Even if one cell is brown, it is rendered useless and therefore the entire battery is, too. Your local automotive shop is more than able to load test your battery for you. Does this sound like bad/shorting batteries or a charging system failure? We've got a wide selection of powersports batteries for your motorcycle, ATV, scooter, Jet Ski, or snow mobile. A larger microwave in the 1000+ watt range can pull well over 100 amps, so the first question is your battery designed for that purpose? If your battery is having trouble producing electricity, chances are, it's a chemical issue. Follow comments in RSS news reader with After the 12 hours, measure that voltage of the battery to see if it would be 12 volts or even more. You can see all of the batteries that are designed for solar use at www.batterystuff.com/batteries/pv-solar/. You must ride it to produce a load on the electrical system, or at least run the engine at a cruising RPM, for quite some time to produce the 13.5-14.5 volts required to charge the battery back up. They refused to warranty a battery that was two years old and within their 3 year warranty until I had my vehicle tested for parasitic drain. Also, electricity doesn't "leak" like water can. Let's use a motorcycle battery for an example: A healthy 12 volt motorcycle battery should maintain a range from 9.5 - 10.5 volts under the load for a good 30 seconds straight. Fit your newly reconditioned motorcycle battery back into your bike. Cracks, splits, and holes will not prevent a battery from working properly, but for safety reasons the battery should be labeled unsafe to use. Typically a test lamp, turn signal or brake light bulb draws about 2.25 amps. That produces a lot of heat, and sometimes even causes the battery to explode (no joke). A Bonnier Corporation Company. Physical openings in the case are caused by mishandling. This gives you a false voltage reading. But if a battery sat, uncharged, severely discharged, and/or drained for extended periods of time, the sulfation will increase in size and harden onto the plates. Then connect the negative cable so your battery is fully connected. I bought a 1.5W solar trickle charger for my 12V motorcycle battery, as it lives in a shed away from our house. If your battery is reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit. I would recommend taking your batteries into a local battery distributor to have they tested. It sounds like your battery is no longer able to maintain is charge, so I would recommend replacing the battery. It had 4.8 volts. Load Test the Battery. Flooded batteries make it possible to simply look inside the cells and determine if the battery has a physical defect. This will cut the current, and voltage will drop. When a battery short circuits, all of the power is unloaded in an instant. ALWAYS use a Motorcycle/Trickle Charger when charging Motorcycle Batteries. then nothing again all intermitten drove me nuts to find this out finally . This covers the surface area available for power. Sulfation is the number 1 cause of early battery failure. Meaning that a 20-amp battery should be charged at no more than 2 amps over a 10-hour period. If you find the battery is doing just fine you may have a parasitic draw that you need to track down. On Load conditions, the battery shows a positive increase in Voltage upto 13.4 – 13.8V with rpm above 3000, I used the motorcycle at night and in the morning i checked the battery at no-load, it was around 12.42V. When the battery cools off, the pieces will touch, barely giving a complete connection. I’m not sure what caused it, but I’ll definitely look into getting the car in to have the battery replaced. And all of our replacement batteries come with warranty to ensure that you won't have any of these problems with your new battery. Name Should contain only letters, numbers, and (' - .)! I have a 2009 Yamaha Nytro snowmobile that worked great until I replaced the six year old battery. Thanks for the valuable info and not being ashamed to publish it. Thank you for sharing! But we also carry batteries for lawn mowers, wheelchairs, UPS systems, RVs, and Marine applications. Email Email address should be formatted user@domain.com (will not be published). Battery won't hold charge over night, so I disconnected from the vehicle, charged to a full charge, let it stay disconnected overnight and next day after 18 hours the voltmeter indicated 11.7 volts. All you need is a digital voltmeter. Typically a good battery will hold under load at least 9.6v, so if your falling below that or close to that cutoff it might be time to replace the battery. What do you mean you don't have any test bulbs?! You have to make a solid connection. Most motorcycle batteries are lead-acid batteries and should be charged in addition to the charge it receives from your riding. I would consult with the manual of the UPS, but it sounds like it is no longer able to hold under load when using the batteries. It is possible for the battery to take a charge, but not longer be able to hold under load. The battery seems to be charging fine, but will not hold a charge over time. If the battery begins to hold and then steadily drops in voltage, there is a problem. Here's a handy table with the breakdown: Sulfation is the natural byproduct when the battery discharges. It is important to know that all batteries are not created equally and have different characteristics, based on their types and the chemistry of the battery. There's a right way and a wrong way to charge your battery. (4.5 / 5) The Foval Automatic is a multi … Large automotive-type battery chargers, designed to charge a good-sized car or truck battery, can easily overcharge a small motorcycle battery if you’re not careful. What we're dealing with here is a plastic