heading OT .. Battery Charging

[amalventano1@comcast.net (Allyn)]

>   When the battery is in use, some material detaches from the plates and
> goes to the bottom of the case.  That material eventually piles up and
> shorts the plates.

    true, another method of failure is that when you recharge the battery and lead is built back up
on the plates, it makes 'trees' as opposed to leveling itself. once the trees begin reaching the
other side, let the shorts begin.

>   Maybe it is possible to build 20 year batteries, but would we be
> willing to shell out for them?

    even the battery on the submarine (128 individual lead-acid cells, each weighing in at 3500 lbs,
all connected in series, making 350 DC volts), needs to be replaced every 5 years. Also worth noting
is that its not uncommon for a few of those cells to have to have been 'jumpered out' due to
internal shorts/plate breakdown/etc. before the 5 years were up.
    (its capacity is 10,000 AH, in case anyone was wondering... that will not only jump start your
scirocco, but it could probably power (read: drive) it for 100k miles or so).

Allyn Malventano, ETC(SS), USN (qualified nuclear electric plant operator (im multitalented, what
can i say :))

87 Rieger GTO Scirocco 16v (daily driver, 170k, rocco #6)
86 Kamei Twin 16V Turbo Scirocco GTX ('it has begun', rocco #7)
87 Jetta 8v Wolfsburg 2dr (daily driver, 260k, 0 rattles, original clutch, driveshafts, wheels :)