Battery failure is a primary contributor to fleet downtime. And when batteries fail, there is always the temptation to assume they are worn out and no longer capable of holding a charge. There is so much sulfation inside the battery that the only option is to replace it. In reality, however, sulfation is reversible in many cases. It is actually a critical component of proactive battery maintenance in today’s fleet garages.
The Basics of Battery Sulfation
A car battery is an interesting piece of kit. Take a typical lead-acid battery. Inside, two lead plates are submerged in an electrolyte solution comprising sulfuric acid and water. As a battery is discharged – particularly during starting – sulfate ions in the acid attach themselves to the lead plates. They accumulate to form lead sulfate crystals.
Battery charging normally reverses the process. Lead sulfate crystals are dissolved back into the electrolyte solution, thereby returning the plates to a clean state. So what is the problem?
Sulfation becomes harmful when an automotive battery is left in a chronic state of undercharge. A failure to fully recharge equates to not dissolving the crystals. So if a vehicle sits idle for weeks at a time or is used mainly for short trips that prevent a full alternator recharge, the lead sulfate crystals never fully dissolve. The same holds true when vehicles are stored without disconnecting parasitic drain features.
Sulfation Reduces Battery Life
Over time, lead sulfate crystals remaining on the plates will harden and crystalize permanently. As they gradually blanket the plates and cover more surface area, they introduce a physical barrier that does two critical things:
- Reduces Surface Area – The hardened crystals insulate the lead plates and reduce the available surface area. That means the chemical reactions responsible for both charging and discharging do not work as efficiently. A battery’s overall reserve capacity and cold cranking amps (CCA) are reduced accordingly.
- Increases Internal Resistance – Lead sulfate is a poor electrical conductor. So as the crystals accumulate, internal resistance increases. A battery will progressively struggle to accept a charge. It will also generate excessive heat under load.
If left unchecked, crystal buildup chemically chokes the battery. It is no longer able to deliver the current necessary to turn over an engine. And in a fleet environment, that forces management to prematurely invest in expensive replacement batteries.
Smart Maintenance Is the Solution
Fortunately, there is a workable solution to sulfation: smart battery maintenance. By setting aside traditional trickle chargers in favor of smart maintainers, fleet managers can actually reverse sulfation to maximize battery life.
Many fleet managers turn to the PRO-LOGIX line of smart battery maintainers made by Clore Automotive. PRO-LOGIX uses a microprocessor-controlled, 7-stage charging system to reverse sulfation and keep stored batteries optimally charged.
When first switched on, the smart battery maintainer analyzes the battery’s state and charge level. If significant sulfation is detected, the unit enters repair mode. A slow and gentle current is introduced to break down the lead sulfate crystals. Only after they are fully dissolved does the battery maintainer switch into charging mode.
The icing on the cake is the built-in Rest and Exercise cycle. At full charge, a stored battery is allowed to rest and stabilize. The battery maintainer only kicks in when natural self-discharge reaches a certain threshold. Then the maintainer simulates a real-world load to further drain the battery before starting the charge cycle again.
Automotive professionals know that sulfation is the number one killer of automotive batteries. The best way to avoid premature end-of-life is to take care of batteries with a smart battery maintainer.