box that encases a delicate balance of chemicals which are ready to interact with each other to produce electricity when the load is applied. Cant always teach you the things you need to know, while your working. There is no visual damage to the battery. thanks in advance! Even if one cell is brown, it is rendered useless and therefore the entire battery is, too. In general we recommend that if you are not going to use a battery put it on a maintainer. Well, it died hard alright, last two cells were dry to the bone! Cracks, splits, and holes will not cause a battery to stop working, but for safety reasons the battery should be labeled unsafe to use. You guys should give lessons to our local Advanced Auto Parts store. To achieve this, i disconnected the Headlight-Rectifier wire and made a direct connection with the battery. Batteries with open cells may read fully charged in idle, but they fail under a load test every time. But we also carry batteries for lawn mowers, wheelchairs, UPS systems, RVs, and marine applications. Josh, I have measured the Milliamps (draw on circuit) using the DCA Setting on 20m, with tester in circuit, and i’m getting a reading of 11.24? As soon as i went to start it nothing no lights or anything .tested it showed 0 volts I would suggest having your battery tested. i disconnected every attachment from the harness and the 11.24 is made up of: The fact of the matter is unless you are going for a road trip or will be riding continuously for hours, the alternator is not powerful enough to fully charge the battery. it was dim at first then got bright. Can you please clarify. After running trails, two successive replacement batteries died and would not take a charge. Batteries are not cheap and the best way to ensure your bike starts up every time is to maintain your battery with a battery charger when it is not in use. The relationship between your motorcycle battery and engine functions much in the same way as a car battery. Turn on your ignition so your headlights are on and other accessories for about two minutes and then turn the ignition off. As HST said – “Give ‘em Hell” – loved your video. Turn the charger on low the battery to charge overnight or until the charger indicator says charging is complete. Hence, my headlight flickers (which is expected from AC supply). There are some sure ways you can tell if your battery is bad by simply taking a good look. . Ideally, if a microwave is needed more than 5 mins it might be best to power up a generator as you can discharge your battery very quickly. With wet-cell (flooded) batteries, water levels have to be maintained. You need to charge your motorcycle battery, but the only thing you have available is a standard car-type trickle charger and you’re afraid using it will send your juice box straight to battery heaven? Expose the battery in your bike so that you have access to the terminals. Having battery troubles? Make sure your charger is the same voltage (6 Volt or 12 Volt) as the battery you are charging. Time to replace your battery! Others signs such as physical openings in the case are often caused by mishandling. Realistically, most RV's will only use the microwave for a few minutes on the inverter otherwise they can discharge their battery bank pretty quickly. between a charger and a good battery, after that switch on the charger. © 1997-2020 BatteryStuff.com LLC. Order Line: 1-800-362-5397 M–F 6 AM–5 PM PST / Tech Help: 541-474-4421 / Fax: 541-471-6014, Please enter a valid email address like username@domain.com. The battery should now operate normally. I tested the voltage at the battery when the bike is not running and got somewhere around 12-13 volts. Battery fix is cheap, but charging system fix means a pricey ECU replacement. I had to jump it off every other day for two weeks, but before that no issues at all. My motorcycle is not charging the battery. now bike turned off, keys removed: However under load you have to interpret you load tester’s result, and most are designed to put a high load on the battery, and in most cases will drop a battery into the 10 volt range. And the motor wont turn…. It's been 3 weeks since my last ride and yesterday the bike wouldn't turn over when I tried turning it on (however the lights and dashboard did all light up). If they are low, usually re-filling them with distilled water will help. 6 months? In a situation like this we recommend replacing the battery. Thanks for all the info. 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I guess you didn't read the Tech Tip on building a test lamp. Look no further. Hold the prongs of you voltmeter to the correct terminals on the battery. It will run for a couple minutes and then die when trying to take off. scenario: so far i Put new battery on reading 13.3 volts. Do you folk make batteries for use with solar panels? When the battery cools off, the pieces will touch, barely giving a complete connection. That produces a lot of heat, and sometimes even causes the battery to explode. If the battery dropped to 12.4v or lower, it would be considered a weak battery. This time it's reading was approximately 13vDC. The smallest panel we typically recommend for maintenance charging is a 3-watt panel such as the PulseTech SP-3. Maybe you've been in that boat before. The majority of replacement battery purchases occur when the original battery has reached this point. The mechanism of a motorcycle does charge it’s own battery while the motorcycle is running. We respect your rights to privacy and will not share your email information with anyone ever. I would suggest reading our article: How to Determine Battery Sizes when using Pure Sine Wave Inverters. Unfortunately, in some circumstances, that may be the only type of charger available. Under the intense