Whut NOW? ( Battery dead. Should I buy a regular battery, AGM or Gel? )

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AApple

AApple

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Dec 3, 2009
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Location
Duncanville, Texas
My Bike Models
1981 GL1100 Innerstate("The Turd")SOLD!!, 1996 GL1500 Innerstate
:sensored: :head bang:
I got a wild hair this weekend, and installed the upper trunk guard/light bar I got from Captndenny. Took a while to "manufacture" some u-bolts to hold it on, but...I got it together, and wired up all nice and purdy. I decided to go ahead and fire the old gal up and let it run for a while, since it hadn't been started in a couple of months. I put my booster box on it, set the choke, turned the fuel on, ign on, and cranked away...and away...and away. :sensored: Dang thing wouldn't fire for nuttin. I could smell fuel, so I open the choke and the throttle wide open, and cranked some mo. Still nuttin. After about 5 minutes of on-off cranking, I finally got a sputter or two, and then she fired off, running a bit rough at first, then settling down to a nice, normal purr.
I put my shop fan in front of the radiator, and just let the bike run while I picked up me tools, and put everything away. That took about 30 min or so. I would reach over and twist the throttle every now and then to clear it out, and at the same time, check the voltage on the meter on the booster box. It was showing over 14v all the time, which was gud enuff fer me.
Once I let it run and cycle the fans a few times, I shut it off, and removed the booster box. I then went to re-start, and.....click....nuttin. All the lights would still light, but no crank. Booster box back on, and fires right up. So....Imma tinkin the battery might be a bit tired of sitting in da cold garage. I put my regular batt. charger on low/low overnight, to see if that would bring the b*%^h back to life. I didn't try to start it this morn, tho, since the battery was still stone cold...after being on the charger all nite, it should have been a little warm, imo.
I noticed it didn't appear to have any liquid on it....or at least none I could see, but...I did fill it one time, and put a little too much in it, so the level was a little higher than the lines on the side of the batt. that you can see the level thru.
Question 1: Can the batt. lose acid/water without there being any trace of leakage??? I'll pull it out tonite, and check it from the top, but I'm afeered Imma gonna have to buy a new battery before riding season returns. That brings me to
Question 2: What would be a good, reasonably priced batt for a Wing with a few accessories?
 
:fiddle: Sad to say but it sounds like your gonna need a new one, I'm counting down the days till mine bites the dust
My battery died a few months back and i just push started it for a few days before i decided to figure out what was wrong, Turns out the battery was bone dry, So i filled it up with distilled water and let it charge and hadn't had any problems yet... Knock on wood...
 
Yep, sounds like new battery time.

Using a boost charger can fry these little batteries quickly so be careful with that, 1-2 amps charge is safe if monitored carefully to full charge voltage.
Curious, what amps was your booster set at?

Go with an AGM. The best thing about them is no need to ever add water and no spill.
 
The "Booster box" is one of those portable, jump boxes...I have several of them. My charger, on the other hand, best I can recollect, puts out 14.5 amps on low/low setting...700 amp on full boost... :?
I have a Battery Tender, that runs at .75 amps, but I keep it on one of my Corvettes, cause repro batteries are over $300 for it, and I done bought two of them... :Awe:
I was figuring it would be batt time, but just didn't want to condemn it yet. Last time I rode it, about 7-8 weeks ago, I had to jump it. It wasn't dead, but it wasn't hot enough to crank it to start. It had been sitting prolly 2 weeks at that time. Once I rode it to work, it sat there all day, and fired up just fine when it was time to ride home.
The bike has been sitting now for at least 2 months without starting it. It stays in the garage, so it's not out in the weather, which, btw...is dam COLD right now! :cry:
I may pull the batt off and check the electrolyte, and put it on a slow/trickle charge. I may go ahead and get another Battery Tender for it, too. It's too cold to get out there tonight and take it off, so I might have to do something different for now.
I guess I shall be batt. shopping, just in case... :read:
 
Well, I pulled the batt out Sunday for a look-see, and...yup...dry as a bone! :sensored:
I filled it up to the upper lines, charged it on low/low charge for about 5 minutes, reinstalled it, and she fired right up, no problem. :clapping:
I still have a problem understanding how the electrolyte/water is getting out of there without leaving some sort of trace. There's no moisture, or any corrosion/flakey white stuff anywhere around the batt, or the tray. I also checked the voltage with it running, and it's around 14v, so it doesn't appear to be overcharging. I know I had to fill this thing up once before, shorty after I bought the bike, and I haven't thought about it since. I guess as long as this batt. will survive this coming summer, I'll maybe be able to get me one of them thar fancy schmancy gel batteries, like you kewl guys have... :lol:
 
Maybe you been running too fast and the vacuum pulled it out :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:

I have seen 2 types of agm.. a dry charged and the gel cell.. anyone use the dry charged AGMs??
 
Joep":vrbq33yd said:
Maybe you been running too fast and the vacuum pulled it out :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
Click to expand...


Now THAT I can believe!!! :cheeky:
:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:

I s'pose evap could explain it...I ain't gonna worry aboot it too much for now. :)
 
That happened to me on the CX. I ws getting ready to ride it home from CA, I live in Florida, and checked the battery and it was dry. Now on retrospect I should have bought a new battery right there but I cheaped out. I refilled it and it charged up normally and I called it good. In Texas I fried the alternator. I checked the battery again and it was dry again. I replaced it with a new one but the damage was done. I didn't know that a low or dry battery can fry a stator. Can it? or is the regulator junk and the battery overcharged. I don't know. I had 14.7 volts at 2000 rpm before I left.
Al
 
Here is a boring explanation of battery water loss.

