Battery - will she take another charge? : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

deucedog · 06-05-2005, 09:00 PM

Okay, I'll cop to it because of the real man I know I am:

I left the damn ignition switch on again, this is the second time. The first time I did it, the battery charged, then went to trickle, no problems since.

Until yesterday when I left it on in the garage. I have been charging it for 36 hours and the only thing I got were lights and the clicks of the starter.

I would think the battery would be fully charged by now, but no go.

It's the 05 Deuce and I think my battery is DOA, any thoughts? Will these batteries allow you to run them all of the way down and come back for the second time?

Thanks....

bbqhog · 06-05-2005, 09:05 PM

Even a trickle charger should give you a full charge after 36 hours. Sounds like you get to buy a new battery.

csoday · 06-05-2005, 09:54 PM

A year old battery should still take a charge. Have the battery tested (Auto Zone).

Sure you ain't leaving the coffee pot turned on

deucedog · 06-05-2005, 10:43 PM

Speaking of coffee (my favorite food and subject), wife and I now swear by the "Keurig" coffee maker. With this deal, you can't "leave it on". Check out this coffee maker, it's amazing and the coffee is fresh and taste great everytime:

www.keurig.com

Now for the battery, I think it's dead, been to the well once to often. A $75 mistake.

:loser:

DR_DEUCE · 06-06-2005, 11:20 AM

I think you should install that coffee maker on the bike..o, but I think you'll need a Road King or an Ultra to do that neatly. That way it'd shut off after a while and not run down your battery. If it has charged that long you probably cooked it while discharging, negating a charge. If you are prone to doing this, check on a deep cycle battery. I am not certain if they make a size for bikes tho. If it was me, I'd just get another factory battery, thats the most cost effective solution......and watch if the headlight stays on!!!!!! :stupid:

deucedog · 06-06-2005, 12:32 PM

Hey Doc,

That wasn't very nice. If being stupid is having the Road King and the Ultra at my disposal when I leave the lights on the Deuce, then I guess I'll continue to be stupid.

Heck with the coffee maker or another battery, I'll just get another bike!

penguins_rock · 06-06-2005, 04:06 PM

These AGM batteries are kind of prone to changing polarity when they run low very quick. Might have happened to yours. Our UPS at work has a mode to "fix" the batt's it uses when they do that but I have no idea what it does...new battery is probably cheaper and safer than messing with it anyway. Don't feel too bad, I know a bunch of people that have done it...hell I did it once before I stopped using the engine kill switch and started using the ignition switch instead...

csoday · 06-06-2005, 11:02 PM

In forty years of electrical work (including UPS servicing), I have never seen a battery change polarity, but then again, I have never seen a color blind Penguin (see other thread). You really should be using your kill switch, using the ignition to shut down can cause the ECM to throw some codes.
Sorry for the hijack, you can now return to the coffee maker topic

deucedog · 06-06-2005, 11:44 PM

And yes, the coffee is good, but here's a miracle for you:

The trickle light finally came on! Must be a very s-l-o-w charge, but it's all green now and the battery finally topped off!

Case closed.

And now, I think I'll go enjoy a cup of home brewed single dispensed coffee while I stare at my three, not one, not two, but three beautiful 2005 Harley Davidson (Doc - are you reading this?) motorcycles!

Gee, ain't I stupid?

DR_DEUCE · 06-07-2005, 01:15 AM

Yes, I read you loud and clear........multiple Harleys and all. If I were you, I'd put a pair of jumper cables in your $800 jacket. Its only a matter of time that you'll need them. Besides, the cost of a "tow" is more than a new battery. Personally, thats what I'd do, I'd be wary of that battery. On the lighter side, are you going to ride that Deuce anymore anyway??

deucedog · 06-07-2005, 09:59 AM

Now the Doc hits me with the "$800 Jacket" routine. What he doesn't understand is that FXRG Jackets were not sold exclusively to me. And stupid me did buy one of those new FXRG jackets.

What was even more stupid is that I tried one of those $585.00 jackets on at the local dealers, went home and order it at 20% off from Hale's and had in three days.

Actually, I traded in the Deuce for a new Street Rod yesterday! I paid $2000 over MSRP for the Rod and only got $13500 for the Deuce.

Now that's stupid.

And this is my last post to my own thread because it's way off topic, therefore:

:sucks:

csoday · 06-07-2005, 10:16 AM

Jealously rears it's ugly head. I'm with you Deucedog. If you have the means to collect bikes and leather jackets. Then by all means, do so, I work hard for my money as I am sure you do and what I spend it on is my business. Some people I know are content to squeak by on just enough to stay qualified for unemployment benefits. That's all they want and as a result, that's all they will ever have. I'm happy with my 'train and the old shovel that I haven't spent a dime on since the early '90's. But if I stay here another two months, I'm considering a third. can't decide between the Road King or the Street Rod though.

penguins_rock · 06-07-2005, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csoday

In forty years of electrical work (including UPS servicing), I have never seen a battery change polarity, but then again, I have never seen a color blind Penguin (see other thread). You really should be using your kill switch, using the ignition to shut down can cause the ECM to throw some codes.
Sorry for the hijack, you can now return to the coffee maker topic

LOL, sorry its not usually the whole battery, just one or two cells...not sure of the physics of it, but I don't make batteries for a living. I think it has something to do with the behavior at high draw when capacity is almost out...

For whatever reason this is all I could get google to turn up on it even though it is a frequent problem with enterprise-level UPS's...about 1/2 way down under Deep Discharge:
http://www.deeptec.com/info/batt/pcs_batt.html

I havent had any problems so far with the ignition (25k miles or so)...maybe cause I dont have injection...thanks for the info though.

Once again, back to coffee makers...

MilesToGo · 06-07-2005, 08:12 PM

Get use to shutting the bike off with the ignition switch instead of the kill switch and you won't have this problem again.