AGM battery not holding charge, gets hot

grits

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I bought an AGM battery a while back (can't remember exactly how long ago), installed it and drove the bike a few times before I had to garage it for several months for a gas leak. I recently fixed the gas leak (finally), and realized the battery was dead. I put it on a slow charge (2 amps) for a day or two, but it didn't hold the charge. I tried to jump it from my truck, but kept getting sparks. The cables also got very hot and started to melt the plastic on the battery. I have jumped it from my truck before with no problem, any ideas as to what is going on?
 
If it was an AGM from Mike's, They had a run of bad batteries. Yours may have been one of them.
The failure is probly warped plates shorting.
Replace the battery. I reccomend a Ballistic 8 cell. I like mine.
Leo
 
Thanks, Leo, I'll try that. I've read in a couple of places here about burned out coils being caused by bad batteries, could that be a problem also? How do I test a coil?
 
I bought an AGM battery from Mikes a couple of months ago and they had to refund my $$. Didn't have any juice in it and could not charge at all. AutoZone carries AGM for around $90.00 that actually work. I used the battery from Mikes to get my $10.00 return back from Auto Zone.
 
Batterymart.com has the best prices free shipping.

Thanks for that one! It's a bargain price, but only one battery option is available.

big-etx15l_lg.jpg
 
grits, I can't say i ever heard of a bad battery hurting the ignition coil. On the coil it depend on the coil. A sigle output coil like the points bikes used there are two small wires, these are the primary side of the coil. The secondary side is from the place the plug wire hook in to the mount.
On a dual out put coil as used by the TCI bikes the primary is the same as the points coil but the secondary side is from plug wire to plug wire.
Test the ohms of the primary side, points 3.9 ohms. TCI 2.5 ohms. Secondary, points 8k ohms. TCI 13k ohms. All these specs have a +or- of 20%.
Leo
 
Commenting to sub. I am fed up with my lead-acid battery and need to find a suitable AGM replacement...sad to hear Mike's isn't reliable at the moment.

Just another thumbs down part from Mikes. At least you are aware of it. About the last place I would buy a battery anyway, given the track record chronicled here.
There's 50 other places to buy a battery folks. Mikes is not the only place with XS parts. Requires a little looking (feels a little like WORK, which usually pays off), but MOST of it can be had elsewhere. :wink2:

Try http://www.bikebatts.com/index.php?cPath=1_586_634&osCsid=0d45539c455fbb195395899d79e559db
 
One of the best things I did for my bike was get one of the 8 cell batteries from Ballistic Batteries.
It's a Lithium Ion battery. It weighes 1.7 lbs and is about half the size of the stock battery. Electrically it is much bigger than stock. 275 cranking amps. The stock size lead acid battery is at best around 210 CA's.
It cost a bit more but the extra cranking amps helps start the 750 kitted engine without any fuss.
Leo
 
Great info, thanks everyone. I got a new battery and everything seems to be fine. Now to fix the fuel leak and throttle issues...
 
Batterymart.com has the best prices free shipping.

scabber:

Am considering buying the BigCrank from Batterymart. com (ETX-15L w/220 CCA) for $71.95 w/Free Shipping?

Do you have experience with this battery to where you'd recommend?
 
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Thanks, scabber! I appreciate the comments.

I notice BatteryMart is in Winchester, VA. Though I'm only 10 minutes from VA state line, they are waaaaayyyy up I-81, closer to you than me.

I should get my battery by mid-week hopefully.
 
If anyone is looking for another good source of AGM batteries Ive bought ALOT of batteries from

www.batterystuff.com

They have the AGM for the XS for $66 total, shipped.

http://www.batterystuff.com/powersports-batteries/sYTX14AHL-BS.html

In fact most of their AGM batteries are that cost. I originally got turned on to the guys from a BMW forum....lots of BMW riders swore by these batteries so I ordered one up.

Ive since bought several more for other bikes, ATVs etc.

Ive had 1 fail.....and I found the replacement procedure easy to deal with.

I took a few measurements and forwarded them via email, they sent out a replacement battery fairly quick. No need to return the old one.
 
Sure, but are their batteries emblazoned with flames and a name as manly and compensating as

BIG CRANK ???

:D
 
Sure, but are their batteries emblazoned with flames and a name as manly and compensating as

BIG CRANK ???

:D

No....they just say Scorpion....but funny you bring this up

Before I bought the Scorpion I bought a Pirate Battery for my XS....because it looked cool.

yt4b-bs_pirate-battery.jpg


I mean....how can you NOT like a Pirate Battery?

Turned out bad....right off the bat. Didnt let them send me another one, went back to my Scorpion battery. Ended up not being visible anyways....
 
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