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dead battery, is it safe to charge it?
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:11 pm
by skorman00
Stupid me, I left my key in the ignition and in the start position while in a rush, and forgot about it. Now my battery is dead. I tried jumping it by hooking the + end to another battery, but it didn't work.
Is my battery completely dead, or will I have to take it out, and hook both leads to another battery?
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:29 pm
by hot_shoe_cv
Just the other evening I had the same thing happen due to a couple weeks of of inactivity. I put my charger on it for a minute or two in order to get the bike back onto the patio. Then I connected my trickle charger over night. Next evening it was fully charged. If I were you, I'd just go to wally world & get a trickle charger and then you'll have it for the next time. Just be sure to check the charging rate (1 or 2w) and whether it shuts down when the batt is charged.
Re: dead battery, is it safe to charge it?
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:53 pm
by Shorts
skorman00 wrote:Stupid me, I left my key in the ignition and in the start position while in a rush, and forgot about it. Now my battery is dead. I tried jumping it by hooking the + end to another battery, but it didn't work.
Is my battery completely dead, or will I have to take it out, and hook both leads to another battery?
Make sure its full (if its the kind you can open and maintain), then let it sit on a charger for a day or overnight.
I also suggest a Battery Tender or the like so that whenever you get home, you can automatically plug it in and leave it. Unlike a trickle charger, a battery tender will mind the voltage and only apply charge when it drops below a certain level.
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:50 pm
by ofblong
umm did you connect the ground (black side) to anything? both ends must be connected or you wont get it to start no matter what you do.
(btw it is safer to connect the black lead of jumper cables to the ground on the vehicle not the battery).
Re: dead battery, is it safe to charge it?
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:53 pm
by ofblong
Shorts wrote:skorman00 wrote:Stupid me, I left my key in the ignition and in the start position while in a rush, and forgot about it. Now my battery is dead. I tried jumping it by hooking the + end to another battery, but it didn't work.
Is my battery completely dead, or will I have to take it out, and hook both leads to another battery?
Make sure its full (if its the kind you can open and maintain), then let it sit on a charger for a day or overnight.
I also suggest a Battery Tender or the like so that whenever you get home, you can automatically plug it in and leave it. Unlike a trickle charger, a battery tender will mind the voltage and only apply charge when it drops below a certain level.
umm a trickle charger does the same thing. if the battery gets to a certain point the charger starts until battery is full then the charger stops charging although im not sure if it varies the voltage applied based on how charged the battery is.
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:08 pm
by skorman00
I did ground it when I attempted to charge it. I'll have to pick myself up a charger, thanks for the tips guys!
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:25 pm
by hot_shoe_cv
Let's clear up the confusion re Battery Tenders & trickle chargers: they are all trickle chargers. Battery Tenders are a brand name like Kawasaki

Most ,if not all, diminish the amperage applied as the batt becomes charged to about 1/2 amp as a maintenance operation.
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:43 pm
by skorman00
just got back from the wally world...I wasn't able to find something dubbed "trickle charger" but I got a black & decker one that says it regulates charge to a maximum safe level. Safe is on the box a few times in big bold words too, so that must be good lol

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/rant on
I went to take out my damn battery, and it turns out the leads are kept on with metric bolts. GAH! It's between 3/8 and 7/16, that's 10mm right?
/rant off
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:09 pm
by hot_shoe_cv
[quote="skorman00"]just got back from the wally world...I wasn't able to find something dubbed "trickle charger" but I got a black & decker one that says it regulates charge to a maximum safe level. Safe is on the box a few times in big bold words too, so that must be good lol

.
/rant on
I went to take out my damn battery, and it turns out the leads are kept on with metric bolts. GAH! It's between 3/8 and 7/16, that's 10mm right?
/rant off[/quote
Yeh 10mm is what most of them are.
Trickle isn't a brand it just differentiates from a 10 20, 0r 30 amp charger. It probably says on the charger 1 amp, in other words a trickle
While you were there you should have picked up a set of metric sockets or end wrenches or both

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 5:27 pm
by ofblong
lol I found most of my honda bolts, ok about 90%, are 10mm so it is probably a 10mm wrench. you are better off getting a set of wrenches though

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