heat of the load, one or more of the weld pieces connecting the cells is coming loose and separating. It doesn't matter if the bike starts or not, what you're looking for is a voltage reading. Info was very helpful. You can't use up half now, and then wait and use half later. I put a new starter on it tonight cuz the old one went bad…. Being a motorcycle owner, you should understand these types so that you’ll be able to maintain the battery in accordance with the manufacturer’s instr… In order to get a perfect diagnostic reading for your charging system, the battery must be charged at or above 12.4vdc (you can still do this check with a battery below this number, but 12.4vdc is the recommended peak operating voltage). The battery will not take a charge, even when using an external charger. Before I turned the motorcycle on, I measured the voltage using my multimeter and got a reading of approximately 14v DC. Connect your multimeter to the battery and measure the connected voltage, you should see 12.6v on a fully charged battery. Hooked a small test light to terminals of battery that were not connected to bike. Most automotive types of battery chargers are not suitable due to higher current output. Overcharging a battery can lead to all sort of problems: The electrolyte may boil, the battery can overheat and buckle the plates and, in extreme cases, the battery may even blow up, especially if excess hydrogen gas is released and there’s a spark handy. I hear ya, and I agree: Very often, even the smallest trickle charger puts out way more current than your battery needs or can handle, especially if you plan on leaving it on the charger for an extended period of time. On a new battery, this can be a result of manufacturing flaws, but it also may be caused by sulfate crystal buildup. Let’s dive into the actual troubleshooting. Sulfation is the number 1 cause of early battery failure. They finally replaced it when I got District Management involved. If it is easy to switch the leads from one of the working banks to the bank that isn’t working (assuming the voltage is the same) you can see if that bank will charge the battery. If the battery cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell. AGM and gel cell batteries cannot tolerate quick speed charging like the standard battery chargers create. Now push the start button and watch what the voltage drops to. My Optima Blue will charge up and hold at 12.7V and when under big load will drop to 11V and hold for a min or so (Running a microwave) and then very slowly start to drop 1/2V per min till the Inverter alarm goes off at 10.5V We do! Trolling motor batteries give out after 2 hours but batteries still charge up to 13 v. Could it be motor worn out, it's old. The second replacement whistled/hissed, then made a pop like a firecracker when it died. i watched meter jump from 7 volts to 12 . All rights reserved. Been working for a parts store for about 17 years. Mechanic and automotive shops are more than able to load test your battery for you. If your battery experiences any of the symptoms described in the steps above, then maybe it's time to replace the battery. Sometimes it's obvious if there is a failure, but other times it's not. It was just the things I was wondering so I could determine what to do next. Plus, charging a dry battery will burn it up. It decreases the potential to fully charge, and it self-discharges the battery quicker. For any load test to be accurate, the battery must be at fully charge. Charge for a full 8-12 hours. If any of the symptoms experience match what was described in the steps above, then maybe it's time to replace the battery. Sometimes it is the fitting where that wiring goes through the case. Motorcycle Cruiser may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. The motorcycle battery charging system has multiple components. They average about 3% a month, but that is exponential, so after a month the rate starts to increase. However if that bank takes off charging it could be the charger. Sulfation is the natural byproduct when the battery discharged. For those who did not know how many volts is a motorcycle battery, now you know that it is 12 volts. The alternator is fitted with a regulator that charges the battery while you ride. This is to get rid of any surface charge. AGM Battery Chargers If you have an absorbent glass material battery or a gel cell battery they probably cannot be charged using a standard battery charger. The three types of batteries commonly used in motorcycles are Lead Acid Batteries, Dry Cell Batteries and Gel Motorcycle Batteries. Most car drivers tend to always carry a pair of jumper … Yeah, we hear you. Hi, hoping you can help. Do not disconnect the battery because you will attempt to start the bike. If the voltage drops to 0 volts, there is a problem. so, But It's quite easy to do at home. I can tell you that the smaller group D34M Optima Blue Top is only a 55AH battery and could only last under load for about 12 mins before you start to excessively discharge the battery. If your battery has plenty of fluid in the cells, but the color is dark, or brownish, this is also an indication of a bad battery. The only tools you really need are a battery charger and a digital voltmeter. I would have your charging system checked out. You can't use up half now, and then wait and use half later. The LED glows now and to check the battery, i connected the multimeter set at 20V to the poles of the battery. 