X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 
Ken Powell wrote:

     I did not quite understand how to identify a pending battery failure
     when we discussed ignition systems a couple of months back.  I have
     the following questions:

     1.  Is low voltage a sure sign of impending failure (provided the rest
     of the charging system is healthy)?

     2.  How about specific gravity?  Do the testers that float the little
     balls work?

     3.  Just what are the 'load testers' used at the parts / tire stores
     and how do they work?  Where can I buy one of these?

     My concern is having what I think are 2 healthy batteries, only to
     find that they have only about 20% storage.  This will not last long
     with an EFI fuel pump sucking on it.

     At this point I am in favor of 2 alternators unless I can be sure of
     identifying a battery that is prepairing to die.  But 2 batteries and
     2 alternators on what is a basically day VFR plane???  Sounds like to
     much weight and complexity to me.  Maybe 2 alternators and 1 battery
     is a better idea.  The idea of eliminating failure modes has several
     permutations here, but I was not educated enough in our last visit on
     this subject to make an informed decision.

     Maybe we can get enough info to start a folder like was done for fuel
     systems.  This is very important since many of us are planning to run
     EFI, which has to have juice.

     Thanks,
     Ken Powell

 
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