Geo, Here's a portion of a Wikipedia article that may explain your situation.
Note the mention of charge "level" and charge "capacity" in the last paragraph. With 6 year old batteries this may be the reason for your situation.
" A hydrometer can be used to test the specific gravity of each cell as a measure of its state of charge. Because the electrolyte takes part in the charge-discharge reaction, this battery has one major advantage over other chemistries. It is relatively simple to determine the state of charge by merely measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte; the specific gravity falls as the battery discharges. Some battery designs include a simple hydrometer using colored floating balls of differing density. When used in diesel-electric submarines, the specific gravity was regularly measured and written on a blackboard in the control room to indicate how much longer the boat could remain submerged.
The battery's open-circuit voltage can also be used to gauge the state of charge.If the connections to the individual cells are accessible, then the state of charge of each cell can be determined which can provide a guide as to the state of health of the battery as a whole, otherwise the overall battery voltage may be assessed.
Note that neither technique gives any indication of charge capacity, only charge level. Charge capacity of any rechargeable battery will decline with age and usage, meaning that it may no longer be fit for purpose even when nominally fully charged. Other tests, usually involving current drain, are used to determine the residual charge capacity of a battery."
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