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Battery charging safety??????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Anonymous

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I have a symptom that just developed--as i am riding along-usually upon take off or when stopping- all of my idiot lights flash on and off- I suspect a battery short and the guys at the Harley shop will put my battery on a light load. They said that i should try to make sure it is fully charged. I told one of the old mechanics what the symptom was and he said that sometimes a connecting bar inside the battery comes lose from vibration. HE STRONGLY CAUTIONED ME TO BE SURE THE BATTERY IS COVERED WHEN I TURN THE CHARGER ON because sometimes if this is the problem, an internal spark could cause an explosion. I will go out lateer to remove the battery and charge it. ANY ADVICE PLEASE
 
Be careful 'cause a car battery can peel back the hood of a car with ease when it explodes... I'd let a battery shop charge and check it. look in the yellow pages for a place that deals with golf carts. I've had good luck with energy battery here in Bryan, TX. They have even topped off my battery with acid for free a couple of times...
 
Re: Battery charging safety??????

slopoke said:
I have a symptom that just developed--as i am riding along-usually upon take off or when stopping- all of my idiot lights flash on and off- I suspect a battery short and the guys at the Harley shop will put my battery on a light load. They said that i should try to make sure it is fully charged. I told one of the old mechanics what the symptom was and he said that sometimes a connecting bar inside the battery comes lose from vibration. HE STRONGLY CAUTIONED ME TO BE SURE THE BATTERY IS COVERED WHEN I TURN THE CHARGER ON because sometimes if this is the problem, an internal spark could cause an explosion. I will go out lateer to remove the battery and charge it. ANY ADVICE PLEASE
Click to expand...

The problem with lead plate batteries is that they produce hydrogen, that wonderful stuff they used to fill the Hindenberg, and like the Hindenburg it will ignite and go bang. It is normally when someone puts the charging clamp (with voltage on the clamps) on the battery that you get the spark that will cause a battery to blow. To prevent this and to keep safe put the clamps on the battery, turn the battery charger on, THEN plug in the battery charger, at least 10 feet away.

Hap
 
Re: Battery charging safety??????

Hap Call said:
slopoke said:
I have a symptom that just developed--as i am riding along-usually upon take off or when stopping- all of my idiot lights flash on and off- I suspect a battery short and the guys at the Harley shop will put my battery on a light load. They said that i should try to make sure it is fully charged. I told one of the old mechanics what the symptom was and he said that sometimes a connecting bar inside the battery comes lose from vibration. HE STRONGLY CAUTIONED ME TO BE SURE THE BATTERY IS COVERED WHEN I TURN THE CHARGER ON because sometimes if this is the problem, an internal spark could cause an explosion. I will go out lateer to remove the battery and charge it. ANY ADVICE PLEASE
Click to expand...

The problem with lead plate batteries is that they produce hydrogen, that wonderful stuff they used to fill the Hindenberg, and like the Hindenburg it will ignite and go bang. It is normally when someone puts the charging clamp (with voltage on the clamps) on the battery that you get the spark that will cause a battery to blow. To prevent this and to keep safe put the clamps on the battery, turn the battery charger on, THEN plug in the battery charger, at least 10 feet away.

Hap
Click to expand...
I think I will add a piece of plywood to all the advice given here
 
we had a battery blow up at the shop and it was just sitting there.
 
I think the battery is shorted and thats the reason i am being so cautious. But on a second thought, I will never charge a batter again without some safety precautions.. Thanks to all who responded :D
 
Just save yourself the expense and paranoia of a questionable battery..get a new one and call it a day. I replace mine yearly, wether it needs it or not. Just cheap insurance. Especially if it is made in China
 
propflux01 said:
Just save yourself the expense and paranoia of a questionable battery..get a new one and call it a day. I replace mine yearly, wether it needs it or not. Just cheap insurance. Especially if it is made in China
Click to expand...

I AM TRYING TO BE SURE THAT THE SHORT IS NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE--I HOPE A LIGHT LOAD TEST WILL SHOW THE BATTERY BAD. I ONLY PUT WATER IN IT A FEW DAYS AGO AND THE 2 REARMOST CELLS WERE QUITE LOW ALREADY
-- I HAVE A YAUSA BATTERY AND AFTER HEARING HOW LONG SIMON KEEPS HIS BATTERIES, I HAVE BEEN VERY BATTERY MAINTENANCE CONSCIOUS
 
