battery going dry

wilcoy02 · Jun 28, 2012

I have had problems with my battery going dry. Put in a new wet cell battery the last of April. Today it would not start. So I jumped it. Rode 5 miles and returned home. Volt never got above 10 or 11. Checked the battery and a couple of cells were still wet but no water. Filled it up with distilled water and put the charger on it for about 15 min. Then I put the battery tender on it and the green light was going. I do not use the battery tender much during the summer as I ride it daily.
The three yellow wires have been stright wired several years ago.

I just knew I should have bought a gel battery but the bike shop man talked me into the wet cell.

Why does my bike dehydrate my batteries?

backlander · Jun 28, 2012

sounds to me like the regulator is letting more than fifteen volts go to the battery and possibly boiling it dry. That's the first thing I would check.

scdmarx · Jun 28, 2012

It could be cracked and leaking, it could be over charging, it could be shorted/faulty battery.

dan filipi · Jun 29, 2012

Which volt meter never gets above 10-11 volts?
Something not right there first off.

Like has been said, usually the cells go low from overcharging.
The same 1 or 2 cells going low would tell me those cells are bad.
Charge it fully then have it load tested.

AApple · Jun 29, 2012

I had the same issue a while back. Battery would go "dry" after a couple months. My charging voltage was never excessive...or at least never when I checked it. I gave up, and bought an AGM battery a couple of years ago, and have not had a problem with it since. The other(old) battery has not lost any fluid in the time it has been sitting on the bench, so I'm fairly certain it ain't leaking. It had to have just been boiling out.

wilcoy02 · Jun 29, 2012

The volt meter is on the panel above the speedometer along with the radio gauge and cb gauge.
I guess I will take the battery back to the shop I bought it and have him check it out.

I have had this problem for a couple of years and one reason I want to complete the alt conversion.
Hopefully the conversion will take care of this problem. I have replaced the regulator last year.
There is no evidence of leakage. This is a new battery put in service the last of april. Had the same problem last year.

Will mysteries ever be solved??