Here's something I've never seen before

[Condor]

I ran across this on Craigslist this morning, and wasn't aware AGM batteries even came this way. Everything I've had has been sealed and maintenence free.

 

AGM BATTERY

[etcswjoe]

That's a new one on me too. I have not filled a battery in probally 20 years.

[bongobobny]

Verrry interestingh...

[baylensman]

I fill every battery I buy( i usually pick them up for friends as I have an old shop accountat the intersate dealer). most of the newer ones actually come with a bottle that has 6 nipples to fill every cell simultaneously, then the cap is actually a solid bar that closes the cells and has one tabs so it can't be reopened

[etcswjoe]

I fill every battery I buy( i usually pick them up for friends as I have an old shop accountat the intersate dealer). most of the newer ones actually come with a bottle that has 6 nipples to fill every cell simultaneously, then the cap is actually a solid bar that closes the cells and has one tabs so it can't be reopened

 

Is it better to buy ones you have to fill instead of the prefilled ones straight off the shelf?

[JohnT]

Is it better to buy ones you have to fill instead of the prefilled ones straight off the shelf?

I have always thought so. Battery is "fresh" till you add the electrolyte that way. Fully charge with a trickle charger before you use it and you have a long lasting battery.

[Condor]

I have always thought so. Battery is "fresh" till you add the electrolyte that way. Fully charge with a trickle charger before you use it and you have a long lasting battery.

 

So are the batts you're buying AGM or standard wet cells??? I would think that filling an AGM and then sealing it wouldn't gaining anything since the AGM's have such a great shelf life, and last months without any charge at all. Every one I've bought is good to go right out of the box, and believe me with 7 bikes I've bought a bunch of them.

[MikeWa]

When you fill the battery with fresh electrolyte it is 100% charged. That is the most acidic the fluid will ever be. As the battery sits the sulfuric acid in the fluid decreases. Using the battery decreases it faster. As the fluid turns to water the battery power, charge, is diminished until it no longer performs it's purpose. That is why a discharged battery will freeze when a charged one does not. The electrolyte is turned to water in a discharged battery.

 

Recharging the battery restores the acid to the fluid making the battery serviceable again. However the battery will never reach the level it had after the initial filling of the battery. It is not necessary to charge the battery when you initially fill it as the maximum amount of acid is already in the fluid.

 

Mike

[Snaggletooth]

I hope it was a small Yammy.

 

Ad said 135CCA.

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

[Flyinfool]

The last battery I bought is an AC Delco AGM. It did come with the 6 tube acid filler. Once you put the cap on it is sealed, the cap is not removable.

It is coming to the end of its first season and it still cranks the bike faster than the old battery ever did. We will see how it stands up to a Wisconsin winter.

 

Due to the fact that the acid must be Absorbed into the Glass Matting, it did take a fairly long time to fill. The special filler that fills all 6 cells at the same time took almost a half hour to finish emptying into the battery.

[calperin]

The last battery I bought is an AC Delco AGM. It did come with the 6 tube acid filler. Once you put the cap on it is sealed, the cap is not removable.

It is coming to the end of its first season and it still cranks the bike faster than the old battery ever did. We will see how it stands up to a Wisconsin winter.

 

Due to the fact that the acid must be Absorbed into the Glass Matting, it did take a fairly long time to fill. The special filler that fills all 6 cells at the same time took almost a half hour to finish emptying into the battery.

That is exactly the explanation of the last battery I bought from DieHard....

 

And yes, I have to fill it and close it.

[Condor]

I hope it was a small Yammy.

 

Ad said 135CCA.

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

 

The number... if I remember correctly was '9'. So it's a fairly small battery. The 18 and 20 we use have a bunch more. Car batts have tons...

[syscrusher]

Check out Shorai Future Power LFP (Lithium FerroPhosphate) batteries. They cost a little more but they're always ready to gogo. Also lighter weight, smaller, more powerful.

