My battery is fried

[mole2]

For the last couple of days when I went in and out of the garage I noticed the charge light was on charge on the maintainer. I didn't think anything of it figuring I just caught it topping off the battery. Wrong! I went to take a ride this morning and the battery is dead. The maintainer must have fried it since the battery is just three years old. I verified the voltage drop with a voltmeter having been a mechanic in another life. Oh well, off to purchase a battery this week AND a new maintainer. :retard:

[Water Warrior 2]

Hold off on the new maintainer. It is quite possible the battery lost it's ability to hold a charge and the maintainer was just doing it's job. Get the new battery first and see how things go.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Hold off on the new maintainer. It is quite possible the battery lost it's ability to hold a charge and the maintainer was just doing it's job. Get the new battery first and see how things go.

But when you give it a full charge before fitting it, if you're using the old charger, dont forget to check it on the hour, every hour. You don't want to chance frying the new battery.

[mole2]

Originally Posted by alantf

But when you give it a full charge before fitting it, if you're using the old charger, dont forget to check it on the hour, every hour. You don't want to chance frying the new battery.

Definitely will keep a check on it.

WW the battery is only three years old and shouldn't have failed as dramatically as it did. I'm certain that it's the maintainer as I rehooked it up and it doesn't sense a need for charge which would be correct since the battery shows 12.74v. When you apply the starter load it drops to 7v. I'm not going to use a suspect maintainer to charge a new battery when I can get a new Schumacher XM1-5 Maintainer from Walmart for $20.

[Water Warrior 2]

Just for fun why don't you hook up the maintainer to something else and see what results you get.

[mole2]

I received my new GEL cell today. I checked it with a volt meter and it was 13.08v so it was charged. Put it in the bike and it started instantly. I purchased the Schumacher XM1-5 Maintainer from Walmart and all is well. I'm letting it top off the battery tonight and will disconnect it. A friend of mine who wholesales batteries had told me that you can extend the life of a battery for many years if you keep it on a maintainer. Well so much for that theory if the maintainer fails. lol I'll put it on from time to time to keep the battery up but not all the time anymore. With that done I washed the bike and took a short ride just because I could.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by mole2

I received my new GEL cell today. I checked it with a volt meter and it was 13.08v so it was charged. Put it in the bike and it started instantly. I purchased the Schumacher XM1-5 Maintainer from Walmart and all is well. I'm letting it top off the battery tonight and will disconnect it. A friend of mine who wholesales batteries had told me that you can extend the life of a battery for many years if you keep it on a maintainer. Well so much for that theory if the maintainer fails. lol I'll put it on from time to time to keep the battery up but not all the time anymore. With that done I washed the bike and took a short ride just because I could.

Schumacher also make a darling little volt meter to plug into a cigar lighter. It is quicker than getting to the battery and seems to work well on both bikes and the Ranger. Another Walmart item of course.
As of 5 minutes ago I took the maintainer off Lynda's bike. 30 minutes every month seems to work with the bike not being ridden at all. Parked since last Sept except for once this year when I took it for a spin up the highway.