G5 battery made of gold.

[Glen Davis]

The avionics Shop wants $235 to replace the battery in a G5. Is there something special about it and/or is it very difficult to replace. 

[LANCECASPER]

7 minutes ago, Glen Davis said:

The avionics Shop wants $235 to replace the battery in a G5. Is there something special about it and/or is it very difficult to replace. 

If that includes labor, you're getting by cheaply.    https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/garmin11-14314.php?clickkey=3157524

[PilotX]

I sold my R182 rather than changing the battery. 

[rbridges]

wow, those batteries got some crappy reviews on Spruce. 

[N201MKTurbo]

42 minutes ago, Glen Davis said:

The avionics Shop wants $235 to replace the battery in a G5. Is there something special about it and/or is it very difficult to replace. 

They are super easy to replace. Just unscrew the two screws and pull it off. 

If you are going to throw the old one away, I would like to have it. I will pay shipping.

[Jim Peace]

when do you know it needs to be changed?  I have two G5s that are over 3 years old....

[StevenL757]

1 hour ago, Glen Davis said:

The avionics Shop wants $235 to replace the battery in a G5. Is there something special about it and/or is it very difficult to replace. 

Agree with @LANCECASPER.  Even if that $235 doesn’t include labor, it’s not a bad price to pay…especially if you’ve had your G5s installed for over 3 years.  $235 including installation is a steal.  It’s part of the cost of ownership.

Since it bears on the topic, and without me being argumentative, what price would YOU think is fair?

[Ragsf15e]

31 minutes ago, Jim Peace said:

when do you know it needs to be changed?  I have two G5s that are over 3 years old....

There is a test continued airworthiness check in the manual.   Skip posted it a little while back.  I think you put it in battery mode and ensure it’s got more than 1 hour showing.  Don’t quote me on that, but it’s in the G5 literarure. @PT20J

Edited October 21, 2021 by Ragsf15e

[RobertGary1]

4 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

There is a test continued airworthiness check in the manual.   Skip posted it a little while back.  I think you put it in battery mode and ensure it’s got more than 1 hour showing.  Don’t quote me on that, but it’s in the G5 literarure. @PT20J

If its like the 275 annually you have to go into the programming menu and start the battery tests. Takes a couple hours and comes back thumbs up or thumbs down. Since its continued airworthiness you probably shouldn't sign off an annual without it being in compliance I assume its part of the STC).

-Robert

[Jim Peace]

Round dials so much less work. 

[Ragsf15e]

27 minutes ago, RobertGary1 said:

If its like the 275 annually you have to go into the programming menu and start the battery tests. Takes a couple hours and comes back thumbs up or thumbs down. Since its continued airworthiness you probably shouldn't sign off an annual without it being in compliance I assume its part of the STC).

-Robert

It’s les intuitive on the G5.  I’ll try to look it up.  Was being lazy and hoping Skip was lurking because he has all these things memorized and can provide instantaneous documentation.

[Ragsf15e]

Ha! Found it almost as fast as Skip!

[chriscalandro]

23 minutes ago, Jim Peace said:

Round dials so much less work. 

That really isn't true though...

[Ragsf15e]

They are pretty easy to check for yourself on a lazy cruise leg or sightseeing.  Mine are 3 years old and indicated 4 hours last time I checked.  Probably wouldn’t get that much out of them, but they definitely passed.

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, RobertGary1 said:

If its like the 275 annually you have to go into the programming menu and start the battery tests. Takes a couple hours and comes back thumbs up or thumbs down. Since its continued airworthiness you probably shouldn't sign off an annual without it being in compliance I assume its part of the STC).

-Robert

ICAs aren't required for Part 91 GA.

[PT20J]

5 hours ago, rbridges said:

wow, those batteries got some crappy reviews on Spruce. 

There is a thread on Beechtalk about G5 batteries running down when the airplane is just sitting in the hangar at the rate of 3% a day. My Garmin dealer hasn’t had any problems reported including in their associated flight school airplanes, so I wonder if there were just some bad G5s or maybe some bad batteries.

Skip

[cliffy]

3 hours ago, EricJ said:

ICAs aren't required for Part 91 GA.

No different than the ships main battery It has an ICA also but who ever checks it? Only time most everyone even thinks about their battery(s) is if the engine doesn't turn over to start. 

