Stone-dead batt. long / technical - ideas?

AJAY

Registered
Come out from work last Friday and my battery was stone dead. No dash, lights, no clicks, no nothing. Wifey picked me up, but at least she got a good dinner out of the deal. :)

Checked the battery that evening and it was reading something like 6.4 volts (forget, didn't write it down). Threw it on the big automotive charger for a few seconds and it was taking about 8 amps and the voltage was climbing, but would sag (start dropping) as soon as I pulled off the charger.

Pulled off the big charger and put on the BatteryMINDer - the one with the pulse desulfator electronics. Looks like this one, but mine is an older model.
BatteryMINDer® Plus 12 Volt 1.33 Amp Charger-Maintainer-Conditioner (Desulfator) | All | Battery Chargers by BatteryMINDers.com
These things are worth their weight in gold. I have saved many many batteries with this thing.

Anyway, voltage kept climbing ....slowlyyyyy. Left the charger on overnight and the voltage was up to about 13.4V in the morning. Went rowing with my wife Saturday morning and by the time we got back, maybe 11:30, the desulfator circuitry was going, which means this little 1 amp charger was able to bring the voltage over 13.5 volts which triggers the pulse circuit.

Drove back into the city, installed the battery and the bike fired right up no problem. I was paranoid that the bike's charging circuit was dead and it was just running off the battery. Checked the voltage when I got home, and the battery was still about 13.5V (right after running - no rest time). Restarted the bike, checked the voltage running and the voltage goes up to 14.3V, indicating the charging system is running fine (and the battery is not taking much current).

Been riding a few more times and the battery seems to be doing just fine.

This is the original Yuasa AGM/gel cell, so it's 3+ years old. I'm not surprised that the battery could be going, but not surprised either that it came back to life with the BatteryMINDer. What I can't quite figure is how it died in the first place. I'm pretty sure I did not put the key in the parking lights position because I'd notice that in the dimly lit parking garage. Any ideas?
 
What I can't quite figure is how it died in the first place. I'm pretty sure I did not put the key in the parking lights position because I'd notice that in the dimly lit parking garage. Any ideas?

The Battery in my mom's CTS did the same thing a few months ago. Get a new battery or I promise you'll be right back in the same situation pretty soon. I did the same thing with the one in the CTS. She tried to start it one day and it was dead. Wouldn't do anything at all. So I check the voltage and it was way low. Put the tender on it overnight, it brought it back up and was fine for a few days, maybe a week or so. She calls me one day trying to leave work and the battery was dead again. (She hadn't left any lights on, no key in the ignition, nothing like that either time. It just died on its own.) Even if she had left some lights on or something the car has timers in it for pretty much everything to keep it from draining the battery. I replaced the battery and the car hasn't had any trouble since then. So basically all that to say. . . . Get a new battery.
 
The Battery in my mom's CTS did the same thing a few months ago. Get a new battery or I promise you'll be right back in the same situation pretty soon. I did the same thing with the one in the CTS. She tried to start it one day and it was dead. Wouldn't do anything at all. So I check the voltage and it was way low. Put the tender on it overnight, it brought it back up and was fine for a few days, maybe a week or so. She calls me one day trying to leave work and the battery was dead again. (She hadn't left any lights on, no key in the ignition, nothing like that either time. It just died on its own.) Even if she had left some lights on or something the car has timers in it for pretty much everything to keep it from draining the battery. I replaced the battery and the car hasn't had any trouble since then. So basically all that to say. . . . Get a new battery.
Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. I should order a replacement battery and just keep it on the shelf without activating. I must admit it's making me a little paranoid.

But I'm also a cheap b@$trd.
 
I had a problem very similar to this with my Yuasa, which I believe was the original battery with the bike. (4 years old)
It would suddenly just QUIT on me on a street corner or rolling up to a stop. Only did it 2 or 3 times, but enough to make me not trust it. After a half minute or so, it would come back on and work fine.!!
I think when the Yuasas get old, they start getting intermittant internal open circuits. If they did it once, they'll do it again at the most inopportune moment..!! :whistle:
I would replace that sucker..!!
 
Remember, just because a battery can take a charge, doesn't mean it can hold it. For me, based on pass experience (BAD, like 2 AM in no where Wyoming) , I change EVERY two years. But, if I just rode around town, probably every 3 years since I could get help :beerchug:
 
Just went through the same thing a few months ago BATTERY WAS 4 YEARS OLD. It was DEAD, charged it up, and it worked great for a couple more months, then after not riding it for a while it was dead, no coming back after that.
 
Just went through the same thing a few months ago BATTERY WAS 4 YEARS OLD. It was DEAD, charged it up, and it worked great for a couple more months, then after not riding it for a while it was dead, no coming back after that.
Maybe this is the path I'm on. Battery is still holding up just fine. Weird.

BTW, Kenny, I used to live in NC DE. Still get up there a few times a year for family.
 
Maybe this is the path I'm on. Battery is still holding up just fine. Weird.

BTW, Kenny, I used to live in NC DE. Still get up there a few times a year for family.

I'm tellin you man, the one in the CTS stayed fine for about 2 or 3 weeks, then she drove to work just fine and it was dead when she left. Replace it or regret it. The choice is yours. . .:poke:
 
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