Not Maintanence Free Battery

[SteveJ.]

Just had an issue on my bike, thought I'd pass it along, could help someone out. A coupla days ago, I noticed my headlight get dimmer when I kicked on the driving lights. Rut roh, voltage drop. They both run through the aux panel. When I arrived home, I grabbed my trusty $11 multi meter and checked things out. With all lights fired, I was losing about 1 volt from the battery to the panel trip relay, and another 1/2 volt through the eight year old relay. I touched the relay, somewhat warm, I touched the battery terminals(the aux panel power is direct wired to the battery, through a relay tripped by the Jbox blue(I think) wire), positive was hot. Replaced the relay, cleaned up the connections, all is good.

The battery has been in for about five years, I guess it was due for a terminal clean. There was no funk around the terminals, I guess things just got oxidized in there.

[Nosmo]

The only thing that's even close to maintenance-free is a rock buried out in your garden.  And even that is not guaranteed.

[SteveJ.]

The only thing that's even close to maintenance-free is a rock buried out in your garden.  And even that is not guaranteed.

That's funny.

[MAN OF BLUES]

it's called a resistive connection.....not unlike the one that occurs on the 2 wire harness running from the generator, up to the main harness, near/behind the battery box....
if you have symptoms of this now, better check that connector.... it has a habit of melting, from the same resistive syndrome.
un plug/replug repetitively, or scrub the terminals if you can remove them from the plastic holders.  these melt regularly, without warning, when farkles are run continuously


just a warning.
I'm sure we will hear about it someday.

[SteveJ.]

it's called a resistive connection.....not unlike the one that occurs on the 2 wire harness running from the generator, up to the main harness, near/behind the battery box....
if you have symptoms of this now, better check that connector.... it has a habit of melting, from the same resistive syndrome.
un plug/replug repetitively, or scrub the terminals if you can remove them from the plastic holders.  these melt regularly, without warning, when farkles are run continuously


just a warning.
I'm sure we will hear about it someday.

Yup, today. I remember reading about this before, just never got a round tuit. Now I did. Looked kinda "not new" in there. Cleaned 'em up with some contact cleaner and repeated in & out motion. No signs of over heating.  I'm also thinking next time the Tupperware comes off, I'm gonna go through and check/clean any and all connections I can reasonably get at.

Leaving on a MN Bonsai run O dark thirty later this week, one less thing to worry about.

Observation: Those alt. wires look kinda thin for the amount of juice they carry.


Thanx, one adult beverage in the I owe ya bank.

Later.

[Nosmo]

A couple of years ago my alternator plug started turning brown from the heat, and after reading about fried alternator plugs, I took someone's advice and cut off the plug and soldered the wires together.  I really can't see much reason for a quick-disconnect on the alternator, not like you'll be taking it off and on a lot.