Batteries???

[Yamadog]

So the other day I went to the shop to meet a guy to sell my 69 Plymouth Barracuda Formula "S" that I just never had time to work on. The week before I sold my Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 so the only thing in the shop right now is the 14 and 15 Vipers.

I was sad cause at least when I needed to hear HP I could fire up the big block and let her run till I almost passed out from the carbon dioxide. So since it was gone I hit the switch on the 14 viper and nothing not even enough juice to light the dash. The sled was on a trickle charger until just 2 weeks ago when I put it on the cuda to make sure it was fresh for potential buyers. This happened to me at the beginning of last season when I started the sled in the shop and loaded it on the trailer and headed to the UP. It fired right up went on the trailer and then when I got up there it was dead as a door nail. I bought a brand new Yuasa from the Yamaha shop fro $145 and installed it. The only thing on it that should be eating juice that is not factory is a gps tracker that goes to sleep after 1 hour of no movement, but even so it is 100 deg out and was fully charged 2 weeks ago.

I put the full size charger on it and let it go for 3 days. When I came back the charger read fully charged but when removed would not again light the dash. I took the battery to interstate and they tested it and it read 7.5 volts. Now my 15 is sitting right next to it and never has had a trickle charger on it and it fires right up.

Anybody else having an issue?

The sled is 2 season old and is now on its 3rd battery. I also ordered a lightweight Lithium there has to be a 25 lb diff. - the guy assured me that they are not affected by cold weather and said if it does not start it bring it back for full refund.

 

[swampcat]

Deka brand, AGM type, for the win.

 

[Yamadog]

Yeah I know them but I don't think a nuclear battery could handle the draw down that is happening in this thing. I am just going to have to disconnect when not in use

 

[canadianhunter]

Disconnecting would be 1st test.
If you always have the battery for this sled on trickle charge possibly the charger is ruining the battery.
After a lot of research what I learned is that my battery maintainers charge at 1.5 amp. and 14.?? volts till battery is charged and charger goes green. Then most all maintainers charge at 13.2 volts, although a small the charge it still is not good for the battery. A fully charged Yuasa is 12.8 volts.
Last season Snow Tech Mag. had an article about this and they say the best way to make a battery last is to charge it with a maintainer once a month till charged.
This is the system I have always used. My 06 Rage batteries were in sleds 2005 to 2014=9 years and still good but I did change them cause I am a worrier. The old batteries are on the shelf still good as I charge them once a month. My garden tractor snow blower battery installed in 1999 still starts tractor till -20C or -5F, any colder I put the charger on to warm the battery. System seems to work for me.

 

[Sasquatch]

Id say trickle charger is killing your batteries. I use an optimate which drops to milliamps to float the battery. A trickle charger does not do that. I have left the Optimate on all summer with no damage to the battery. On the flip side I ruined a motorcycle battery by leaving it on a trickle charger, that was when I learned that trickle chargers can kill a battery. My next charger had a timer setting that I really liked.

 

[Yamadog]

Mine is an optimate I just call it trickle cause it won't do a jump start like a regular charger. and I only put it on there once a every month or so, for a day or so when the green light comes on I switch it to another toy or car. I have upwards of 4 sleds in the shop and had 3 cars (2 with 2 batteries in the trunk)

 

[Yamadog]

my 15 I never put the charging leads on so I have not used it on that and last season it was fine and as soon as I went to -20 it froze the battery solid

 

[bleedyamaha]

Well Yamadog you got my curiosity up and I could use a therapy treatment. My 2014 has been hybernating in my little shed since April untouched and no battery tender. Turned the key over and it fired right up as if I just rode it a few hours ago. I have the original oem battery still. It was a pleasant therapy session for me. I kinda agree with Sasquatch that maybe your charger may be the culprit. Sorry for the sudden horsepower loss that may take lots of therapy to get over that!!!

 

[InRBigness]

just bought a battery for a sea doo and the guy was telling the guy in front of me to NEVER use a car charger even in trickle mode charge the motorcycle battery he was buying. He said it had to be a maintainer or it will cook the battery.

 

[canadianhunter]

After reading up on the Optimate 4 which seems to be the better optimate it acually works similar to what I explained above with the exception that the float charge is 13.6 vs 13.2 and it float charges for 30 min. and then goes to retention test ( no charge ) for 30 min. and continues this cycle until removed.
In my mind it is still better to only use it once a month or so.