Ahh, Slopoke, I have had trouble with Yuasa batteries myself. When I bought my Connie it had a brand new high end Yuasa battery; it was bad would not hold a charge after 3 or 4 days. Replaced with a Taiwanese special that still cost me 50 bucks, ouch. I also had a Yuasa in my 550 go bad. That battery was looked after religiously. Now what all this is leading up to is I read on one of the sites or in one of the mags I can't remember which one,(CRAFT you kno'), Yuasa has this problem of internal connections. MHO...pitch it...but I would think twice about buying another Yuasa battery to replace it.
 
jimcor said:
Ahh, Slopoke, I have had trouble with Yuasa batteries myself. When I bought my Connie it had a brand new high end Yuasa battery; it was bad would not hold a charge after 3 or 4 days. Replaced with a Taiwanese special that still cost me 50 bucks, ouch. I also had a Yuasa in my 550 go bad. That battery was looked after religiously. Now what all this is leading up to is I read on one of the sites or in one of the mags I can't remember which one,(CRAFT you kno'), Yuasa has this problem of internal connections. MHO...pitch it...but I would think twice about buying another Yuasa battery to replace it.
Click to expand...


I need brand recomendationds that have a sensor for water---It failed a light load test today--it dropped to bad as soon as the guy swithced the light load meter into the on position
 
Battery Charging safety

Battery Charging safety

I am a novice and I was worried about battery charging safety too. Here is what I did.
-Got a Battery Tender, that has a maximum output of about 800 milliamps (0.8 amps).
-took the caps off the battery so the hydrogen gas could escape
-connected the leads to the battery
-plugged the unit into the wall.

No problems.
There is one thing I do not understand.
This Battery Tender automatically switches to float mode after the battery is at a certain voltage, but there are still gas bubbles coming up- I can hear them if I listen carefully. Does this mean the battery is still charging up when the Battery Tender is in float mode?

Tom
 
Naw, It just means the battery is still 'gassing' from the charge. most all batteries willl do it, but not as much as time passes. what you are hearing is normal.

SLOPOKE:....see, I told ya to get another one!! :twisted:
 
If you are working on a car battery still in the car look at the hood. If it is something like a dodge pick up truck it will "catch" the hydrogen as it floats up. When you disconnect the battery or try to start the truck you can light up the gas caught by the hood.

If you are afraid of a battery blowing up on you you may as well go one step further than safety glasses. Cover your face with your hand or arm and look away...they will heal up faster than your eyes. You shouldn't really need to see what you are doing as a chimp can hook up a battery. This is a common practice in the utility sector (covering the face, not employing chimps). I was shown a picture of somebody who had an Electric Meter blow up while he was plugging the thing in and you could see that his whole head was purple except where his hand was over his face. He made it out well enough in the end too :D
 
propflux01 said:
Naw, It just means the battery is still 'gassing' from the charge. most all batteries willl do it, but not as much as time passes. what you are hearing is normal.

SLOPOKE:....see, I told ya to get another one!! :twisted:
Click to expand...

I was just thinking that i should post a message to you on that subject. Although the battery was indeed defective it still was not the cause of the idiot lights going on in unison. After i put the battery in, it still happened. I purchased a battery for $36 US with the sensor. It all has turned out ok.
 
Well, $36 isn't bad, really..I usually chuck 'em earlier when they start to loose water in the cells. Usually means that its taking a dump soon anyhow. they just don't make good ones anymore that I have found.
 
propflux01 said:
Well, $36 isn't bad, really..I usually chuck 'em earlier when they start to loose water in the cells. Usually means that its taking a dump soon anyhow. they just don't make good ones anymore that I have found.
Click to expand...
I have heard many folks say to change them ever year needed or not--I just cant bring my self to do that--its the Scotsman and netherlander blood that is burried somewhere deep in my past.
 
srivett said:
If you are working on a car battery still in the car look at the hood. If it is something like a dodge pick up truck it will "catch" the hydrogen as it floats up. When you disconnect the battery or try to start the truck you can light up the gas caught by the hood.

If you are afraid of a battery blowing up on you you may as well go one step further than safety glasses. Cover your face with your hand or arm and look away...they will heal up faster than your eyes. You shouldn't really need to see what you are doing as a chimp can hook up a battery. This is a common practice in the utility sector (covering the face, not employing chimps). I was shown a picture of somebody who had an Electric Meter blow up while he was plugging the thing in and you could see that his whole head was purple except where his hand was over his face. He made it out well enough in the end too :D
Click to expand...

My cousin worked for an electric company in East Texas and had an Electric Meter blow up in his face. I didn't see him until a couple of years later, but his back is still messed up from getting knocked flat.

Terry
 
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