SuzukiSavage.com - Battery water level

bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Battery water level 04/11/09 at 13:34:30 Is it my old eyes,even with glasses on I cant see the water level through that square hole where you see the battery,If I take it out I can see the level,Is there a trick to it I've tried a bright light doesn't help me.
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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12673 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #1 - 04/11/09 at 14:00:22 Does your battery have a milky white to partially clear plastic case? You can see the water level through the white plastic if you have one of these style cases.
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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #2 - 04/11/09 at 15:09:13 Yep its the stock battery milky white,I can shake the bike but i still can't see the water in there ,last year I took it out because I couldn't see in there and it was right up there were it was supposed to be.
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thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Online PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6098 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #3 - 04/11/09 at 15:54:42 reading with bike level??
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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #4 - 04/11/09 at 16:47:05 Yep bike level,So you guys can see the water level.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery water level Reply #5 - 04/11/09 at 18:06:09 Water? Water? What Waaaater? My Big Crank needs No water.
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Jay Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1445 Fort Worth, Texas Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #6 - 04/11/09 at 19:33:59 Similar problem Bill. I almost have to look at mine from the cornerof my eye, sideways; then I can see the level. Definate PIA. Shining a brite light on the battery only made it worse. Gotta be a better way. Yes, yes, I know. Big Crank. It's on my list.
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justin_o_guy2

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What happened?

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East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.

Re: Battery water level
Reply #7 - 04/11/09 at 22:27:04

I almost have to look at mine from the corner of my eye,

Looking straight at things, over the years, exposes that part of the retina to enough light to damage it slightly.Just off to the side, away from the usually "Focused on spot", the retina is still sensitive. Looking into the night sky, faint stars will be seen just away from where I am looking. Then when I look AT that spot, the faint star disappears.

If I was having trouble seeing the level I would cut a piece of cardboard & hack a hole in it to go over the hole in the battery box & shine the light back behind the left sidecover. Using the cardboard to block the light from my eyes I think the level would be more easily seen. Or maybe put the light on the front of the battery & look behind the sidecover. But, by protecting the eyes from the direct light, the pupils wont be constricted & the contrast between the plastic case versus the case with the water in it should be easier to spot.
Thats the way Id go at it, I hope that helps.

ofcourseaBIG CRANKsolves this problem,,,, Grin

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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diamond jim Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1425 North Alabama Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #8 - 04/12/09 at 09:27:03 Would adding a couple drops of blue food color dye hurt the electrolyte? It would certainly help you see it better.
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diamond jim Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1425 North Alabama Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #9 - 04/12/09 at 09:27:48 Would adding a couple drops of blue or green food color dye hurt the electrolyte? It would certainly help you see it better.
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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #10 - 04/12/09 at 09:46:40 I thought about that too.I don't think it would hurt anything.
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PTRider

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Posts: 397

Re: Battery water level
Reply #11 - 04/12/09 at 10:35:47

Try to put a strong light in a place where it shines through the case, if possible. Or, remove the battery (I know, PITA) and shine a strong flashlight down each filler cap. Even if a colorant didn't harm the battery, it'd probably soon stain the white plastic case and you'd have no chance of seeing anything.

Maybe you can't see a level 'cuz they're low?

By the way, the battery electrolyte isn't water, it's dilute sulfuric acid. We add distilled water to replace the water (from the dilute acid) that evaporates away in service. The correct level of the electrolyte should be covering the lead plates and not high enough to bubble out and make a terrible mess and damage.

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Jay

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SuzukiSavage.com
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Fort Worth, Texas
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Re: Battery water level
Reply #12 - 04/12/09 at 19:19:41

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 04/11/09 at 22:27:04:

I almost have to look at mine from the corner of my eye,

Looking straight at things, over the years, exposes that part of the retina to enough light to damage it slightly.Just off to the side, away from the usually "Focused on spot", the retina is still sensitive. Looking into the night sky, faint stars will be seen just away from where I am looking. Then when I look AT that spot, the faint star disappears.

If I was having trouble seeing the level I would cut a piece of cardboard & hack a hole in it to go over the hole in the battery box & shine the light back behind the left sidecover. Using the cardboard to block the light from my eyes I think the level would be more easily seen. Or maybe put the light on the front of the battery & look behind the sidecover. But, by protecting the eyes from the direct light, the pupils wont be constricted & the contrast between the plastic case versus the case with the water in it should be easier to spot.
Thats the way Id go at it, I hope that helps.

I like this idea. A method of defusing the light around the battery, instead of steady at it, may be a step in the right direction. It wouldn't hurt to keep the reflection off of the shiney bits in that area anyway.

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Ride safe,
Jay

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28889 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Battery water level Reply #13 - 04/13/09 at 21:15:11 you don't need a light you need a big crank
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SV og LS

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Kawasaki ZZR 1200

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Re: Battery water level
Reply #14 - 04/14/09 at 04:03:17

I don't think it's not that important if you can see the fluid level through the square hole or not. It's only one cell. I've noticed every cell has different fluid level anyway, one could be at halfway between min and max, another could be at minimum. It's not too much to remove the battery once or twice a year to clean it and the terminals and add distilled water if needed.

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