First Aid for Batteries

[Pete.L]

I found this web page when I was looking for more information about battery desulfation.
I thought it might be worth a read if you're interested in that kind of thing.
If not, don't

http://www.firstaidforbatteries.com/more_info.php

Pete.l

[Phil-VTwin]

bookmarked

[sirch345]

Good one Pete
I was wondering what you had posted with the title. I hardly expected to be giving my battery mouth to mouth resuscitation

I'll now have to go and find the instructions with my Datatool and see if that one can do the same

Chris.

[AMCQ46]

Just read somthing in an old copy of RIDE magazine where one of the tech experts from a battery charger company [dont think it was optimate] said that about 80% of "DEAD" batteries could be saved.

before you fit to a smart charger [off the vehicle as reccomended in the other link] he reccomended that you "Drop the battery from about 1ft onto hard floor" , as the impact dislodges the sulphate layer off the plates and allows it to be recharged.

Not tried it, but if the battery is already dead, you have nothing to loose if you give it a go.

ususal disclamer etc, so dont try and sue me for the cleaning bill if the case splits and you get acid all over your best trousers.

[Phil-VTwin]

My grandad used to tap the batteries with a piece of wood as they charged to do the same thing, its a bit safer than dropping them

[Pete.L]

Dropping them, tapping them, giving them a good bash, even if it doesn't help at least you'll feel a bit better

As you might have guessed, I've been having a little battery trouble.
The optimate on it's own just kept going into charge mode and telling me the battery was good but every time I tried it there still wasn't enough poke to turn her over and fire :mad2
Even after two days of charging I still had the same problem, then I found a little trick out quite by accident .
I had just flattened the battery completely dead and was about to pack it in for the night so I bunged the optimate back on and the desulphate light came on. It seams the volts have to be right down (battery fully discharged) before it will go into this mode. I left it over night doing it's desulphate cycle and the following eve checked it again. Charge light on and Good indicated.
Pressed the button and she roared into life
So far so good, I'll leave it on the maintenance cycle now and see how it behaves.

Pete.l

[sirch345]

That's interesting Pete, fingers crossed eh.

I checked my Datatool battery charger/monitor and no, it doesn't appear to have the desulphate mod

Chris.

[Pete.L]

Bummer Chris.
I guess you'll have to start bashing it on the floor and see what happens

On the up side, mine started in -2C conditions on Sunday morning and after running for about a minute I managed to stall and flood the damn thing I gave her about 30 seconds and then just pressed the button untill she fired up. Took a few turns to clear the fuel and then she caught like a good un
Looks like I'll be getting another year out of this battery

Pete.l