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Very Active Member
Good example of a shot battery
Discussions have come up many times here about, "What's wrong? My Spyder won't start. Battery show 12+ volts, or charger shows 100% charged." Here's a good example of why you cannot rely on those two indicators to judge your battery's condition.
I noticed this evening that the battery in my Spyder was dead. I mean totally dead. Nothing, nada, not even a beep! So I plugged my Diehard Charger/Maintainer into the trunk power outlet. Now this charger/maintainer will put out 3 amps, according to the label. After the usual analyzing step, it went into charge mode. About a minute later it finally showed "Charging 12v -- 0%". About 40 minutes later it showed "Charging 12v -- 85%". Are you kidding me? 85% charged in 40 minutes from total dead at a 3 amp rate? So I turn the key on. The cluster lights up and my trunk LED light is shining full bright! My Battery Bug voltmeter shows 13.4 volts. I hit the start button. Sure enough the cluster screen goes wacky and blanks out and of course, no start. This is the original battery, now over 5 years old.
So for everyone who isn't yet aware, just because your charger says your battery is fully charged and your volt meter shows full voltage, your battery may still be junk!
BTW, the replacement I bought last spring when I first noticed the battery wasn't performing well is on the bench ready to be prepped and put in when riding season returns! And contrary to much stated experience, I have found that a 2 or 3 amp charger can charge up a totally dead battery, at least sometimes.
2014 Copper RTS
Tri-Axis bars, CB, BajaRon sway bar & shock adjusters, SpyderPop's Bumpskid, NBV peg brackets, LED headlights and modulator, Wolo trumpet air horns, trailer hitch, custom trailer harness, high mount turn signals, Custom Dynamics brake light, LED turn signal lights on mirrors, LED strip light for a dash light, garage door opener, LED lights in frunk, trunk, and saddlebags, RAM mounts and cradles for tablet (for GPS) and phone (for music), and Smooth Spyder belt tensioner.
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