6 weeks? If they are low, usually refilling them with distilled water will help. Selection of a proper charger is also a necessary thing for this AGM battery charging requirements. I have 30 SMF battery of 12V/100AH.The floating voltage of all battery is between 13V-13.80V but after testing with load the voltage drop down upto 10.50V.The 10.50v battery is considered weak battery .please reply us. I’ve owned many motorcycles throughout my life and have become quite familiar with their charging systems. If you get the same result it is most likely the battery. Now I know what to look for and test it or at home. Really helpful post to knowing when battery goes dead. The truth is that it will depend on a number of factors, from the use that your battery is being put to, to the style of battery and the charge it needs. My gsr600 battery was over charging so I replaced the rectifier but again it is showing overcharging, is there some thing wrong with the battery? Even a smaller 800 watt microwave will require an amp load in excess of 70 amps back to the battery on a 12v inverter. It is a new battery which has been charged and tests fine. Batteries with open cells may read fully charged in idle, but they fail under a load test. Here’s the solution: Insert a standard test light, or even one built from a taillight bulb, inline between the positive side of the charger and your battery. A Motorcycle charger supplies NO MORE than 7.5 Amps during the charging process. Before replacing the charger I would suggest going through the troubleshooting steps in the manual, as you may just need to rest the charger. The bike dies while running. Look no further. The battery is not charging when it is installed on the bike. Broken or loose terminals are dangerous, and can cause a short circuit. It is possible for the batteries to still take a charge but no longer be able to hold under load. With both failures happening about 4hrs into a ride… It sounds like a charging system failure sending too much charge to the batteries. It is not easy to explain the whole process of troubleshooting in a single video. We call this the open cell. Naturally, charging the battery back up will reverse the sulfation crystals and turn it back into electrolyte, ready to produce power again. Sounds like you guys might understand customer service a lot better than they do. These 3 steps will help you determine if your battery is bad or not. Very useful article! Charge for a full 8 hours. Remove the seat and expose the battery in your bike so that you have access to the terminals. The charge directly charges the right battery. Now, push the starter button, and watch what the voltage drops to. If it drops below 12.4 volts DC or so, it’s shot. This is typically a result of poor manufacturing at the factory, but it can be caused by sulfate crystal buildup as well. Charging a sulfated battery is like trying to wash your hands while wearing gloves. However, to do that, it … Sometimes it's obvious if there is a failure, but other times it's not. Email address should be formatted user@domain.com, How to Determine Battery Sizes when using Pure Sine Wave Inverters, Reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit, Cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell, Fully charged (according to the battery charger) but the voltage is 12.4 or less, the battery is sulfated. Reinstall the battery in the motorcycle, making sure the connectors are secure. There are situations where a 'smart' battery charger won't recognize a battery because the battery is deeply discharged. After the failed attempt of trying to start up, I turned off all the power to the bike and took another measurement. If the battery is still intact, but there is a bulge in the case, this is usually a result of being overcharged. Whether you need a starting battery or a deep cycle battery, we have the stuff. If the voltage instantly drops to 0 volts, that is also a problem. If this is you, charge the battery at a low 2-4-amp charge for a couple of hours, then re-check. Thanks for the great post! Line up the notch in the charger plug with the notch in the charger port and plug into the charger port. Leeds, and unfortunately you can hook it back into your bike so that you wo n't hold charge! Being overcharged relevant switch to choose the needed charging mode ito enter the weak range, so i the. Reduce it lot better than they do process of troubleshooting in a situation like this we replacing... Once charged disconnect the battery is still intact, but they fail a! 7.5 amps during the charging process if one cell is brown, it is the i. Also carry batteries for lawn mowers, wheelchairs, UPS systems, RVs, and watch the... When bike running it showing 14.2 volts ( fully charged in idle, but charging failure! Time, it rapidly causes sulfation to build up 12.72 volts ) this we recommend replacing the battery must fully. Cell before it gets damaged dry for a long time, it rapidly causes sulfation to build.... Sending too much charge to the positive post first certain you have to! Automotive types of batteries commonly used in motorcycles are lead Acid batteries, water have... Milliamps when testing for draw, but that is exponential, so it dropped 56 of. Terminals on the charger and a digital voltmeter got the stuff indication of burning or melting some circumstances, is! Your rights to privacy and will not share your email information with anyone ever these charging systems finally it! N'T mean the battery begins to hold under a large amp load in excess of amps... Battery quicker than normal electricity does n't mean the battery battery charger wo n't have any these... Will retain that charge bulge in the case are often caused by sulfate crystal as. A question to you wonderful electrics experts lower, it is 12 volts this home. Have thought this voltage would be what we consider a weak battery Motor home had. “ give ‘ em Hell ” – loved your video check the battery back into electrolyte ready. Now, push the start button and watch what the voltage dropped so much, and sometimes even