T105 Battery 90 day fill up

[KarenLukens]

After we picked up Goldilocks in February, I ended up adding over 3/4 of a gallon of distilled water. Part of that was to fill the watering system and most went to fill the batteries back up. I'm sure that they hadn't been filled or checked after they were put on the shelf to sell. Yesterday marked the 90 day check and they only took a couple ounces of water. I've not been able to get the sight indicator to turn black like it says they will do when full, so I popped the caps and checked the level and to see the inside with the Hydro-Link watering system. The water level was OK but not to the top like it would be if you did it by hand. It covers the plates but is maybe 1/2" low in each cell.

 

Anyway... I can't see how they will be able to take anymore water, with the way that it's set up with the hydro-link auto feeder installed. So have any of you been able to get your battery level indicator to turn black and show full?

 

I don't see a need to worry about it because the hydro-link sets the level to its own caps, but the instructions do say that they will all turn black when full...

 

I think that the only way to fill them to the top is by pulling the caps and manually filling them.

 

From the add -

 

Battery maintenance, particularly watering your battery, can be time-consuming, messy and, in some instances, unsafe. Trojan’s HydroLinkTM comes with an independent, nonmechanical water level indicator that is simple to read. A white indicator means that the battery needs water and a black indicator means that the battery has enough water. The HydroLinkTM indicator will not give a false reading, unlike products that utilize mechanical readers. The new durable SnakeTM tubing offers the quickest, simplest installation. The patent pending, one-piece SnakeTM tubing eliminates the need for multiple connections, resulting in fewer parts and faster filling.

[topgun2]

Reed & Karen - I've got the T105's and Hydrolink, but, you must have an "improved" version in that mine does not have either of the "indicators" that you mention.  In the year and a half that I've owned Twist I've added approximately 1/3 gallon of distilled water and that includes the minor "waste" on each fill from the supply tube.  I only popped the cap of one battery one time and the fill was acceptable and the performance of the batteries/solar system has been all that I could ask for.  I'll be over at the storage yard tomorrow or Monday and take another specific look just to make absolutely sure of the indicators - you know how us old guys sometimes don't get it right the first time - and let you know if there is any change to my story.

 

Bill

[topgun2]

OK, here's a picture of my T-105's.  No indicators.

[KarenLukens]

Bill, those little square holes in the caps are the indicators supposedly, yours are white like mine. Did you check the depth of the water?

 

[KarenLukens]

OK, here’s a picture of my T-105’s. No indicators.

 

Oops, I was wrong, it's the round holes by the red caps :)

 

So that's why they weren't turning black :) Looks like your round holes are black like mine. The video shows it about 2 minutes in. I thought they showed the square holes in the PDF...

 

Reed

 

 

 

[Mainiac]

Great video. Will have to check ours tomorrow.

 

91 in Maine and way too hot for us. Impressed by how well the Fantastic Fan works. We have not plugged into a power source since coming home from the Rally. We have gone down, rearranged cabinets, made tea, had lights and TV on, replaced screen in door, screen door guard, and cleaned, and restocked. The battery indicator usually indicates batteries are at 100%. And we are partially under an oak tree that doesn't get full sun until about noon. Rainy days are when we spent most of the time there. We even watched a movie. Never felt we were to low on power. I feel good about the system... C-paps no problem.

[topgun2]

Looks like we both got OOPS(itis).  I thought that you were talking about something that "popped up" from the top of the battery to indicated the status of the water inside.  Sorry about that!

 

Those little "windows" on mine have never been white.

 

Thanks for the catch!

 

Bill

[geO]

I must be one of few still with the Trojan T105's. They are still kicking!

[topgun2]

I'm about a year older than you - in Ollie years - and my 4 T-105's are still hanging in there.

I almost pulled the trigger on new batteries a month Before the Owner's Rally but I tested these guys and they all passed.  Given the odds I do know that I'm living on borrowed time and that clock is getting louder minute by minute!

Certainly you must have taken good care of them - nice job.

Bill

[SeaDawg]

Hang in there, you two. Our friends in Minnesota have original trojans in their 2009. 

I know, it's incredible.  But it can happen. 

[routlaw]

Still using my 4 pack T-105's here too. A couple of months ago in another thread I had thought mine were on their way out, turns out the culprit was my Blue Sky Solar Controller which had a broken leg on the inductor (coil) and thus was not charging correctly and for reasons I'll never know provided information to the IPN Remote that stated all was normal. After the repairs my Trojan battery pack seems to be back to normal even after 7 years of storage in Montana winters. Turned the solar off two weeks or so ago and batteries maintained a charge of 12.8 volts, down .05 volts from the first day of disconnect. Can't complain about that. 

However I have convinced myself LiFePO4 batteries are in my future. It would be nice to shed a couple hundred pounds plus not having to deal with maintenance of lead acid. 

[GrayGhost]

Hull # 98, 2015 Ollie Elite II.   Four T-105’s still going strong.

[geO]

In all honesty I've been impressed with the basic set up right from the factory as far as solar goes. Only add ons I've done is bogart btms so I could gauge my usage per day and a 200wt suitcase. Never crashed and burned and on more days than not my soc would be back at 100% and this is with a pwm charge controller.