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Forklift Battery Troubleshooting: If only they could last forever.
Chances are your forklift battery is going to give you problems at some point in time. When those problems arise, we want you to be prepared which is why we made this forklift battery troubleshooting guide. Below is a list of common problems associated with forklift batteries that occur over time. Listed are the different battery troubles, the conditions that come with them, what’s causing the problem, and how to collectively act upon it.
Short Circuited
Condition:
- Very low cell voltage and specific gravity during recharging and discharging
- Low gassing while charging
- Extreme rise of electrolyte temperature during charging phase
- Fast drop of gravity after charging
Why is this happening? Probable cause:
- Short circuited due to a dropping of active materials
- Short circuited due to a broken separator
- Short circuited due to advancing of broken pieces during manufacturing of battery
Where to go from here:
- Replace the faulty cell with a single charged cell
Sulfation
Condition:
- While charging, the voltage and electrolyte temperature are much higher than the standard
- Gassing is accelerated from charging and the gravity does not rise to normal
- Voltage drops quickly while discharging
- In some extreme cases, plates may become whitened
Why is this happening? Probable cause:
- Repeatedly overcharging and discharging of battery
- Plates exposed to open air for extended period of time
- Lack of care during storage process
- Excessively high gravity while using battery
- Impurities causing excessive self discharge of battery
Where to go from here:
- If the battery is in rather early conditions, remove the probable cause
- Replace the faulty cell with a single charged cell if damage can’t be fixed
Excessive Self Discharging
Condition:
- Quick drop in gravity after charging
- Charging capacity of battery significantly reduced
Why is this happening? Probable cause:
- Using impure water in the battery
- Specific gravity higher than it should be
- Excessively high temperature of electrolytes
- Battery container has been insufficiently cleaned
Where to go from here:
- Take daily care of the battery
- Replace the faulty cell with a single charged cell
Exchange of Polarity
Condition:
- Polarity switched around in some cells during discharging or high temperature of electrolytes
- Electrolytes dissolve causing an emission of gas that changes the polarity of the battery
Why is this happening? Probable cause:
- Caused by quick discharge without noticing a low capacity in a cell
- Ill preparation of certain means like an equation charge
Where to go from here:
- Replace faulty cell
- Take daily care of the battery
Other Possible Factors
1. Color of electrolyte has changed to brown
– Due to corrosion of positive plate mixing into electrolytes
– Check voltage and gravity of battery
– Replace electrolyte
2. Chlorine smell during charging
– Due to sea water mixing into electrolytes
– Replace electrolyte and charge the battery until the smell is gone
– Replace cells
3. Electrolyte excessively reduced
– Battery cells are cracked
– High electrolyte temperature while charging
– Find causes and follow repair procedures
4. Unnaturally high electrolyte temperature
– Due to lack of electrolytes
– Due to shorted cells and/or reversed polarity
– Solder battery
5. Heat from connector portion
– Bad connector contact