bret
'81 Special
I got a brand new battery 3 months ago and it all of a sudden died. I'm charging it up right now and wondering if there might be another issue that is preventing the battery from keeping a charge. Any ideas?
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Why might my battery lose all charge after only 3 months?
- Thread starter bret
- Start date
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- Tags
- electrical
littlebill31
Smells of Raw Fuel
What kind of battery? Brand?
If it was totally drained at one time, then sometimes they won't recharge.
If it was totally drained at one time, then sometimes they won't recharge.
mouser
XS650 Addict
Check your battery voltage with the motor running...should be 14.5 v should read 12.5 v not running. Make certain you have a super good ground connection as well. Keep us posted.
These machines are prone to ARSDS (Alternator Rotor Sudden Death Syndrome). Check resistance across the slip rings--see your manual. If you don't have a manual, download one from www.biker.net (thanks again, Jean Akers!) That manual will also give you detailed instructions on inspecting the rest of the charging system.
All batteries have a self discharge rate. Can't be helped. Very cheap batteries self discharge faster than more expensive batteries.
If you have been using the electric starter a lot and not riding it much can kill a battery, it takes a good 15 to 30 minutes at highway speeds to fully recharge the battery after starting.
When not riding the bike you need to keep the battery charged with the proper charger.
Those low priced trickle chargers that you find most anywhere will kill as many batteries as they save. They may be low amps, 800 milliapms or less but charge at to high a voltage. Some over 15 volts.
Spend around $40 and get one thats 1.5 amp charger/maintianer that charges at 14.5 volts at 1.5 amps then drops to the maintainer of 13.5 volts and about 1/10 apm.
The 13.5 volts is high enough to maintain a fully charged battery, but not so high as to causing the battery to gas, this means boil out the water.
The cheaper batteries also won't recover from being discharged as well as better batteries.
As mentioned the cheap ones from Wal-Mart won't hold up well. Spend the extra few bucks and get one somewhere else.
Leo
If you have been using the electric starter a lot and not riding it much can kill a battery, it takes a good 15 to 30 minutes at highway speeds to fully recharge the battery after starting.
When not riding the bike you need to keep the battery charged with the proper charger.
Those low priced trickle chargers that you find most anywhere will kill as many batteries as they save. They may be low amps, 800 milliapms or less but charge at to high a voltage. Some over 15 volts.
Spend around $40 and get one thats 1.5 amp charger/maintianer that charges at 14.5 volts at 1.5 amps then drops to the maintainer of 13.5 volts and about 1/10 apm.
The 13.5 volts is high enough to maintain a fully charged battery, but not so high as to causing the battery to gas, this means boil out the water.
The cheaper batteries also won't recover from being discharged as well as better batteries.
As mentioned the cheap ones from Wal-Mart won't hold up well. Spend the extra few bucks and get one somewhere else.
Leo
