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[Andy B]

long story  .... very short
My Mum has/had a 4 yr old motorbility scooter that was semi drowned in a recent flood. Unfortunately I didn't get chance to do anything with it sooner but last night I stripped the two battery cases (2x12v batteries in series) to find two batteries similar to these clicky Each battery showed next to the square root of f*** voltage wise. They have both been on a dumb battery charger over night .... 1 looks to be showing signs of taking a charge, but the other is showing about 6 volts.
Is the expert opinion that both batteries are beyond redemption or is there a chance of recovery?

[Raeturbo]

Well, you don’t want her to get stuck so you can’t chance it. They will never be as good as they were even if they do charge up, however I’ve seen  batteries like that cheaper than that.

[Raeturbo]

Try these people......      https://www.supac.co.uk/products?CategoryId=198

[Bigron]

Not covered by house/contents insurance, Andy?

Ron.

[Andy B]

Well, you don’t want her to get stuck so you can’t chance it. They will never be as good as they were even if they do charge up, however I’ve seen  batteries like that cheaper than that.

She lost confidence with it & won't use it it.
I just picked a similar battery from the web to show what type 

[Andy B]

Try these people......      https://www.supac.co.uk/products?CategoryId=198

Thanks. 

[Andy B]

Not covered by house/contents insurance, Andy?

Ron.

Unfortunately not. Ironically this replaced one from Boxing Day 2015 when they were flooded

[Kevin Wood]

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

[Viral_Jim]

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

Kevin makes a good point. Can you test the rest of the vehicle before you spend money on batteries? I assume these things have charging gubbins, a simple ECU/speed controller etc, none of which are likely to be thankful for a dip! 

[TheBoy]

At best, you can possibly get them to take a charge using the shock method, but will never take decent capacity.

I'd just replace, likes of mds battery sell a wide variety of smaller batts, although they aren't the cheapest any more.

[Andy B]

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

Kevin makes a good point. Can you test the rest of the vehicle before you spend money on batteries? I assume these things have charging gubbins, a simple ECU/speed controller etc, none of which are likely to be thankful for a dip! 

The speed controller is at the top of the 'steering column' so didn't get set but the water came about level with the socket for the charger 
Unfortunately I don't have access to a suitable power supply other than standard battery chargers.

[Andy B]

At best, you can possibly get them to take a charge using the shock method, but will never take decent capacity.

I'd just replace, likes of mds battery sell a wide variety of smaller batts, although they aren't the cheapest any more.

There's a place local to me that does various batteries ..... I'll get a price

[Doctor Gollum]

What make is it, as batteries vary greatly. 

[Andy B]

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

Thanks. I thought they'd be toast. 
The scooter had only been driven about 100 yrs....

[Andy B]

What make is it, as batteries vary greatly. 

The batteries or the scooter? I'm at work so can't answer either .. 
The batteries are Chinese 

Found a photo of scooter & it's a Shoprider..... in blue 

 

[Doctor Gollum]

In that case, pretty basic wet acid batteries...

Ergo, equally basic electrical bits on it

Some of the newer lithium powered scooters would probably become scrap if submerged... Presuming the battery fires hadn't melted it first.

[Varche]

We have got two scooters here. One the Shoprider ( Paris) has brand new batteries  but developed a fault due to offroading! If you were closer you could have tried them.

[Keith ABS]

 It is general practice to replace batteries together as a half good one can cause a new one to become NFG in a short amount of time

[Andy B]

We have got two scooters here. One the Shoprider ( Paris) has brand new batteries  but developed a fault due to offroading! If you were closer you could have tried them.

Thanks 

[Andy B]

Thanks for all the replies.

Just got home & had a look at the state of each after about 36 hours on a charger. One is reading about 10 volts & t'other about 6 ...... Conclusion is they're fubar'd 

[ronnyd]

Thanks for all the replies.

Just got home & had a look at the state of each after about 36 hours on a charger. One is reading about 10 volts & t'other about 6 ...... Conclusion is they're fubar'd 

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

Thanks. I thought they'd be toast. 
The scooter had only been driven about 100 yrs....

Should imagine they would be after so long.

[Andy B]

Thanks for all the replies.

Just got home & had a look at the state of each after about 36 hours on a charger. One is reading about 10 volts & t'other about 6 ...... Conclusion is they're fubar'd 

If the batteries are 5 years old they are likely not worth trying to salvage.

Sometimes you can wake them up by applying a higher voltage with a current limit until they start taking charge - i.e. by putting a bench PSU across them set to maybe 30V at a 0.5A current limit and just leaving it until they start drawing current. As said, they'll never be dependable so only worth doing just to test the rest of the scooter IMHO.

Thanks. I thought they'd be toast. 
The scooter had only been driven about 100 yrs....

Should imagine they would be after so long.

 Well done Ronny  ..... you spotted my deliberate mistake 

[Kevin Wood]

This reminds me that a valuable amount of space in my garage is being taken up by the Grandmother-in-law's scooter - probably in a similar state by now.

I know the batteries did recover at one point because I very nearly put it on its' side when "testing" it up and down the cul-de-sac.

Needs lower C-of-G.

[Nick W]

This reminds me that a valuable amount of space in my garage is being taken up by the Grandmother-in-law's scooter - probably in a similar state by now.

I know the batteries did recover at one point because I very nearly put it on its' side when "testing" it up and down the cul-de-sac.

Needs lower C-of-G.

bigger batteries would do that.......

[Kevin Wood]

This reminds me that a valuable amount of space in my garage is being taken up by the Grandmother-in-law's scooter - probably in a similar state by now.

I know the batteries did recover at one point because I very nearly put it on its' side when "testing" it up and down the cul-de-sac.

Needs lower C-of-G.

bigger batteries would do that.......

.. and while you're at it, it'd be rude not to fit a bigger motor...

[Nick W]

This reminds me that a valuable amount of space in my garage is being taken up by the Grandmother-in-law's scooter - probably in a similar state by now.

I know the batteries did recover at one point because I very nearly put it on its' side when "testing" it up and down the cul-de-sac.

Needs lower C-of-G.

bigger batteries would do that.......

.. and while you're at it, it'd be rude not to fit a bigger motor...

then better tyres, and the wheels are probably proprietory so custom machined aluminium wheels - sorry, billet rims -would be justified.
And who could resist a muti-colour candy paint job? With ghost flames, obviously

[Andy B]

This reminds me that a valuable amount of space in my garage is being taken up by the Grandmother-in-law's scooter - probably in a similar state by now.

I know the batteries did recover at one point because I very nearly put it on its' side when "testing" it up and down the cul-de-sac.

Needs lower C-of-G.

bigger batteries would do that.......

.. and while you're at it, it'd be rude not to fit a bigger motor...

then better tyres, and the wheels are probably proprietory so custom machined aluminium wheels - sorry, billet rims -would be justified.
And who could resist a muti-colour candy paint job? With ghost flames, obviously

[henryd]

Try this guy for some batteries Andy, he seems to have made progress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWYRhaOd1PE

[Andy B]

Try this guy for some batteries Andy, he seems to have made progress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWYRhaOd1PE