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Message started by norcalscot on 08/27/15 at 21:11:37

Title: Battery Question
Post by norcalscot on 08/27/15 at 21:11:37

Hi there,

A few days ago I began having problems with starting my S40. It turned out to be a combination of 2 things:

1. The OEM Petcock went bad. I replaced it with a Raptor. The bike now runs smoother and backfires a little less.
2. The battery (XT14L-B2) wasn't holding a charge and died before I could start the bike.

I got the bike at the end of May, and this was the first time I had taken a close look at the battery. There is a code on it, which looks like the battery was produced in September 2014, so is appears to be relatively new.

I took the battery out noticed that the fluid levels in the cells were VERY low :-[ I topped them up with distilled water, and put the battery on a charger and it came back up to full charge.

My question is : am I likely to have to replace the battery soon? Every one of the cells had a really low level... Did letting them get that low do permanent damage or will the addition of distilled water revive/fixe the battery?

I'm not familiar with motorcycle batteries - can someone school me on them?

Thanks!

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by verslagen1 on 08/27/15 at 21:20:28

unless you absolutely have to have a good battery, no I wouldn't change it.

How long? I don't know. I got a wrecked bike with a dead bat, low water yada yada yada. Ran it for a couple of years at least.

keep an eye on it, check the water at least every 6 months.
I might check it in 2 months, then 4 and so on.
check your charging system, it maybe putting out more than you need.

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by norcalscot on 08/27/15 at 21:42:29

342730312E2325272C73420 wrote:

Thanks for the fast response!

The battery died on me the other day at work. I managed to bump start the bike (doing it in 2nd gear was a piece of cake), but was a bit nervous that the battery might be toast...

I'll take your advice and monitor it more closely.

I'll look for posts on the charging system and check that too.

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/27/15 at 21:47:54

I've noticed that if I have cables, I can usually get someone to let me jump my car off. I wasn't able to push start mine, I tried, and tried and even tried when it had a good battery. I am just not comfortable with a skippy battery.
It's totally your call, and if I was tight on cash, I'd run the battery. If I was easily able to swing the cost, I would be really considering a battery.
But first, I'd Hafta haul it in and have it tested.. If the machine calls it good,, Mmkay... And the absolute fanciest charger/tester I've seen is at Wal-Mart. I left the key on on my backhoe,, and they charged it, took about five hours, tested it, handed me a printout of how it performed under various loads,, and rated it as a healthy battery. And it's hanging in, after two years..

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by norcalscot on 08/27/15 at 21:58:42

716E686F72754474447C6E62291B0 wrote:

But first, I'd Hafta haul it in and have it tested.. If the machine calls it good,, Mmkay... And the absolute fanciest charger/tester I've seen is at Wal-Mart. I left the key on on my backhoe,, and they charged it, took about five hours, tested it, handed me a printout of how it performed under various loads,, and rated it as a healthy battery. And it's hanging in, after two years..

I completely forgot about having the battery tested - good idea! Will they do that at an auto parts stores too? I have an Autozone and an O'Reilly's near me...

I can live with it dying on me at work. The worst that can happen is I have to call my wife to come pick me up..... ;D

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by Yoshi on 08/27/15 at 21:58:49

Your gonna have to load test after and see if it hold, batterie should be fine

Back in the day the old folk use to drop a aleeve in the battery to make it hold better charge

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by norcalscot on 08/27/15 at 22:03:07

5C4D5C6569676D7E7F67650C0 wrote:

Back in the day the old folk use to drop a aleeve in the battery to make it hold better charge

OK, ya got me curious :o - how does Aleve help an ailing battery? I take them for pain myself...

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by Sonny on 08/28/15 at 04:06:45

Low electrolyte is almost always from overcharging. Check the charging voltage on the battery terminals at a fairly high rpm. Anything over 14 -15.5 is cooking out the water.

Make sure of clean battery terminals and connectors. Make sure of clean connections in the 2 mult plugs going from the alternator into the finned regulator under the seat.

There's a great product for cleaning and corrosion proofing wiring connectors: DeOxit from Caig Industries. Works great on MC and auto connections, as well as electronic switches and potentiometers of all kinds. Any oxidation or dirt in wiring connections introduces resistance and various kinds of intermittence that make it hard to isolate electrical issues.

Title: Re: Battery Question
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/28/15 at 06:32:39

I'm surprised that batteries don't need water more. Especially cars, under the hood, effectively an oven,
Ambient air AND being charged, both cause water evaporation..
Of course, when you get the battery and the container of electrolyte, I don't know what the concentration level is. I did save about ten CC of the sulfuric acid in a syringe.