As a battery gets older the plates begin to sulfate and the debris falls toward the bottom of the battery and begins to become a lower resistance to the charging voltage and causes heat to build and the water evaporates because of the heat. Once the water is below the top of the plates the capacity is reduced (hard to start) and the plates that are dry begin to oxidize. When filled with water , depending on how long they were dry they will sulfate faster. Usually a cell will completely short and the whole battery then goes dead in about a day. The higher current taxes the alternator which in a car with 130 amps available and living out in the air the alternator will be OK. On the motorcycles with only a 300 watt alternator and no cooling it can get ugly. With a battery in good condition most alternators put out about 14.5 volts and after begins to short that will decrease.
Long story short if you are boiling the water out of the battery its usually a shorting battery or it could be a regulator/diode block problem.
When you get a new battery that is working right look at your charging voltage so you have a baseline for your bike.
I ran the Gates Optima batteries (Gel Cell) for years and as they age they would take less and less of a charge almost like a memory effect and that could be overcome by putting then on a big charger for several hours about once a year. Since most of the Optimas are now over $200 I no longer use them.
I have always felt like the MC batteries are more tender than car batteries.
 
:cool!: Gotta say with all due respect that the battery is one of those things that should be on your routine inspection lists,(say once a week during your riding season) and just about any battery in a bike that has as many whistles and bells as our Wings have will start losing their charge after a couple of weeks when not being run. Try taking the battery out and keep it in the basement where it is much warmer than maybe the garage, I take mine out once riding season is over in these parts and keep it in my basement and put a small trickle charger on it about once every 2 weeks. It's amazing that radio presets and the clock uses as much juice as they do.
Winger 82
 
thewhiterhino":1gvwgqtf said:
Here is a boring explanation of battery water loss.

As a battery gets older the plates begin to sulfate and the debris falls toward the bottom of the battery and begins to become a lower resistance to the charging voltage and causes heat to build and the water evaporates because of the heat. Once the water is below the top of the plates the capacity is reduced (hard to start) and the plates that are dry begin to oxidize. When filled with water , depending on how long they were dry they will sulfate faster. Usually a cell will completely short and the whole battery then goes dead in about a day. The higher current taxes the alternator which in a car with 130 amps available and living out in the air the alternator will be OK. On the motorcycles with only a 300 watt alternator and no cooling it can get ugly. With a battery in good condition most alternators put out about 14.5 volts and after begins to short that will decrease.
Long story short if you are boiling the water out of the battery its usually a shorting battery or it could be a regulator/diode block problem.
When you get a new battery that is working right look at your charging voltage so you have a baseline for your bike.
Click to expand...

So that's what happened. I was wondering. Now I have and engine out job.
Al
 
Be VERY carefull when you go to get a new Battery for it. The last time that happend to me (December 17th, 2009) I drove it to work (Texas). Batery was dead at lunch, but been having problems with it. I borrowed a co-workers cheby to run to wallymart to pick up a new one and came back with a Land Rover and a new battery? Moral of the story,.....EXPENCIVE battery!

Beware of impulse purchases! :crying:

My wife wuzn't very 'bout it till i told her it was her christmas present. ;)
 
Montecman":swvl162p said:
Be VERY carefull when you go to get a new Battery for it. The last time that happend to me (December 17th, 2009) I drove it to work (Texas). Batery was dead at lunch, but been having problems with it. I borrowed a co-workers cheby to run to wallymart to pick up a new one and came back with a Land Rover and a new battery? Moral of the story,.....EXPENCIVE battery!

Beware of impulse purchases! :crying:

My wife wuzn't very 'bout it till i told her it was her christmas present. ;)
Click to expand...

Quick thinking...
 
Went thru this Walmart add acid, get another batt every time it sit too long thing.....Finally broke down to spend 80-85 bucks at Advance Auto parts I think for a sealed gel batt that is no maint. and easy to charge and keep recovered. I keep trickle on it mucho tiempo when can. Suggest it better to spend now and save in long run......
 
:head bang:
Well....I never did anything about my battery...but looks like I will now... :crying:
Had to get gas this eve before heading home. Got fueled up, paid, and ready to leave...click....click...click. :sensored: :rant: Luckily, there is a small, rolling downward slope to the parking lot. So....I'm "duck-walking" this thing across the lot to get to the spot that heads downhill, get a little speed going, and click it into 3rd, & pop the clutch....forgetting to turn the key ON. :sensored: A quick twist of the key, pop the clutch again, and off I go, with the sound of laughter from behind as everyone at the gas station had a giggle at my expense. :blush: :blush: :blush:
Check the electrolyte level again once I got home, and....dry again. :doh:
Some folks just never learn... :read: :rtfm:
:Doh2:
 
i had trouble with my die hard batt on my 75 wing went to a gel batt. and it is some times a week or two before i fire it up my batt bug shows 12.7 volts constantly and will riding about 15v i don't think i would go back to a unsealed batt again. bought it online from ebay at a fair price.
 
It's probably on here some where but who carry's these so called gel battery's and what brand names seem to work the best ??how pricey might they be and has anyone been using one for more than 2 yrs. ??
 

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