Need battery care info...

[jdfet1]

Hey guys (ladies included), I have an 82 GS650GL and love it.... wouldnt mind 850 or more but I do like the 50 mpg!!
Anyway, my question is about my battery. I bought a new one and added the acid then charged it. It worked fine for a while but slowly began to drain. (heres where I look stupid).. better yet.. I'll just ask.. how should the battery be charged? Should it be with a low amp charger? Like around 2 amps? Yes I have used a bigger charger and I think I may have damaged the battery. The battery is about 9 mos old. When I pulled it to look at it, it was half empty. I topped it off but no difference, it still wears down pretty quick.

Again, I believe I have done something wrong..
Thanks

[chuckycheese]

Battery

I doubt if you've ruined your battery but you may if you don't figure out where the problem is. Your R/R may be overcharging (boiling out your battery fluid) and you may have a bad connection causing a parasitic drain....or both. Take a look at the 'stator papers' and run some checks; you'll probably come up with a pretty good idea of what's going on rather quickly...or more questions which can be answered here.

A slow charger will treat you battery better than a more aggressive one. I prefer the Battery Tender Plus which is a marvelous little gadget!

[bwringer]

Even 2 amps is too much -- a 14AH battery should be charged at 1.4 amps or less. You might not have damaged your battery with the charger, depending on how long you left it connected. You might also have a charging issue -- see the stator papers for the diagnosis procedure.

There are small computer-controlled chargers available about anywhere; these work great on motorcycle batteries. Battery Tender is the best known brand among motorcyclists, but the Schumacher chargers at Wally World and Meijer work great as well.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. jdfet1,

There is a proper "initialization" procedure. I think this article explains it pretty well.

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/newbattery.htm

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[salty_monk]

I use a 1.5amp charger, I can hear the fluid bubbling when it charges but it doesn't cause any issues or empty it out.

I suspect your high amp charger boiled all that fluid out & may have damaged the plates. You should check out your charging system, if it checks out fine, replace the battery. You need to keep them topped up with condensed water from the store, you could also go AGM for maintenance free & supposedly better charge holding with more cold cranking amps.

Dan

[BassCliff]

You need to keep them topped up with condensed water from the store, you could also go AGM for maintenance free & supposedly better charge holding with more cold cranking amps.

Dan

Hi Dan,

I think you mean distilled water.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[tkent02]

Hi Dan,

I think you mean distilled water.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

No he's English, they all talk funny over there.

[waterman]

Hi Dan,

I think you mean distilled water.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I am not so sure that distilled water is absolutely necessary, I have read that "drinking water" ie tap is adequate. For the small quantity used to refill a typical battery, this wouldn't have any harmful effect. Just don't try to fill with battery acid, the acid content didn't boil off, only the water.

Sometimes, if the battery has been boiled even partially dry, it will never come back, especially if it has sat in this condition for any length of time. Personally, I would spring for a new battery and remove any suspicions.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Just be sure and DO NOT use any of that dehydrated water. There's nothing to that stuff.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[850 Combat]

Hi,

Just be sure and DO NOT use any of that dehydrated water. There's nothing to that stuff.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Once you rehydrate it, its fine. Kind of reconstituted though.

[rockford]

Over and over

Let's see how many posts we can get that say pretty much the same thing...(check your system, use a slow charger).

"Brevity is the soul of wit" (W.S.).....

[chuckycheese]

Hard water

I am not so sure that distilled water is absolutely necessary, I have read that "drinking water" ie tap is adequate. For the small quantity used to refill a typical battery, this wouldn't have any harmful effect. Just don't try to fill with battery acid, the acid content didn't boil off, only the water.

Sometimes, if the battery has been boiled even partially dry, it will never come back, especially if it has sat in this condition for any length of time. Personally, I would spring for a new battery and remove any suspicions.

I think much of the discussion regarding distilled water has to do with the fact that so many parts of the country have 'hard' (mineral rich) water. In other parts of the country, tap water will work just as well and cause no more problems than truly distilled water.

By the way, Rockford does make a good point. Some of these themes get the absolute hell beat out of them.

[Nessism]

My WAG (wild a$$ guess) is that the charging system is overcharging and boiling out the fluid. 2 Amps to charge the battery is high, but shouldn't distroy it. Time to check the Stator Papers (do a search if you don't already know what this is).