Had to hand prop my plane this past weekend during my trip (on floats btw). In the air, my battery was showing charging and staying on the + side, also took out the battery and put it on the charger for a few hours, same results

Any idea what might be going on?

When i turn the key, all i hear is a click sound from the front end of the engine (i think its the start solenoid making the sound)

Measure the voltage. If it's at 10.5 volts after charge attempts, then a cell may be dead (shorted). 10.5 will still turn the prop, though. If it's at 11.8 volts or so, but doesn't turn the prop, then you may have a dry cell (no electrolyte), and the battery generates a lot of resistance on that cell when current is flowing (i.e. when the starter is on).

If you are in a bind, and you are shorted (not dry), you can sometimes improve the situation by removing the battery, draining the electrolyte into a plastic container, refill with distilled water, shake out the dregs vigorously, repeat as needed (using baking soda to neutralize the residual acid in the drainage), and pour back in the acid through filter paper (a paper towel works). Shorted cells are sometimes the result of dregs building up in the bottom of the cell and shorting the plates together. I've managed to shake them loose well enough to operate my car properly through a winter holiday weekend until I could get to a store to get a new unit. I recently did this to a Concorde I replaced, and it is on the shelf as a working spare (dry, acid stored in a plastic bottle).

lesuther wrote:Measure the voltage. If it's at 10.5 volts after charge attempts, then a cell may be dead (shorted). 10.5 will still turn the prop, though. If it's at 11.8 volts or so, but doesn't turn the prop, then you may have a dry cell (no electrolyte), and the battery generates a lot of resistance on that cell when current is flowing (i.e. when the starter is on).

If you are in a bind, and you are shorted (not dry), you can sometimes improve the situation by removing the battery, draining the electrolyte into a plastic container, refill with distilled water, shake out the dregs vigorously, repeat as needed (using baking soda to neutralize the residual acid in the drainage), and pour back in the acid through filter paper (a paper towel works). Shorted cells are sometimes the result of dregs building up in the bottom of the cell and shorting the plates together. I've managed to shake them loose well enough to operate my car properly through a winter holiday weekend until I could get to a store to get a new unit. I recently did this to a Concorde I replaced, and it is on the shelf as a working spare (dry, acid stored in a plastic bottle).

What he said.
Mine did the same a few years back. Sounds like it's time to spend some money on a new battery

Chris

How old is your battery? I usually buy a new one as soon as possible after it does what you described. If you nurse an old battery long enough you'll need and alternator too.

Buy a new battery. Going through all that monkey motion will leave you with a somewhat resurrected crappy battery that's about to give you another lesson in hand propping.

Give Vickie at Tamarack Air a call and ask about getting an Odyssey battery in there. Save some weight, crank good, and last a loooooonng time. My first one went ten years in the plane, I replaced it cause I was getting nervous. It's now in its second year in the lawn tractor.....and going strong.

MTV

Yes, the "reconditioning" is simply a short term fix to get you out of the sticks if you need. A shorted battery will turn your small alternator into a griddle.

Check the voltage at the starter. If it is good there your starter is bad.

I have had a starter solenoid fail that way, the contacts inside were burnt up, but it still clicked, the other thing is the starter, the brushes may be worn out or stuck in there holders, more often than not a sharp rap on the side of the starter will move the brushes enough to make it work for a while, this is not a fix by any means but it may get you home. Another quick test to see if it’s the battery, master solenoid or connections in-between, is to turn on your landing light, have someone watch it as you try to start, if the landing light goes out or dimes severely you either have a shorted starter, bad master solenoid or a bad battery, if the light does not dim severely you have a bad starter solenoid, starter or connections on them.

I should have mentioned, if you charge your battery and the voltage is any thing under 12 volts, Should be about 12.5 to 13.2 just after charge, a healthy 12V lead acid battery will float at 14 volts and 0 amps if your battery will not drop to 2-0 amps at 14 volts at what should be full charge replace it. its junk and as was mentioned in other postes you will stress your charging system to the max, atempting to run it in that condition will damage other components.

Check the battery cable to the starter also. I had a cable that was frayed and only had two strands of cable left. I had to cut it off and have a new battery clamp crimped on the cable. As someone else mentioned check and see what voltage you are getting to the starter.

LetsflyAK wrote:Had to hand prop my plane this past weekend during my trip (on floats btw). In the air, my battery was showing charging and staying on the + side, also took out the battery and put it on the charger for a few hours, same results

Any idea what might be going on?

When i turn the key, all i hear is a click sound from the front end of the engine (i think its the start solenoid making the sound)

Take cowl off -Check battery cable coming up to starter senolid -Clean the terminals .1/2 ohm of Resistance in system will loose 300 watts . I sell firewall mounted SBS-J16 batteries ,with mount and cables -see my edmaircraft.com web site below .