Considering that both these batteries are your "lifeline" out of trouble "last ditch effort" to get on the ground if IMC or night  it would seem more attention should be placed on their "CAPACITY" than is currently considered. If for nothing but safety's sake. 

Ever think "what if" about your gear at night (elect gear)? Now you are without any electrical power and no communications, electric gages, lights for anything (because your fancy new glass panel battery also wasn't capacity checked because you are Pt 91 and it fails also),  your blood pressure is way high because of this, now your thinking is looking down a narrow tube and now you just compounded it with a manual gear extension (and no gear lights) and having to land NORDO at night at say a controlled airport with field lights or finding an uncontrolled airport to land on?  The issues kind of compound don't they?

BTW, have you ever really had to handle any in flight REAL emergency before? If you haven't you have no idea how narrow you thought pattern becomes without practice and how high your stress level can get. Why do you think 121 pilots go to the sim every 6 months to do emergencies? Maybe so they learn how to control their emotions and practice what they need to do before it happens? 

Just because the battery started the engine doesn't mean it will power the ship for even 30 mins. How long do you think your battery will power the ship if your generator quits? How long will it take you to find a suitable airport and put it on the ground? Will your half dead battery make it that long? 

Ever tried it VFR? Ever had a battery capacity check done at annual? 

Ever thought about how to download the entire electrical buss to prolong the available battery? 

Here's a question- If you are at night and lose your generator would you pull the C/Bs for the nav lights and strobe to help save the battery?  :-)

Edited October 22, 2021 by cliffy

[AerostarDriver]

I am on the 4th Battery for my G5 ADI. My HSI on the other hand has a battery from 2017 with no issues.

[N201MKTurbo]

4 hours ago, chriscalandro said:

That really isn't true though...

Yes it is.

[N201MKTurbo]

I want to make an extender cable for the battery. The battery will degrade in high heat and I know that even here in the hangar the battery can get to 130F every day in the summer. The problem is that it is a PITA to crawl up under the panel and unscrew the battery after every flight and put the battery in the hangar fridge. 
 

I want to make an extender so you can mount the battery in a convenient place, so you can remove it easily and put it in the fridge.

Edited October 22, 2021 by N201MKTurbo

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, EricJ said:

ICAs aren't required for Part 91 GA.

This seems a perennial source if confusion. The FAA’s position is that it, and not the manufacturer, has sole responsibility to define airworthiness requirements. That’s why service bulletin time limits and TBOs are not mandatory for Part 91 UNLESS they are referenced in an Airworthiness Directive. Likewise ICAs are not mandatory EXCEPT for anything included in a airworthiness limitations section (which is rare) which will have been approved by the FAA. 

With regard to service bulletins and ICAs, it is noteworthy that the FAA isn’t saying you don’t need to comply with them. What the FAA is saying is that the manufacturer cannot mandate a time limit for compliance. So, technically you can decide to never comply. But it is always a good idea to look these over carefully and decide when compliance makes sense for your airplane. Some are definitely worth doing.

Skip

 

[N201MKTurbo]

17 minutes ago, PT20J said:

This seems a perennial source if confusion. The FAA’s position is that it, and not the manufacturer, has sole responsibility to define airworthiness requirements. That’s why service bulletin time limits and TBOs are not mandatory for Part 91 UNLESS they are referenced in an Airworthiness Directive. Likewise ICAs are not mandatory EXCEPT for anything included in a airworthiness limitations section (which is rare) which will have been approved by the FAA. 

With regard to service bulletins and ICAs, it is noteworthy that the FAA isn’t saying you don’t need to comply with them. What the FAA is saying is that the manufacturer cannot mandate a time limit for compliance. So, technically you can decide to never comply. But it is always a good idea to look these over carefully and decide when compliance makes sense for your airplane. Some are definitely worth doing.

Skip

 

Unfortunately, I included the G5 battery test in my progressive maintenance plan. So for me it is an FAA requirement. 
 

I could amend the plan, but I don’t want to annoy my friends at the FAA, just yet.

[RobertGary1]

6 hours ago, EricJ said:

ICAs aren't required for Part 91 GA.

I think it would be depended on how the stc is worded. 

[chriscalandro]

7 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Yes it is.

Sounds like you have never changed a vac pump on a Mooney before. 

[N201MKTurbo]

2 hours ago, chriscalandro said:

Sounds like you have never changed a vac pump on a Mooney before. 

Changed quite a few actually.