My battery: never had this happen before

[beemerboy]

Hey folks,

 

I've been doing some routine maintenance on my RT that required me to remove the battery. Like most everyone I inspected the battery to make sure the acid level was up to standards and that's when I noticed there wasn't any acid in the battery.

 

WTF?

 

History: the battery is three years old and gets routine trickle charging when not in regular use mode.

 

The battery is bone dry. My first thought was to obtain the appropriate concoction and fill it then, after recalling numerous threads about battery life being a 3 to 5 year span, started thinking about a total replacement. I'm okay with spending the bucks but with winter mode only three months away I'm wondering what the conventional wisdom is.

 

Enlighten me, brothers and sisters.

 

 

[moshe_levy]

First, the most basic question of all: Is the battery in your RT a wet cell to begin with, or is it a sealed, maintenance free type? If the latter, there is, as the name implies, no acid to add.

 

-MKL

[Frog]

I can't imagine it still working with no fluid in it...unless as MKL said it is a dry cell.

 

Frog

[beemerboy]

Sorry gents. Yes, it's a wet cell plus I owe all readers some background history. I attended the latest Un and while there experienced some fueling issues which resulted in me pushing said battery to its limits as I tried to restart the bike.

 

The battery was so low on energy that I was getting the dreaded "clicking" sound so I decided to bump start it on a downhill slope. That was all she needed for the rest of the trip but like anyone else experiencing this sort of thing I've been wondering about the battery ever since. Today's discovery brings me full circle. In short; should I re-energize it with acid and keep it on the battery tender or trade it in for a new unit? Oh, given that winter's around the corner and if I get a new battery, is there some kind of "memory" issue to be concerned about?

i ask that in the usage context that the RT will do more garage and road duty in the intervening months.

[moshe_levy]

If it's old, and it's dry, and it's cheap insurance to just replace it now rather than put more effort into it. When you put the new battery in make sure it's fully charged prior to your first start. Good to go.

 

-MKL

[beemerboy]

If it's old, and it's dry, and it's cheap insurance to just replace it now rather than put more effort into it. When you put the new battery in make sure it's fully charged prior to your first start. Good to go.

 

-MKL

 

Thanks, Moshe. I guess I just can't figure out how the battery went bone dry in the first place. Anyway, as you said it's cheap insurance to go new.

[moshe_levy]

I just had the same thing happen on the original wetcell in my friend's 2005 F650CS. Bone dry. Once we refilled and recharged, it had a little life left, but not enough to justify keeping it. After 5 years, you've gotten your money's worth.

 

-MKL

[AndyS]

Just as a little extra thought. Get a multimeter and measure the terminal voltage at the battery with the bike engine stopped, and then try it again at idle and again at about 4000 rpm.

 

Check the voltage does not go significantly high (the max voltage input should be 14V.

 

If it is much higher you may well be boiling the battery and you may have other issues (voltage regulation issues).

 

Just worth the check.

 

Andy

[Haynes]

Take a look at the plates and see if they are distorted. If so, this will mandate a replacement as there's a high risk of an internal short and immediate failure; maybe when you least expect it.

If the plates are still in good condition, you could ride and see what happens. If you're lucky you'll get some warning of before failure - but not always.

A replacement battery is not a big spend, especially after three years of service from this one. Like most of us, your priority is reliability. If it were mine, I'd replace it.

[Anton Largiader]

Ive seen batteries just not last all that much longer after they ran dry and were refilled. They last for a while and then...

 

They get dried from overcharging. This happens to a small extent during normal use and to a variable extent when kept on an external charger. Don't charge the battery more than you need to.

[David R]

Just buy a battery. Waiting till spring may be a good idea. I would not mess with acid unless I had to.

 

I have found if you deep cycle (run it dead) a motorcycle battery, it can be the end of it anyhow.

 

You will have to buy a battery sooner or later, so do it when its planned. It will save $ and problems.

 

David

[4wheeldog]

Ive seen batteries just not last all that much longer after they ran dry and were refilled. They last for a while and then...

