SuzukiSavage.com - batteries plus again/im confused

thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6056 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: batteries plus again/im confused Reply #15 - 06/24/08 at 06:42:34 trout fishes rainbow,cuththroat,brook,brown did land a 8" smallmouth 2 weeks ago at an old gravel pit now a state park here in town...NEED to get up stream in the high country to recharge MY batteries!!!
Back to top	standing for those who stood for US IP Logged

thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6056 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: batteries plus again/im confused Reply #16 - 06/24/08 at 06:45:53 T Mack 1 - FSO wrote on 06/23/08 at 18:08:28: Hmmmmm ... would be nice if you could get both a voltmeter and an Ammeter..... where would it (ampmeter)hook up to? across the battery ??? in series on the positive conductor??
Back to top	standing for those who stood for US IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28884
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #17 - 06/24/08 at 07:12:55

thumperclone wrote on 06/24/08 at 06:45:53:

T Mack 1 - FSO wrote on 06/23/08 at 18:08:28:

Hmmmmm ... would be nice if you could get both a voltmeter and an Ammeter.....

where would it (ampmeter)hook up to? across the battery ??? in series on the positive conductor??

In series generally, but unless you're looking for a problem, a waste of space.

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged

Max_Morley

Serious Thumper

Offline

LT650 Luxury Touring
& sidecar rig

Posts: 1490
Moses Lake. WA
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #18 - 06/24/08 at 09:14:07

Here is an old FoMoCo rule of thumb and battery charging quick test. Using a DVOM (DigitalVoltOhmMeter) or at least DVM. Open circuit =no load = key off, battery voltage on a stabilized battery (off charger or vehicle operation) long enough to lose surface charge should be 12.6 V (6 cells x 2.1 V per cell) After 2 minutes in operation voltage needs to raise to 13.5 - 14.5 volts to push electrons into the battery to recharge it. Maybe slightly lower at first run but should stabilize there. GM says less than 12.4V OC (about 80% charged) and battery needs recharging before testing. If you have only 10.5 volts (or some multiple of the 2.1V bit) then one(or more) cell(s) is(are) bad. Once a battery has sat in a completely discharged state very long it is difficult to recharge it and it's cranking ability is damaged. In my experience about 2 tirmes dead flat and the battery is junk. Max

Back to top

Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

IP Logged

T Mack 1 - FSO

Serious Thumper
Alliance Member

Offline

sold 2001 LS650 for
a 1986 XLH1100

Posts: 2919
Emmaus,Pa
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #19 - 06/24/08 at 09:52:04

verslagen1 wrote on 06/24/08 at 07:12:55:

thumperclone wrote on 06/24/08 at 06:45:53:

T Mack 1 - FSO wrote on 06/23/08 at 18:08:28:

Hmmmmm ... would be nice if you could get both a voltmeter and an Ammeter.....

where would it (ampmeter)hook up to? across the battery ??? in series on the positive conductor??

In series generally, but unless you're looking for a problem, a waste of space.

Isn't he chasing down a problem......

Back to top

Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
---
30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck Wink

IP Logged

Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: batteries plus again/im confused Reply #20 - 06/24/08 at 10:08:58 thumperclone wrote on 06/24/08 at 06:42:34: trout fishes rainbow,cuththroat,brook,brown did land a 8" smallmouth 2 weeks ago at an old gravel pit now a state park here in town...NEED to get up stream in the high country to recharge MY batteries!!! Wish I was there – hey even have a 4 wt around here someplace
Back to top	IP Logged

gj859 Full Member Alliance Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 158 winchester ky Gender:	Re: batteries plus again/im confused Reply #21 - 06/24/08 at 10:13:35 I caught a 4lb 12oz smallmouth on rainy lake, which is on the Mn. can. border about 4 years ago. I don't know which is more fun, riding my savage or catching smallmouth, so I do both every chance I get.
Back to top	We're at the mercy of time, and time don't got no mercy. IP Logged

Max_Morley

Serious Thumper

Offline

LT650 Luxury Touring
& sidecar rig

Posts: 1490
Moses Lake. WA
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #22 - 06/24/08 at 12:21:21

Ammeter goes in between the battery cable and battery post on either terminal with polarity respect. Be sure and measure the voltage at the post or as close to it as possible as the ammeter usually has a shunt in it and a couple 10ths V could be lost there at full rated output. Clamp on inductive work easier but is much more expensive.

Back to top

Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

IP Logged

Charon

Serious Thumper

Offline

Posts: 1811
Harvard, NE
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #23 - 06/24/08 at 12:59:49

In automotive use the ammeter usually goes in series with everything EXCEPT THE STARTER. It might be a trick to find a place to do that. Starters usually pull enough current to damage the ammeter, though that might not be true on a motorcycle.

Start by making sure the battery is fully charged. Be careful if you are using a "smart" charger, as it might see a dead battery as a defective battery and refuse to charge. Get a charger rated at two amps, and charge the battery overnight. Visual check: A two-amp charge into a fully charged battery should result in at least a few bubbles coming up through the acid. This only works in a standard battery, where you can see the acid. If you put a meter on the battery at the end of charge, you should see about 14.4 to 15 volts, depending on the charger. (Edit to add: A "smart" charger, such as a Battery Tender, may have gone into float charge mode, and show about 13.6 or so.) Then let it sit for half an hour, and measure the voltage with a digital meter. You want to see about 12.6 volts. As an alternate, put it in the bike and see if it will light the headlight. If it won't it's probably shot.

Having charged the battery and put in in the bike, start the bike and watch that digital meter. It ought to drop a little during the start, then come back up. At idle the meter may show a little below, or a little above, the 12.6 volts. When you rev the engine (it doesn't have to scream) the voltage should start to rise, and after a few minutes should settle about 14 volts. You will see published numbers anywhere from about 13.8 to 15 volts. If you get from 14 to 14.4 you are probably OK. Under 13.6, little or no charge. Over 15, overcharge. The voltage regulator has to bring the system voltage up over the battery voltage in order to force current back into the battery, thus charging it.

Back to top

Eschew obfuscation.

IP Logged

drharveys - FSO

Serious Thumper

Offline

Greetings from San
Luis del Norte!

Posts: 1776
St Louis MO
Gender: male

Re: batteries plus again/im confused
Reply #24 - 06/24/08 at 13:04:51

AGM batteries, gel batteries and any other new technology batteries are very sensitive as to how they are charged. Push too many electrons through them too fast and they are toast!

You can't use a regular automotive type charger with them, and in the smaller sizes used in bikes I'd still be suspicious of even a more sophisticated car charger.

Best bet: Battery Tender Junior. Don't forget the Junior part. It's low powered enough not to cook an AGM battery, and has the right "float" to make the battery think it's being charged by a bike!

Back to top

Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. Thomas Jefferson

When I look fast, I'm not smooth and I am going slowly. And when I look slow, I am smooth and going fast. Alain Pros

IP Logged