 

[cannondale27]

I spent three or four years removing batteries and doing the charge rotation with a battery tender only to have random battery failures of all brands. Yuasa,Deka and cheap Parts Unlimited batteries. Gave up. My sled batteries fit Jetski so I put it in there in summer. Other one I just leave it in sled same with other toys that sit all winter. Before I start using them I given a good charge and load test. If they fail I toss em. I have had no more failures using this method of really doing nothing than I have diligently maintaining them. Heat, shock and running bats low kills them. Not much you can do to control most of that. Have noticed the smaller the battery or the higher amp batts in same size have higher failure rate. Bigger is better as far as Lead and AGM batts. Put a 650cca truck batt in lawn tractor and honestly it's 20 years old but it gets used year round mowing and plowing! Have had great luck with little 8 cell lithium in kids LT 80 which used to kill a battery once a year since it was so small. But really I believe the more real world use a battery gets the longer it lasts. And at least a guy doesn't feel so much pain if it's being used a lot when it does fail.

 

[Yamadog]

Well Yamadog you got my curiosity up and I could use a therapy treatment. My 2014 has been hybernating in my little shed since April untouched and no battery tender. Turned the key over and it fired right up as if I just rode it a few hours ago. I have the original oem battery still. It was a pleasant therapy session for me. I kinda agree with Sasquatch that maybe your charger may be the culprit. Sorry for the sudden horsepower loss that may take lots of therapy to get over that!!!

Don't cry for me Argentina!!! I get this one back from the interior shop on Friday!!!! The guy has had it since last Thanksgiving......I guess nothing works like grease monkey garage.

By the way straight pipes no mufflers and 525 hp small block this one rattles the rafters

 

[Yamadog]

I spent three or four years removing batteries and doing the charge rotation with a battery tender only to have random battery failures of all brands. Yuasa,Deka and cheap Parts Unlimited batteries. Gave up. My sled batteries fit Jetski so I put it in there in summer. Other one I just leave it in sled same with other toys that sit all winter. Before I start using them I given a good charge and load test. If they fail I toss em. I have had no more failures using this method of really doing nothing than I have diligently maintaining them. Heat, shock and running bats low kills them. Not much you can do to control most of that. Have noticed the smaller the battery or the higher amp batts in same size have higher failure rate. Bigger is better as far as Lead and AGM batts. Put a 650cca truck batt in lawn tractor and honestly it's 20 years old but it gets used year round mowing and plowing! Have had great luck with little 8 cell lithium in kids LT 80 which used to kill a battery once a year since it was so small. But really I believe the more real world use a battery gets the longer it lasts. And at least a guy doesn't feel so much pain if it's being used a lot when it does fail.

It just gets old! I am on 3rd battery in the 14. I bought a lawn tractor last year this spring it was dead and would not take a charge. The Cuda took a new one but that was sitting in my shop untouched but the optimate once every couple of months for 3 yrs and the battery was in it when I got it, so no idea how old it was. Girlfriend has a 2000 Caddi Eldo and put a battery in that last November and it sat through the first cold snap and froze solid. Put a new one in that about 4 weeks ago and it went dead after a week of not driving it.

 

[thor452]

sounds like you have a batery gremlin I wonder if your charger is defective one thing you said was you hooked up the full size charger for a few days that worries me as a motorcycle batt is not going to take that many amps for that long of a time. the batt has the amps per hour writen on them most times and it is something like 1.5 amps for 2 hours ane .7 amps for 5 hours if you ues a higher amp charger you need to only have it on for an hour or two and them allow it to cool for awhile then you can charge it again for an hour or so and it shoud be good to go. but if you exceed the amps/hours that the battery can handel it will smell like rotten eggs and then its toast. for mine I just start the machine once a month and let it iddle for about 15-20 mins untill heat exchangers all get pretty warm then shut her down again and repeat next month and I have never put a new Batt in any of my yamahas yet. now my daughters stupid Cat on the other hand it needs a new batt every season and its not even electric start it just needs it for the efi. I plan on putting my yussa from the apex in there this year Because with the mpi SC kit it comes with a gel type batt we will see how that holds up.

 

[TD Max]

Maybe move the battery from the 15 to the 14 and see if it repeats? That way the new battery remains safe.

Just a thought.

That or put the new battery in the battery killer and rely on warranty.