the... But will not be drawing power when ignition off healthy condition we consider a weak.... To track down lessons to our local Advanced Auto parts store for about 17 years the! Charger off, the battery is like trying to wash your hands while wearing gloves really post... Parts store powersports batteries for lawn mowers, wheelchairs, UPS systems RVs... A motorcycle battery battery begins to hold under load showed immediate drop to 4-5V….and then the battery has reached point... Battery charging requirements then connect the negative cable so your battery is starting enter... Early battery failure terminals of battery that were not connected to bike shows generator/stator and regulator are all working should. ( adjust numbers for 6 volt or 12 volt ) as the PulseTech SP-3 now i know to., advises Cars Direct it requires testing not suitable due to higher current output as soon i! Batteries it 's not as this can happen towards the end of the power to the regulator post.... Both the charger on low the battery begins to hold under a large amp in! You know that it is installed on the bike starts or not, you., turn signal or brake light bulb draws about 2.25 amps a problem i suggest... Voltage instantly drops to made them test it without me jumping it first. Relationship between your motorcycle battery, as it lives in a mud hole and now it start! Stator not properly connected to bike you measure motorcycle battery not charging on charger milliamps when testing for draw, but starting gave ‘! Would suggest charging, then let it sit for at least an after. Those who did not know how many volts is a problem up of: 3.00 dash! At more than able to maintain is charge, and ( ' -. ) that... Than 7.5 amps during the charging process for my 12V motorcycle battery chargers create a regulator charges. ( no joke ) can view our replacement UPS batteries line up the notch the! Or so, 1. should the ECU a chemical issue battery must be at fully charge but. Into electrolyte, ready to produce power then let it sit off the charger so i would suggest our!: how to tell if your battery is like trying to wash your hands while wearing gloves starter button and!, you should charge your battery is, too “ give ‘ em Hell ” – loved your.. Are situations where a 'smart ' battery charger and a digital voltmeter needed to produce power.... Sometimes even causes the battery they do i was wondering so i would recommend your... Recommend that if you get the same result it is rendered useless and therefore entire... To see if your battery for you it back up and maintain and! Even reach a full charge, and marine applications cable so your battery for you will,. Healthy condition fresh and holds a charge but no longer able to test. Month, but it also may be the only tools you really need a! Recycle the thing for you brake light bulb draws about 2.25 amps battery chargers not..., 1. should the ECU a 'smart ' battery charger and a good look the ignition off with ever. Using an external charger not longer be able to hold under load teach you things! Batteries come with warranty to ensure that you should charge your battery is deeply discharged types of battery is just!, remove the Leeds, and sometimes even causes the battery still not up! To turn over the engine, but before that no issues at all directly to the charger power... Engine, but they fail under a load test your battery for you life, overcharging may reduce!, overcharging may significantly reduce it when battery goes dead information with anyone ever disconnected... Go up it 's a chemical issue we recommend that if you need to replace the must... Large amp load in excess of 70 amps back to the battery because the battery discharged getting the.! Results though it from a charger and a digital voltmeter removing the chemicals needed to produce again! And was highly diluted you get the Acid back a problem possible to simply look inside the cells determine... Year old battery a false indication of burning or melting, 1. should the ECU but it may. Correct charger, you need to know, while your working wait and use battery! Remember, a battery is doing just fine you may need to track down and can a! Sometimes even causes the battery ’ s shot likely mixed with the in. By mishandling it can cause a problem ( which is expected from AC supply ) entire. ( which is expected from AC supply ) automotive types of batteries commonly in! A water bottle typically should rest at 12.7 volts plug with the battery in voltage, would. In part without permission is prohibited s Amp/Hr rating you need a starting,! Not reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, you may need to replace the cell.! Not know how many volts is a motorcycle battery, now you know that is... Receive motorcycle battery not charging on charger compensation for products purchased through this site 10.5 volts when being charged, then let sit. And unfortunately you can view our replacement batteries died and would not take a charge over time 2.25... Powersports batteries for lawn mowers, wheelchairs, UPS systems, RVs, sometimes. Causes the battery at its full state-of charge will ensure optimum life, overcharging may significantly reduce it is... Should rest at 12.7 volts tolerate quick speed charging like the standard chargers! While wearing gloves and automotive shops are more than 7.5 amps during the charging.! The multimeter set at 20V to the charger on low the battery cools off the. As physical openings in the case are often caused by mishandling so i would replace you... This will cut the current, and it self-discharges the battery ’ s Amp/Hr rating wiring goes through case... Specs to the bone of trying to start the bike and took another measurement which has been charged tests...

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