new battery

[krp41151]

This is probabply a dumb question but here goes: I just purchased a new battery yesterday and the parts guys say to charge it before I put in service. My question is can I use a 10 amp charger or do I need a 2 amp slower charge?

[oldgoat]

i would go with the slow one. i did a lawn and garden one with a 10 and boiled the sucker almost dry. im not a great mechanic so its just my:2cents:

[RossKean]

If you charge it at a ten amp rate, you will cook it; or at the very least you will shorten its life. Lead-acid batteries do not like to be charged at a high rate. They also "hate" deep discharges.

 

I should note that a 10 amp charger may be able to charge at a slower rate, depending upon the unit. As a rule of thumb, I try to keep the charge rate for a lead-acid battery at no more than "C/10". One tenth of the full battery capacity (rated in ampere-hours) per hour so a full charge from flat would require 10-12 hours. Obviously less time for a partially charged battery.

 

This link will probably provide far more information than you will ever need (or want) for batteries. Oriented to car batteries but the same principles apply.

 

http://www.batteryfaq.org/

 

 

Ross

[Condor]

Amps won't boil a battery. Volts will. Keep the volts under 13.4vdc and you'll be OK.

[V7Goose]

Your battery should have come with an instruction booklet that gives you all the details on the charge rate and length of time. If it did not, you can download one from Yuasa's web site.

 

Although it is best to follow the manufacturers instructions, you MAY be able to use your current charger IF it is a quality "smart" charger that tapers the current as needed and cannot over-charge a battery. You will have to read the manual from the charger to determine that.

Goose

[atlm]

For the last new battery I purchased (from Wally World), I used a Battery Tender Jr. for 24 hours, and that battery lasted a long time. I sold that bike, and it's still going strong for the new owner. The battery was the sealed version, where you add the acid yourself.

[N3FOL]

Also as a side note, it is nice to have an auto trickle charge hooked up to a battery and simply walk away for a length of time. 2A/12V is ideal for most small batteries. However, electronics can always fail for one reason or another...so time to time, check on your battery charger and the state of your battery during charging. For your own peace of mind. Regards.

[LilBeaver]

Your battery should have come with an instruction booklet that gives you all the details on the charge rate and length of time. If it did not, you can download one from Yuasa's web site.

...

 

+1 to following the instructions. Mine says it right on the label. "Charging instructions ... blah blah blah"

 

You also would want to double check to make sure that the charge is necessary. As SilverT stated, some come 'fully charged'. So in the instructions there may be instructions as to what to do to determine whether a charge is necessary or not.

 

[Skid]

To charge it, just hook it up and take a long ride..

[hig4s]

Amps won't boil a battery. Volts will. Keep the volts under 13.4vdc and you'll be OK.

 

Volts are potential, amps are actual current, without current nothing boils.

[V7Goose]

Strange... of all the bike batteries I have ever bought, I've never had to charge them..they came fully charged. The last battery I bought was a sealed one from a battery shop ... fully charged and ready to go.

This is not so, and any reader would be wise to read the instructions from the battery manufacturer. The fact is, NO automotive-type battery of which I am familiar comes fully charged or ready for use.

 

It is true that they will work right off the shelf and seem just fine. It is also true, in my opinion, that the vast majority of batteries are put into use without proper preparation, no matter if they are bought from WalMart or installed by a professional mechanic. This may be from either laziness or a sad lack of knowledge, but the damage is done either way.

 

The fact is, any lead-acid type of battery, including the maintenance free and AGM types that are most common today, MUST be properly charged before put into use or it will NEVER achieve more than 80% of its full capacity. In addition, its life span will be shortened appreciably.

 

Don't take my word for it; I strongly advise anyone to do their own research on this matter - you will easily find more than enough authoritative information on the internet with a simple search. But even if you don't do any of that, simply reading the paperwork that comes in the box with a typical motorcycle battery will disabuse you of many false thoughts. I do not profess to know all there is to know about all batteries; I simply suggest you follow what the manufacturer says to do!

Goose

[V7Goose]

Goose... you are correct; however, what I was saying is the batteries I have bought were charged by the supplier and I specifically reference the most recent battery which came from a "battery shop" ... they fully charged it before I picked it up.

 

I did not state that "batteries do not require charging". Having worked as a mechanic for many of my early years, I am very familiar with "dry" batteries out of the box, filling them with acid, and charging them.

 

I guess whenever I have boughten a battery, I didn't just get it "over the parts counter" and I also guess I should have taken the original poster's statement more in context. I suppose I found it "strange" that the supplier of the battery did not fully charge it before handing it over to the customer.

I am sorry if I over reacted, but I responded to your post thinking of how someone could be mislead if they didn't already understand the issue. Frankly, auto and bike batteries do not come fully charged - SOMEBODY has to do it, like you said. And I have little faith in expecting a "battery shop" to do it on their own. If any shop or mechanic has already done it, they will know the significance and make a point of telling the customer; if they don't say it, they didn't do it (IMHO). And more to the point - if you walk into ANY business and just buy a battery that you take with you at the same time - ain't no friggin way it could have been properly prepped unless they had some magical way of knowing yesterday that you were going to come in and ask for that particular battery! If they give you some baloney about always keeping one charged and ready - don't buy it.

 

Personally, I don't want anyone to prep my battery - I don't trust them. If I do it myself, I have no doubt it was done correctly. But that is just me.

Goose

[Bob Myers]

I suppose I found it "strange" that the supplier of the battery did not fully charge it before handing it over to the customer.

In todays hurry up world people just don't take the time to do or get things 100% right

Looking at this from the prospective of the battery seller; if you come in to my place of business wanting a battery for your bike, what will be your reaction if I tell you"Pay for it now, come back in 8-12 hours when it is fully charged"? Most people will not wait and the seller cannot afford to have one of every battery filled and charged ready to go. A battery may sit on the shelf for 6 months before sold, if it were filled and charged it will have begun to sulfate, shortening the life expectancy even more than riding off on a partially charged battery. If you are not in a hurry for it then I have made an impression on you that I want this to be the best battery you can buy. If you are in a hurry you'll think I'm an idiot for telling you this.

Your idea of filling and charging it yourself is the best, given that today most parts houses have underpaid and under-trained sales people, as do lots of other service venues.