16 volt battery, anybody know how to test?

Posted By: camastomcat

16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 04:52 AM

I'm not sure if I have 2 bad batteries or if I have a wiring issue, help appreciated. Battery has lots of juice (17-18 volts) until I hook up accessories like MSD, dial in board, delay box, etc. It doesn't seem to take much to run the voltage down. I have the charger on it, but we'll see if it charges.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 08:48 AM

How old are they? How are you charging them, fast or slow? If they don't have much reserve capacity thier probally no good

I would try hooking up a small light bulb to one of them and so it illuminates and run the battery down so it reads below 12 or 13 volts and then try charging it up very slowly at 1 to 3 amps for 4 or 5 days

If that doesn't work you probally need another new battery. BTW are they lead acid batterys or some other newer higher technology like NiCad or AGM

If there not lead acid plates don't try my method on your batterys

I don't know how to properly charge the newer style batterys, yet

Posted By: MRMOPAR622

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 02:32 PM

I found this out the hard way,if you don't keep a Battery maintainer on the 16 volt battery at all times when not racing,they don't last more than one season at best.The people at Rock battery will tell you this as well.

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 03:31 PM

They are old for sure. I had the carb leak into the motor and hydro lock it and since then, I can't get either battery to turn the starter over. I even changed starters and no go. Was trying to spin it with the plugs out and can turn it by hand, but the starter wont even kick the solenoid out.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 05:07 PM

I just couldn't get racing life out of a 16 volt battery and was always afraid it would leave me down at the wrong time so I switched back to a 12 volt battery. My Daytona ran 8.60's with the 16 volt and 8.60's with the 12 volt Sears platinum that came with a free replacement 5 year guarantee. 2 years later I started running an alternator again an I swear I will never run a race car without one again. Looking at the racepak graph is enough evidence for me. Sometimes we out-trick ourselves and make this sport harder than it has to be.

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 05:55 PM

Quote:

I just couldn't get racing life out of a 16 volt battery and was always afraid it would leave me down at the wrong time so I switched back to a 12 volt battery. My Daytona ran 8.60's with the 16 volt and 8.60's with the 12 volt Sears platinum that came with a free replacement 5 year guarantee. 2 years later I started running an alternator again an I swear I will never run a race car without one again. Looking at the racepak graph is enough evidence for me. Sometimes we out-trick ourselves and make this sport harder than it has to be.

I really haven't had any problems with the 16V system for 7 years and like the way it turns the starter over with 16.3-1 compression. I would need to buy another alternator too, as I have a 16V one. This has been one of the few, but it has me thinking. Nobody really knows a lot about them.

Posted By: MRMOPAR622

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 05:56 PM

Sometimes we out-trick ourselves and make this sport harder than it has to be.

Us Racers do tend to do that at times!

But I will stick with the Rock 16 Volt battery and keep a Battery maintainer on it at all times,my 16 volt battery charger also has whats called a float mode(battery maintanier).When it finish's charging it goes into float mode.But I'm just as Hard Headed & Stubborn as the rest of you on here,no Daymn alternator for my Race-Cars.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 06:32 PM

I finally sold my 16 volt charger on Saturday as I wanted to keep it just in case. there will be no going back for me unless I start running Pro Stock.

Posted By: BobR

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 08:52 PM

The 16V lithium batteries are trick. I bought one for the Outlaw car for the YB race. It weighs 12 pounds, it starts the car better than 2 16V lead acid batteries and it charges in 1/4 of the time. Problem is we just got hit with a bunch of weight so the heavy batteries are going back in. I know of a good 16V lithium battery and charger used for 2 races for sale.

Posted By: Al_Alguire

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 08:54 PM

16 volt batteries work great, up until they don't

From my experience when they go they go quickly. Still would not run anything else in my car. Have had good luck with XS stuff over the years. But they do need to be maintained and charged. If not they live a very short life span. I run an alternator and use the charger between rounds to make sure. Also have it on a charger between races. It has a float mode and works great.

Posted By: polyspheric

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/10/14 11:43 PM

I've heard bad things about 16 volt lead/acid batteries, but can't figure out what (except poor maintenance or quality control).
All lead/acid batteries are just a group of individual cells which produce 2.1 volts each (which is the Pb + H2SO4 equation).
Nominal 6 volt has 3 cells = 6.3 volts
Nominal 12 volt has 6 cells = 12.6 volts
Nominal 16 volt has 8 cells = 16.8 volts
If any of these tests lower than shown (the extra .1 per cell) when fully charged it's toast.
Important: other chemical types produce different voltage per cell!

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 12:12 AM

Mine were the Turbo Start.

Posted By: Sammy

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 12:19 AM

Quote:

Mine were the Turbo Start.

If you had 2 in parallel and they weren't on a turbo start battery tender over the winter, they are probably shot.
When 1 goes, the other is right behind it, it you ran them together.

If they are losing volts quick and cranking them I hard after a few starts, toss em.
You can also try using isolating 1 at a time and see which one is bad.

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 12:26 AM

I actually never ran them together, but tried them both individually, and as soon as I hooked up the racepak, delay box, light dial board, digital 7, they went from 16.8 to 14.2.

Posted By: Sammy

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 01:16 AM

Quote:

I actually never ran them together, but tried them both individually, and as soon as I hooked up the racepak, delay box, light dial board, digital 7, they went from 16.8 to 14.2.

I take it no alternator?
Run it till you get it to temperature, turn it off and restart it.
If it doesn't crank hard, they are toast.
Keep us posted. I've been down this road before with them.
Are you running the light weight turbo starts or regular ones?

Posted By: Al_Alguire

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 01:18 AM

They are likely toast. I had similar issues with the TurboStarts I used to run. One will definitely kill the other.

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: 16 volt battery, anybody know how to test? - 03/11/14 02:38 AM

I can only blame the killing on me. They lasted for longer than they should have. As Mopar622 said, I called and ordered a Rock. After seeing what everyone on the bullet said about them, I think it should work well.