New battery time?

[Snow]

Long story short - bought a Westco sealed battery a few years ago. While working on carbs, managed to completely drain battery (also few years ago). Unsuccessfully charged battery with regular 12 volt 1 amp bike charger. Got battery tender, brought battery back to life in under an hour.

Battery has since died a few times (a few within the past month even). The last time I tried to charge with the tender (and a 25 foot tender extension cord) the tender stayed on solid red (under 80%, first stage) for several hours and never went green or flashing green before I had to go (Thursday of last week).

This morning it was somewhat chilly for Florida and the starter rolled over once and then no more. Got the bike started in 2nd gear on a small down-hill.

So, basically, should I just assume the battery is toast or what tests should I run to make sure it's not my charging system?

[LoserShoes]

Unless it's designated as deep discharge, draining a lead acid to zero volts or so does serious and irreprerible harm.
Replace it.

Steve

[mro]

easy check, should be over 13 V when running (volt meter from pos batt terminal to ground)

Local auto parts store should check battery for free. Paid $46.00 for a 220 amp hr one from Kragen. Charged it up and few days latter had to return it (would not hold a charge).

At two amps, takes about 9 hours to activate a battery. Doing so faster/(higher amp charger) and batt may not last or achive full charge.


mro

[Snow]

This is the bad boy I have and will be getting again:

http://www.westcobattery.com/battery...&vid=1&mid=255

They are shipped fully charged and this one is sealed unit (read: never have to top off fluid levels).

I've got a multimeter and will check the voltage running if I can get her back home I've got a sneaking suspicion that the charging system is fine (well, as fine as XS11 charging systems can be).

I've always been afraid that the first full discharge really screwed me over (I had just gotten the battery if I remember correctly). So, taking all the abuse that I've thrown it over the past few years, I have to give this battery credit!

[Snow]

It seems my impatience has struck again... new battery had gotten low so I *finally* got around to putting my multimeter on to check charging.... guess what... under 12 volts... she barely pumped out 12.00 volts at 5,000rpm... does this mean the reg/rec is fried or could it also be the generator?

[Incubus]

It could be the voltage regulator, could be the generator and it could just be your electrical connections or ground have corroded over the years. Test the alternator, check the ground for corrosion and clean the connections and you could get juice back.

Patrick

[HobbyMan]

It might not hurt to check your reg/rect. Sometimes one diode will die out of the 8. Six are part of the rect, and two (I think) work with the regulator. I was having a weak battery and one of the two reg diodes was bad. I actually have 3 spare reg/rect, but the same diode is bad on all of them. Geezer's reg/rect is MUCH better than the original. If yours is bad, get one from him. If it isn't the reg/rect, it could be a bad battery. Have the battery tested. THey usually do it for free as said. Also, check your alt connections behind the fuse panel

[motoman]

If having to replace the battery, for bout the same price an Interstate will serve you well. That's been my experience, and the first replacement some five years after bike was new, put an Interstate in it then and had no problems. The bike sat outside covered in the winter, as I rode it, even with snow and sub-zero temps back when I was bullet proof and foolish. It always started with a little cheating having blankets over it under the bike cover and a heat lamp under motor for a few hours. Gee, the XStremes I used to go to to ride year round in south-western Colo...........least don't have those extremes here in G. Junction. The bikes live in a garage now, but still use the trusty Interstate batteries. They were always good for bout five years, and never have used a tender. My backroud pertaining to batteries and charging systems remind me that something like a battery tender works well, but also causes accelerated sulfation of cells. With occasional riding all year round, and not allowing battery to discharge, you can expect some five years of use from it. Remember, a battery is only as good as how many times you kill it and have to re-charge it. Re-charging causes flaking to fall off of plates, settling on bottom eventually causing one or more cells to short out, hence your 13.5 volt battery goes to 11.5 and so on. Also, being a die-hard XSesive rider extends battery life.

[HobbyMan]

Also when they are left discharged, the plates sulfate over. Deposits will build up in the plates reducing their surface area. I have brought many a dead battery that would not take a charge by putting a high aperage charge on it and hitting it with a rubber mallet, breaking off the deposits. When it gets to that stage, you should probably replace it. On a side note, with non sealed batteries, make sure that you breather hose is clear. On each of my bikes, the breather hoses were plugged up. When the battery is being charged, pressure will build up in the hose and H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) will sometimes spray out all over the frame. Small cracks in the hose help this happen. Your battery tray will rust along with the frame. one of the coolest things that I have seen is a battery that exploded. It was a marine deep cycle battery that burst in half.

[jeffe]

My batterey was acting the same, first the old one, then a less than six month old one. I did the check and was not getting much over 12 volts. I got the unit from Geezer and wondered why I waited so long to do this.

[Snow]

I do have a brand new battery in the bike, another Westco - there is nothing wrong with this battery, it takes a charge fine from my battery tender and doesn't drain if I let it sit. Since I got my first westco, I vowed to never go back to non sealed units again

I've already thoroughly cleaned all of my major connectors - battery to frame, batt to solenoid, starter to engine, engine to frame, solenoid to starter, let me know if there are others that I'm unaware of. Also, this bike has had all the glass fuses replaced with blades and there are not corroded at all either.

Anyone have a link to how to test the reg/rect handy? If it is the reg/rec, I do plan on snagging one from Geezer, especially considering I am mostly in in town, .5 mile rider at the moment (.5 mile to schoo, another .5 mile to work from there).

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Snow,

Check out Geezer's Home Page , the FAQ link goes to his diagnostic info.

Also, check out Electrosport's Charging diagnostic PDF .

T.C.

[Incubus]

This spring I was having issues with charging on my '75 Honda 750K. I couldn't get it over 12 volts at the battery. I cleaned every electrical connection on the bike and it shot up to 14.5 volts. From what you've described, Snow, it looks like you cleaned the starter circuits well. That, however, isn't where your drain is likely to be. The starter circuit should not be drawing juice once the bike is running and that when it's failing to charge properly. The electrical systems on these old bikes usually gets drained by connections to the accessories. Check the ignition connections between your battery and your regulator and your CDI. Also your lights and signals. Everyplace where two wires go together. It may turn out to be your regulator, but I don't like to spend money on parts until I have eliminated all the possibilities that I can check myself without spending money. You could buy the reg and not solve the problem. A little corrosion can cause a drain and corrosion in in several places, draining just .2 or .3 volts at each one, can add up. If cleaning connections doesn't do it, then look at the components.

Just my two cents.

Patrick

[motoman]

Hey T.C..........would that reg./rect. unit be a 'plug & play' for my 81H Venturer?

[Snow]

Patrick and TC - Thanks for the info. I'll try Geezer's tests first and if those check out ok, then I guess I'll have to go through *every* connector...wish I would've just applied some dielectric grease everywhere when I had her stripped down to the frame a few years ago!

Of course, I didn't know about the stuff until a month ago...heh heh...