2022 Battery issues...

[tds 2018winderxtx]

Have a 2022 XTX-LE and went through three batteries in two winters... Sled is completely stock except replaced the 12v plug with a dual usb plug and a quad lock magnetic charger and Garmin plugged in that USB. Not sure if the issue is faulty user (ie me), faulty battery(s) or a short somewhere. All three were YUASA batteries from dealers. The original battery failed while on a trip end of first season. Might possibly have been user error.... We were close to a dealer and replaced it quickly to getback on trail to finish trip. No issues rest of trip. Over summer battery removed from sled and on a Noco charger. Year 2 - wouldn't hold charge. If I left the sled 2 weeks without starting then would need to boost.... (stored outside in enclosed trailer). My home dealer suggested maybe battery 2 was not fully charged when installed.... so bought another battery (#3). finished the rest of season (only a couple weeks) without issue and just before removing battery for summer - its dead... won't start the sled - I put this battery on charger and couple hours later it is boiling and sizzling and my garage has a wicked acid smoky smell.....

Twice the dealer has gone over the sled looking for a short or some parasitic draw and they have found nothing..... It is really hard to imagine I have gotten three faulty batteries.... The charger is used for numerous other batteries for bikes, other sleds, boats, PWC's etc with no issue and I have never had issues with batteries in any other vehicle.

Questions at this point -
1. what is the absolute best battery I can buy?? I ride in fairly cold northern NB and Gaspe QC so really want something reliable. From what I read lithium is not the answer???
2. How do I prevent this?? Is there any way there is a draw somewhere?? I am not technical in any way but have done the google/YouTube hooking up a voltmeter to battery to look for draw for whatever thats worth.... The dealer has looked...

Any suggestions or help would be much appreciated.

 

[steiner]

If your 12v plug is connected to the battery and not thru ignition source this could be your draw causing a dead battery.

 

[sideshowBob]

I really can't help you here but from my experience there is definitely something amiss as I leave the batteries in all my sleds over the summer with no tender and they start right up in the fall. I use Earth X batteries in all my sleds.
A friend of mine had a 2021 TCat that drained the battery constantly and he went through numerous batteries, he changed the sleds voltage regulator but that didn't help and he ended up selling the sled without ever solving the problem.
Keep us posted.

 

[STAIN]

1. what is the absolute best battery I can buy

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These guys offer a 10 year non-prorated warranty.
I put one in a sled last year and will try them again when I have to buy my next battery.

 

[74Nitro]

I sell an awful lot of Yuasa batteries with very few coming back. They have a one year warranty that they stand behind.
There is a procedure to preparing them, but surely your dealer would know this.
Fill with the supplied acid pack, let sit for at least an hour before charging. Use low amp charger, or a charger that adjusts amps as it charges.

 

[tds 2018winderxtx]

If your 12v plug is connected to the battery and not thru ignition source this could be your draw causing a dead battery.

I just removed the 12v plug in the dash and installed the usb plug - so should be ignition wired

 

[tds 2018winderxtx]

I sell an awful lot of Yuasa batteries with very few coming back. They have a one year warranty that they stand behind.
There is a procedure to preparing them, but surely your dealer would know this.
Fill with the supplied acid pack, let sit for at least an hour before charging. Use low amp charger, or a charger that adjusts amps as it charges.

thanks, was kinda my thought as well - the second one may not have been charged fully.... was bit of a rush. Third definitely was but didnt last either....

 

[tds 2018winderxtx]

I sell an awful lot of Yuasa batteries with very few coming back. They have a one year warranty that they stand behind.
There is a procedure to preparing them, but surely your dealer would know this.
Fill with the supplied acid pack, let sit for at least an hour before charging. Use low amp charger, or a charger that adjusts amps as it charges.

Thanks.... that was kind of my thought as well.... the second battery may not have been charged properly as we were in a rush - the first and third definitely were......

 

[tds 2018winderxtx]

I really can't help you here but from my experience there is definitely something amiss as I leave the batteries in all my sleds over the summer with no tender and they start right up in the fall. I use Earth X batteries in all my sleds.
A friend of mine had a 2021 TCat that drained the battery constantly and he went through numerous batteries, he changed the sleds voltage regulator but that didn't help and he ended up selling the sled without ever solving the problem.
Keep us posted.

yeah I have never had issues with any other machines - my 12 yr old vector I do nothing with and it fires up every year.... No issues with the Earth X?? Any experience in the -30C range??

 

[sideshowBob]

yeah I have never had issues with any other machines - my 12 yr old vector I do nothing with and it fires up every year.... No issues with the Earth X?? Any experience in the -30C range??

My SW usually sits in a heated garage before and after my rides so its not a good test of its EarthX battery but my Wife's 600 Vmax and my trusty old Attak sit for long periods of time at NWO winter temps and the EarthX batteries have always started them when called into use so I am sold on them.
But...if you have a battery drain issue no battery is going to perform well or last.

 

[Sevey]

Spoke to a friend of mine who has several ski doo sleds - all within 3 yrs. He has had battery issues on all of them and had them replaced. They were YUSA batteries. Makes you wonder if there has been a design change or a flaw.

My battery is from 2018 and is still strong as ever.
MS

 

[Fleecer]

My 22 LTX was suffering from similar issues. Sled sits in heated garage, but last winter would turn over slowly and have a hard time to start. Acted like there was a bad cell.

One day sled wouldn't start at all and battery was dead, yet I rode it a few days prior. Thought this was odd. Warranty covered a new battery. Following ride, sled died due to electrical short. Lost all electrical power.

Long story short, one of the positive cables from the starter was rubbing on the frame and causing the issue.

You want to look behind the primary clutch under the motor. Follow the cables/ harness coming from the starter and check for rubbing. Hope this helps.

 

[tds 2018winderxtx]

My 22 LTX was suffering from similar issues. Sled sits in heated garage, but last winter would turn over slowly and have a hard time to start. Acted like there was a bad cell.

One day sled wouldn't start at all and battery was dead, yet I rode it a few days prior. Thought this was odd. Warranty covered a new battery. Following ride, sled died due to electrical short. Lost all electrical power.

Long story short, one of the positive cables from the starter was rubbing on the frame and causing the issue.

You want to look behind the primary clutch under the motor. Follow the cables/ harness coming from the starter and check for rubbing. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Will definitely check that out

 

[Turboflash]

Easy to see if there is drain w key off. Unhook positive cable to battery, insert DVOM between battery terminal and cable. Should be very close to zero.