EarthX Lithium Battery Charging
EarthX lithium batteries can sit on the shelf for up to a year without the need to charge it due to the low self discharge rate which is about 2% a month, compared to a lead acid battery which is approximately 30% per month. (If you have the battery in a vehicle that has a constant draw, such as a Harley, and you don’t ride for a month, you will need to put the battery on a charger). After a long time of no use, it is wise to check the voltage and if it is less than 13.28V, you should charge it before start attempt. Do not leave a battery, lead acid or lithium in a discharged state or the cells will be permanently damaged. Charge immediately if this happens.
In the event you have to charge the battery, use a Lithium (LiFePO4) battery charger or a lead-acid battery charger that does not charge above 14.6V, will automatically turns off when the battery is fully charged (based on volts) and does not have a de-sulfate mode. Do not use any charger with voltage that pulses above 15V! This will damage the battery. If in doubt, consult the manual that comes with your charger.
For chargers with a maintenance mode, the maintenance mode voltage should be 13.3V – 13.9V. For example, the Battery Tender JR has a maintenance mode voltage of 13.3V which is compatible, whereas the original Battery Tender or Battery Tender Plus has a maintenance mode voltage of 13.2V which is too low for a lithium battery. Please read the manual that comes with your charger.
EarthX Lithium batteries have an internal Battery Management System (BMS) to disconnect the battery from the load (your vehicle) if the battery is drained too low. When the battery is “disconnected”, there is no voltage at the battery terminal. Note, some volt-meters may read a small voltage. The EarthX over-discharge protection circuit is automatically reset when a charging current/voltage is present at the battery terminals (referred to as BMS Reset). Or if you have an EarthX battery manufactured after 2017, simply disconnect the negative terminal from the vehicle and it will reset itself and then you put it on a charger. (On the backside of the negative terminal there is a letter and a number, if this number is a 7 or higher, you have this feature built in)
If your battery reads near 0 volts, the over-discharge feature has been activated, thus your battery must be charged. If you left your lights on, key on, have a faulty stator, or have a parasitic drain this can easily happen. Our BMS is designed to disconnect the flow of current in the event of over-discharge (internal disconnect switch is opened). Many smart chargers will not attempt to charge a low voltage battery (below 9V). If this happens, there are several ways to charge the battery.
- The easiest way is if you have a charger such as the Optimate lithium charger or one that will engage even if the battery is in this protection mode. Simply connect the alligator clips first, plug in the charger next, and the save mode will come on and start charging it.
- Another method is to connect your charger to the EarthX battery as normal, then put either a jump pack or another 12V charged battery in parallel with the EarthX battery so the charger will read it’s voltage and engage. Once the charger sees voltage it begins to charge as normal. After 5-20 seconds you can remove the jump pack or jumper cables (being careful not to disconnect the charger). Recharging this battery from the depleted state can take from a couple hours to overnight. To watch a video of how to do this, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o-YYpy9hYU
- If the battery will not reset and charge after attempting either 1 or 2 above, you could have a damaged cell so do not continue to attempt to use or charge the battery. Do not attempt to charge a battery that is swollen in appearance. Do not attempt to jump start a battery that is swollen in appearance.
The table below shows a list of chargers, and specifically indicates chargers that will work for recharging an “over-discharged” battery. This is not an all inclusive list.
| Manufacturer | Model | Safe to use | BMS Reset | Suggested Use |
| ACI | 1206S60CC | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Adventure Power | 1000, 2000, 4000 models | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| Battery Minder | Any model | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Black N Decker | Any models | No | No | Per the manufacturer, they state it is not safe to charge a lithium battery with any of their models |
| Christie | All Models | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| CTEC | Lithium US | Yes | Yes | Use as charger, maintainer and it will reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| CTEC | All lead acid charger models | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Deltran | Battery Tender Jr | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| Deltran | Battery Tender (original or Plus) | Yes | No | Can be used for charging only. Maintenance voltage is too low. |
| Diehard | All Models | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Duraboost | Duraboost 750, 1000 | Yes | No | Can be used for charging. Can not find a maintenance voltage in manual so if it is less than 13.3V, too low. |
| Duracell | Duracell Ultra SLC10002 | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| H-D (Harley Davidson) | Tender Jr | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| Moose | Tender Jr | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| MotoMaster 10/2A Automatic Charger | 10/2A Automatic | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| Napa | All models | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| NOCO Genius | All Models except the lithium specific one | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Noco Genius Lithium | Noco Genius Lithium | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer, but will not reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| ODYSSEY | Ultimizer/OBC-6A/12A/20A | Yes | No | Use as charger and maintainer |
| Pulsetech | Xtreme XC100 | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Power Pulse | PP-12-L | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Schauer | Charge Master CM6A, CM12A | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Schauer | JAC0512,1212, 2512 | Yes | No | Use as charger, maintainer |
| Schumacher | Any lead acid model | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
|
TecMate/ Optimate |
Lithium TM-471, TM-290, TM-291, TM-271, TM-485 | Yes | Yes | Use as charger, maintainer and it will reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection. (The TM-471/485 is not recommended for the aircraft batteries as it will time out and turn off before it charges). |
| TecMate/Optimate | All lead acid charger models | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Tenergy | 4cell LiFePO4 Smart Charger | Yes | Yes | Use as charger, maintainer and it will reset EarthX’s BMS over-discharge protection |
| Yuasa | Smart Shot 900 | Yes | No | Can be used for charging. Can not find a maintenance voltage in manual so if it is less than 13.8V, too low. |
| Yuasa | Smart Shot 1.5mA | No | No | Do not use, as full time de-sulfating mode will damage a lithium battery |
| Note: is not an all-inclusive list | ||||
As with any battery you are charging, follow these safety tips:
Safety Tips:
- Never leave the battery unattended when recharging it.
- When charging a battery, place it on a non-flammable, and remove any flammable items nearby.
- Unplug chargers always after the battery reaches full charge.
- Disconnect chargers from electrical outlets when these are not in use.