 

They get dried from overcharging. This happens to a small extent during normal use and to a variable extent when kept on an external charger. Don't charge the battery more than you need to.

 

+1 on what he said. I personally do not regularly use a charger, trickle or otherwise. If the bike sits for more than 3 weeks, I put the smart charger on when I go to bed, if I plan to ride in the morning. My last battery, cheap ass standard BMW battery, lasted over 6 years, and was changed pro-actively, not because it failed.

In your case, fill it up, charge it, and buy a new one in the spring.

[bmw_rider]

If you do choose to 'refill' it check with the experts, but I don't believe you'd actually add new acid.

 

Personally as many have said here- I'd choose the replace route on this one.

[David R]

I am sort of a battery expert.

 

DO NOT FILL WITH ACID

The best thing would be to fill with diluted acid (1150?) to a discharged battery and charge it up.

 

If your battery is dry the system needs to be checked. Like Andy said, check charging voltage. It should be close to 14 volts. IF its above 14.5, you have a problem probably in the voltage regulator which is in the alternator.

 

If charging voltage is OK, suspect your trickle charger. I only put a charger on my bike once a month in the winter when it is not used at all.

 

Bottom line, toss it and throw in a new one. Still check charging voltage so it does not happen again.

 

Be careful if you are messing with acid. I got it in my eye when I had a full shield and glasses on. Not worth a trip to the emergency room.

 

David

 

[beemerboy]

Hey folks,

 

Thanks for all the input. I'm simply going to replace it and will most likely install an Odyssey. I'm still puzzled at there being no acid in the existing unit though. One interesting thing of note is that I bought the bike in late April of '02 and the factory battery went bad on Memorial Weekend - five lousy weeks old and it went bad!

[AndyS]

Hey Randy, please do the voltage test like we suggest, you may then not be puzzled at all.

If the reg is dickie, so too will be your new battery.

 

Andy

[bmw_rider]

R U certain it isn't just overfilled to the point where you can't see the color change through the case? I've had that happen. Doesn't matter if you're going to bite the bullet on a new one anyway.

[beemerboy]

R U certain it isn't just overfilled to the point where you can't see the color change through the case? I've had that happen. Doesn't matter if you're going to bite the bullet on a new one anyway.

 

Oh it's dry alright, trust me on that one.

[tallman]

Hey folks,

 

Thanks for all the input. I'm simply going to replace it and will most likely install an Odyssey. I'm still puzzled at there being no acid in the existing unit though. One interesting thing of note is that I bought the bike in late April of '02 and the factory battery went bad on Memorial Weekend - five lousy weeks old and it went bad!

 

Your ownership period was five weeks, the battery was most likely much older and may not have been treated appropriately, sitting for a long time.

It should have been replaced under warranty giving you a brand new battery that you controlled the charging and use so in a way, it was serendipity.

[Jerry Johnston]

What's the tray look likeit sits in? If the battery has a cracked case you'll see some corrosion in the tray. If the tray looks fine then it either evaporated or got overcharged.

[beemerboy]

What's the tray look likeit sits in? If the battery has a cracked case you'll see some corrosion in the tray. If the tray looks fine then it either evaporated or got overcharged.

 

The tray shows minor signs of corrosion and is otherwise in good condition. I'm thinking that I'm guilty of not inspecting the battery as per the recommended intervals and, as a result of the high temsp expereinced during and after the last Un, its liquid level evaporated far below standards. I've been traveling on business but as soon as I return home I intend to slap a voltmeter on that puppy to see what's happening.

[Frog]

I put an Odyssey in mine this Spring and I have not regretted it. Awesome battery, tons of cranking power and no fluid to worry about!

 

I got mine here...

 

Portable Power Systems

 

Frog

[AndyS]

I put an Odyssey in mine this Spring and I have not regretted it. Awesome battery, tons of cranking power and no fluid to worry about!

 

I got mine here...

 

Portable Power Systems

 

Frog

 

Yes, but you'll still wreck it if your voltage regulation is screwy!

 

Andy

[Ian]

The acid proportion in a wet cell battery does not evaporate only the water which is 25% of the mixture evaporates.

 

regards,

 

Ian