Battery dead after being on tender all winder?

[Magruder13]

2006 FZ6, year old battery stored for the winter on a battery tender. Took it out once the weather got nice, started up just like normal even after sitting for 3 months. Rode about 10 minutes and stopped at a place for 5 minutes. Tried to start her up, hear fuel pump prime once I turn the key on but pressing the start button gets me a half turn of the starter and then clicking with lights dimming out. I bump started it and it fired right up and drove normal.

Can't be charging system if it bump started and ran normally. Must be a dead battery but it's only a year old and it was on a tender for the entire time stored. My last ditch effort would be a bad starting solenoid or corroded start switch.

Thoughts?

 

[FinalImpact]

I'd charge the battery off the vehicle and once it hits about 13.6v, keep it there for 4 hours and then have it load tested.

Which I'd guess it will fail to provide proper cranking amps/voltage.
I take a different stance on charging than most as long as a couple rules are not broken.

A fully charged battery when at room temperature should be around 12.95v. If it has no load/drain on it, will easily last months with no attention.

Yes, I'm very aware of "smart chargers" and what the manufacturers claim they can do. But often times batteries fail from being trickled to death as it sulfates the lead plates which reduces the batteries depth of charge leading to situations just like this.

Charging the battery with a 2amp charger and draining it with something like a 35watt load until it drops to 10.6v THREE TIMES, may recover it.
It takes time and its tedious but it can work on batteries that aren't too far gone.

Each time it is drained and recharged at ~2.0 Amps then then trickled to 13.6v it will improve its capacity.

Up to you if you have a charger capable and some time to watch it.

** DO NOT ** let it go below 10.5v with a load on it as it may not recover. I use halogen bulbs for load it bring them in the house for observation...

For now; charge and load test. If it fails the load test; try the method above.

FWIW; 08 FZ and the original battery was pulled last summer. So EIGHT years on the original battery and its never been a charger ever! And it sits for 3 - 4mo in thr cold never started until spring when its time to ride...

 

[Magruder13]

@Final Impact

How specifically can I load test it? I've never done such a test.

I thought keeping a battery tender on a bike all year was the best thing for the battery... Was I misled?

I have one of those 2/10/50 amp charger / starters. Will this work fine on the 2amp setting to charge the battery back up?

As for draining the battery I can build a circuit that will monitor the voltage and cutoff the light when the voltage reaches a certain threshold, this will ensure proper drainage without draining the battery completely.

Thanks for all the help!

One final question, is it worth just buying a new battery? You seem pretty confident in that's what's wrong, I don't mind dropping $50 on a new one if you're sure that's what's wrong.

 

[FinalImpact]

I've seen this happen many times but you need charge it until it reaches peak voltage at room temp @ 70°F to ~13.6v... Let it float there for 4hrs. Then take it to a battery dealer and have them load test it (most any auto store that sells batteties).
Its a 10A/hr battery capable of 220 CCA (cold cranking amps).

If it fails this test; replace it OR because its newer, drain and charge it 3 times and it may last several years!

On your 2nd charge set the charger on the 5Amp setting for 30" max and then to 2amp. Just monitor the battery temperature; it should not get warm beyond ambient temperature if all goes well.

IME many batteries have their life reduced by constant charging even w/new technology.
In short; long term trickle charging sufates the lead plates. This increases the batteries internal resistance so it tends to 1) drain itself 2) limits its Amperage output. Draining and charging promote a chemical change that can restore a lot of the damage. Do not let it drain below 10.6v and you should be OK.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

+100 ^^^ on all the above.

Agreed, the battery likely won't pass the load test.(Walmart checks them too). If it passes, buying a new one
is just throwing money away.

As a side note, I have one Deltran charger, 3 BMW chargers (similar casing, insides are different) and three other chargers.


The TWO I like best are the C-TEK Multi 4.3 (one on the boat, one available for the bike):

Trade Shows and Events - CTEK Battery Chargers Multi US 4.3


It doesn't do just a a standard trickle charge but can go thru different charging cycles including re-conditioning the battery.
It'll automatically raise the voltage, drop it some if it senses its HOOKED UP(to protect electronics). Its definitely extended the life of my boat battery (group 27-big).

Just an FYI...

 

[Red Wazp]

For what it's worth I read a long article about batteries a few years back written by a battery expert. In a nut shell you should let the battery rest (remove tenders) 1 week a month when on long term storage. I believe tenders can slowly cook a battery when on for 24/7 months on end.

My bet is you need a new battery and it may have been a poor battery since it was built-it can happen.