amps (output) not discharge to float (load) i would not expect to see amps flow there.
You have used the lead acid tag, is it actually lead acid battery? How old is it, was it left at the 12.27v 1 charge cycle start for a while without a charge?
I can see you switched mode between normal and normal+recon which also changes behaviour so the last 2 charges would not have been the same.
The AH being added is vary variable on the charges there too.
You have used the lead acid tag, is it actually lead acid battery? How old is it,
It is the original 95AH battery in a 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0. I believe it is a flooded lead acid battery and not AGM.
was it left at the 12.27v 1 charge cycle start for a while without a charge?
Cycle 1 charged a different car’s lead acid calcium battery, one that has a similar age and was in a good state before starting (12.72 not 12.27) … and in normal mode it showed both absorbtion and float current.
I did not measure the voltage for the active cycle before starting it, unfortunately. But since the battery was fully charged by cycle 2 and sat unused for just 3-4 weeks, I would expect the voltage to be 12.5 - 12.6.
I don’t understand “discharge to float.”
Would zero current in both stages of the active cycle be consistent with a fully charged battery before the charger was connected? Is my mistake thinking the battery needed topping up when it was actually fully charged?
Thank you** for indicating the behavior is correct!**
I always say test/verify before trust. The charger does do that that on its own. The Vstart is the voltage when you connected it before charge begins.
Flooded lead acids and lead acids in very poor condition need alot more amps to just keep them at a voltage.
For the voltage to drop to float a bit of power is discharged out.
If the voltage were to just drop when a charge source was removed would indicate its state of health is low.
For the voltage to rise very quickly with very few AH being added could be a battery in poor health or it didn’t need a charge. I can’t be more specific without knowing the battery history. But 2002 and now its 2026 a lead acid battery from a vehicle is mot likely to be holding many AH in capacity and would have pretty high internal resistance.
