# [SOLVED] 12 Volt Deep Cycle Battery WOnt Charge



## mattoxh (Sep 4, 2011)

I attached a 12 volt slow charger to my 12 volt boat battery. When I attched the leads they began to spark and the meter on the charger pegged out. I attched a 12 volt multimeter to the battery and it did not show a short. What is going on. The charger is working correctly.


----------



## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

*Re: 12 Volt Deep Cycle Battery WOnt Charge*

Hi and welcome to TSF :wave:

What was the voltage registered on the meter?

Also how many amps does the charger put out?

BG


----------



## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

*Re: 12 Volt Deep Cycle Battery WOnt Charge*

Hi mattoxh


Your boat battery is completely dead thats why your charger pegged out. The electrolyte within the battery looses its density and volume, so the initial on state causes a momentary short within the battery plates and then the voltage begins to drop to 12 volts. If a dead battery is on the charger for an hour or more and the charger's meter shows over voltage then the battery is gone.


----------



## mattoxh (Sep 4, 2011)

*Re: 12 Volt Deep Cycle Battery WOnt Charge*

Thanks for the replies. The charger is a $50 slow charger that will slow charge a 6 or 12 volt battery at I believe 2at amps or 6 amps. By the way the battery is a 12 volt stoaway deep cycle marine battery on my boat. Also I only left the battery connnected a few seconds. I checked the battery with an ohm meter it did not show a short. Thanks again. So I guess it goes to the recyccle center and I am off to buy a new battery.


----------



## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

If the battery needs a pretty good charging I can see the charger maxing out. May be cheaper to take it to a shop and have them charge it and test.

I would say if the battery is more than 3 years old or ever been exposed to below freezing temperatures for a long time, without being charged, get a new battery.

BG


----------