 

Unless you're afraid of flaming out like the Tesla:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFUNPpn4080]Tesla Fire Sparks Panic Over Company's Future - YouTube[/ame]

[baylensman]

When you fill the battery with fresh electrolyte it is 100% charged. That is the most acidic the fluid will ever be. As the battery sits the sulfuric acid in the fluid decreases. Using the battery decreases it faster. As the fluid turns to water the battery power, charge, is diminished until it no longer performs it's purpose. That is why a discharged battery will freeze when a charged one does not. The electrolyte is turned to water in a discharged battery.

 

Recharging the battery restores the acid to the fluid making the battery serviceable again. However the battery will never reach the level it had after the initial filling of the battery. It is not necessary to charge the battery when you initially fill it as the maximum amount of acid is already in the fluid.

 

Mike

 

Actually most MFG 'srecommend trickle charging for 24 hours before putting into service. My understanding is it help to remove oxidation from the plates.

 

Also the batteries that you add acid to tend to stay in service longer, the other batterys are what is called "damp" charged and do not last as long. Always check the MFG date on the battery you buy it is etched or burnt into the case somewhere "NOT THE SERVICE STICKER ON TOP" Most battery vendors turn over stock very quickly so most have fresh batteries, however a Big box store (Sears, JC penny Kmart Wal-Mart ect) with attached auto centers turn CAR batteries very quickly but many have POWER SPORT batteries sitting on the shelf for two or more years

[Gray Ghost]

This info is from Suzuki Factory Training. HD and Yamaha say the basically the same thing.

 

Battery identification: 12N12A-4A-1 (example) The first number (12) indicates 12 Volt battery, N stands for Nippon (Japan), the next number 12 indicates 12 amp/hr, the A refers to a particular size in the 12 A/H series, the 4 after the dash stands for the terminal set-up, the A indicates the vent (if present) is on the left, and the last 1 indicates the type of terminal.

 

Set-up of Lead Calcium Maintenance Free Battery

1. Remove filler seal strip while listening for sound or air rushing into the battery. If no rush, the battery wasn't sealed properly.

2. Remove the cap strip from the acid pack and set aside.

3. Insert nozzles of acid pack into battery and press down evenly to pierce the foil. Don't spill any liquid.

4. Leave acid pack in position until the container has emptied into the battery. (If the packs are not draining evenly, slightly tapping on the packs can help)

5. Once the packs have emptied, let the battery sit for a minimum of 1 hour with the caps off. This will let the most of the fluid to absorb into the plates. There may still be loose fluid visible in the battery. Full absorption may take up to 72 hours, if there is still fluid visible after sitting for 72 hours, do not use the battery.

6. Loosely insert the caps into the filler holes while charging.

7. Using a battery charger (for maintenance free batteries) follow the charging rate printed on the battery. If there are two rates, the higher is the "boost" rate. Use that rate.

8. After charging, let the battery sit for 1 hour to cool down.

9. Firmly press the caps into place.

10. Check the battery voltage. It should read a minimum of 12.5-12.6 VDC. If it does not, repeat the charging procedure. If it is still low after the second charging, replace it.

 

Battery load test on bike.

1. Disable the ignition system so the bike will not start.

2. Connect a voltmeter to the battery

3. Crank the vehicle for 15 seconds

4. Battery voltage should not fall below 9.5 VDC

[dna9656]

I bought a battery for my '99 Road Star at Waymart, I don't know who makes Wal-Mart batteries but it had the 6 outlet bottle you guys describe, it took about 1/2 hour to fill and it's sealed.

I have no complaints EXCEPT the way terminals on bike batteries are designed. It's very hard to tighten the wire ends to the terminals because the ends on the wires seldom match the terminals on the battery.

I wish we could have terminals like the top post car batteries have, I don't like the side mount terminal because they can be easily stripped out like the M/C battery terminals can.

My next new battery will most likely come from Wal-Mart too.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

It is not necessary to charge the battery when you initially fill it as the maximum amount of acid is already in the fluid.

 

 

 

But....it does help saturate the mat with acid by slightly warming the fluid and plates...and 'overcharging' it a bit helps in this regard.