A CRJ-200 CAPT RPTS AN AIRPLANE JUST OUT OF MAINT HAD EMER LIGHTING FAIL TESTS. FLT CREW INCURRED A 4 HOUR DELAY BEFORE FLT DEPARTED.

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ARRIVING TO THE GATE THAT MORNING WE FOUND OUR ACFT JUST TAXING IN FROM THE MAINT HANGAR. WE WERE DOING PREFLT CHKS AS THE PAX WERE BOARDING AND MAINT WAS STILL ONBOARD BUT HAD ALREADY SIGNED THE AML FOR RETURN TO SERVICE. HOWEVER; THE EMER LIGHTS WOULD NOT TEST (THEY WOULD NOT EVEN COME ON; WELL MAYBE THEY DID; BUT BY THE TIME I UNBUCKLED AND ROSE UP TO LOOK OVER THE FLT ATTENDANT; MECH; AND THE BOARDING PAX; THEY WERE OUT); AND WE PLACED AN ENTRY IN THE AML REFLECTING THE DISCREPANCY. OUR MAINT TECH MADE SOME CALLS AND AFTER 15 MINS RAN A FUNCTIONAL CHK ON THE SYSTEM. THE LIGHTS CAME ON FOR 15 SECONDS AND THEN DIED. HE STATED THAT THE BATTERIES HAD BEEN REPLACED OVERNIGHT AND SINCE THEY HAD BEEN IN A FREEZER; THEY NEEDED TO 'THAW' OUT. HE ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN INSTALLED 6 HOURS PREVIOUS. (HMMMM... A RUMP ROAST WILL THAW OUT IN TWO HOURS.) AND IF THEY NEEDED THAWING OUT; WHY WAS THE ACFT SIGNED OFF? WE WAITED ALMOST 30 MINS AND ANOTHER TEST WAS DONE. THEIR TEST REQUIRES THAT THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON FOR 60 SECONDS. HOWEVER; THE LIGHTS DIED IN 45 SECONDS. WE WAITED ALMOST ONE MORE HOUR AND HE DID ANOTHER TEST; THIS TIME THE LIGHTS DID LAST 60 SECONDS; BUT WERE STARTING TO DIM FAST. HE QUICKLY TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND DECLARED THE SYSTEM READY FOR SERVICE AND MADE AN AIRWORTHY SIGN OFF IN THE AML (I HAVE A PHOTO COPY). TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT; WE RECEIVED HEAVY PRESSURE FROM MAINT CTL TO TAKE THE ACFT. LATER OUR BASE MGR WAS CALLED TO ATTEMPT TO PRESSURE US INTO TAKING THIS ACFT WITH THE EMER LIGHTING SYSTEM IN AN UNAIRWORTHY STATE. HAVING WITNESSED THE WHOLE EVENT; WE KNEW THE BATTERIES WERE DEAD WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE. WE KNEW THAT THEY WERE CHARGED JUST ENOUGH TO PASS THE 60 SECOND TEST AND THAT THEY COULD NOT BE DEPENDED UPON TO LAST EVEN ONE MINUTE MORE. THE LOCAL MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THERE WERE MAYBE TWO MORE BATTERIES IN THE ENTIRE MAINT SYSTEM (EACH ACFT NEEDS FOUR) AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT IT FOR WEEKS. OUR QUESTION TO MAINT CTL WAS; 'HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHARGE THE EMER LIGHTS?' IN THE ACFT FROM A COLD DEAD STATE? THE REPLY WAS THAT NO ONE KNEW. I; FOR ONE; FIND THAT IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE BATTERY SWAP AT THE GATE TURNED INTO A LENGTHY DELAY AND CANCELLED FLTS DEPRIVING OUR PAX OF THE SVC THEY DESERVE AND PAID FOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT DURING THE FOUR HOURS THE AIRPLANE WAS DELAYED FOR CHARGING AND TESTING; THE CAPT WAS SUBJECTED TO HEAVY PRESSURE FROM MAINT CTL TO TAKE THIS INOP EMER LIGHTING SYSTEM. REPORTEDLY; NO ONE HAD ANY ANSWERS ON HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO REPLACE THE BATTERIES AND NO BATTERY CHANGE AVAILABLE; NOR HOW LONG TO CHARGE THE EXISTING BATTERIES. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THIS COMPANY NEEDS A COMPLETE SHAKE UP TOP TO BOTTOM. HE STATED HE TOOK THE AIRPLANE ONLY AFTER THE LIGHTS PASSED THE 60 SECOND TEST; ADDING THE PRESSURE TO FLY AN UNAIRWORTHY AIRPLANE WAS GREAT FROM MAINT CTL; MAINT MGR; CHECK AIRMEN; AND OTHER UPPER CONCERNED MANAGERS.