Battery is not covered under warranty, please make sure you properly
know how to maintain your ATV battery!!!
Make sure to perform Monthly Maintenance
A battery only requires a little monthly maintenance to perform
perfectly. Keep the battery charged to 100%, recharging when the lights
dim, the starter sounds weak, or the battery hasn't been used in more
than two weeks. Other than that, follow this simple check list every
month:
- Check the electrolyte level
- Keep the top free of grime
- Check cables, clamps, and case for obvious damage or loose connections
- Clean terminals and connectors as necessary
- Check inside for excessive sediment, sulfating or mossing
- Make sure the exhaust tube is free of kinks and clogs
- Replace caps firmly
Finish up by testing the battery with either a hydrometer or voltmeter.
To extend the service life of your battery, make monthly battery
maintenance part of your routine.
Storing Your
Battery
If the vehicle is in storage or used infrequently, disconnect the
battery cable to eliminate drain from electrical equipment. Charge the
battery every two weeks.
For extended storage, remove the battery from the vehicle and charge to
100%. Charge the battery every month if stored at temperatures below
60° F. If stored in a warm area (above 60° F), charge every two weeks.
Make sure batteries are stored out of reach of children.
Spring Startup
When it's time to inspect the leisure use vehicles you've stored during
the off-season for spring use, you probably inspect the most obvious
items that come to mind such as tires, batteries belts, hoses and
fluids. Typically you check tire pressure and condition, making sure
that you have the necessary fluids, gas, coolant etc. and a charged
battery. The battery inspection is often performed through the most
fundamental method; you try to start the vehicle with the ignition. If
the vehicle starts, you may feel that you are good to go for the
upcoming season, but in many cases you may be headed for trouble.
Unless you've maintained the battery during the storage period, it may
not be able to deliver its peak performance and service life for the
upcoming season. To insure that you get the best performance your
battery can deliver, it's recommended that you perform a few simple
checks. Remember, before performing any inspection on your battery,
insure there are no open flames or possibility of sparks around the
battery and absolutely no smoking.
Always wear eye protection, protective gloves and clothing.
For a Conventional style battery (those with the liquid electrolyte)
you should visually inspect the battery for any apparent problems.
These can include dirty or corroded terminal connections, low fluid
levels, physical damage such as broken or missing filler caps or dirt
and moisture on the battery. If you need to service the battery, it's
best to remove it from the vehicle. First insure that the electrolyte
levels are properly adjusted. Using distilled water; fill each cell
until the level is above the minimum level line on the battery case and
at or below the maximum line. Never overfill the battery or leakage
will occur. If you discover that the electrolyte levels have fallen
below the minimum level lines, there is a possibility that permanent
damage may have been done to the internal lead plates in the battery
and a new replacement may be required. After adjusting the levels, make
sure the filler plugs are secured and the battery is free of dirt and
corrosion. If you need to clean the battery, use a mixture of baking
soda and water to neutralize any electrolyte that may be on the outside
of the battery. Simply brush this on the battery and terminals using an
old paintbrush or tooth brush and rinse it off with clean water. Dry
the battery using an old soft rag or paper towel and make sure the
terminals are clean and free of corrosion. You can clean the terminals
with a small wire brush if the corrosion is significant or just
brighten them up using a piece of emery cloth.
Now that your battery is clean, it's time to check the state of charge.
When using a voltmeter, the battery terminal voltage should read at
least 12.6 volts. If your voltage is below this or you've adjusted the
electrolyte levels, a boost charge is required. Charge the battery in a
well ventilated area away from kids and pets. The variety of chargers
you can use to endless but it is recommended that you use an automatic
taper type charger specifically designed for Powersports batteries.
Don't use a high current or fast charger for the boost charge unless
you are familiar with their operation or permanent damage can occur to
the battery?
When servicing a Sealed MF style battery, you obviously don't need to
inspect the electrolyte levels since the battery is permanently sealed
and must never be opened. The cleaning method and charging methods are
the same as for the Conventional style batteries. The one feature to
note about the Sealed MF battery is the battery terminal voltage. The
full charge voltage should read about 12.8 volts. These batteries have
a slightly different electrolyte, which influences the terminal
voltage.
After you've performed this maintenance, you still may require
additional help with your battery. While the battery may exhibit good
terminal voltage, it may not be in the best state of health.
Deteriorated from corrosion or sulphation, the battery could be
seriously short on capacity. To check this condition you may choose to
reinstall the battery in your vehicle and perform a very fundamental
start test or you could take the battery to a service center and have a
capacity test performed. Most battery dealers will perform a simple
electronic or electrical resistance test on the battery and be able to
tell you the state of health. By knowing the state of health, you can
determine the useful life expectancy of you battery. With this
information you can decide if you should replace the battery with a new
one or reinstall the existing one in the vehicle.
To insure maximum performance and service life for your battery, we
recommended that you use either the Yuasa 1.5 Amp or 900mA Automatic
Battery Charger for battery maintenance. Both chargers deliver Mistake-
Proof Technology to properly charge your battery and both are designed
to switch to a float mode once the battery has reached a full state of
charge and maintain it there. This feature allows you to attach the
charger to your battery for an extended period of time without concern
of an overcharged or discharged battery. Also, both chargers are
supplied with a Quick-Connect ring terminal harness that can be
permanently attached to your battery while installed in the vehicle.
This allows you to instantly connect or disconnect the charger from the
battery without having to access the battery terminals. This can be a
great time saver for those hard to reach battery locations.
It's important to remember, even with the proper care and maintenance
of your battery, they will eventually wear out. As with any of the
parts on your vehicle, it's usually easier and more convenient to
replace them before they fail unexpectedly. With this in mind, you may
want to simply replace the battery every few years with a new one.
FAQs
Why should you charge your battery once a month?
When not in use, a battery discharges on a daily basis sometimes up
to 0.5-1%. This rate of discharge increases when the climate is warm.
To make up for this loss from disuse, a boosting charge should be given
once a month.
Sometimes a battery does not hold a charge. Why?
When a battery is in an excessively discharged state, it does not
readily accept a high current charge. The battery may appear to be
accepting charge, but charging is occurring only at the surface of the
plates. In such a case, the battery must be charged at a low current
flow for an extended period of time: for example, up to 24 hours on a
Yuasa automatic charger or equivalent smart charger.
What is sulfation?
Discoloration of plates with white lead sulfate crystalline deposits
may occur when the battery has been left for a considerable time in a
discharged condition. It can also occur as a result of the plates being
exposed to air due to low electrolyte level, or when a new battery is
filled with acid and stored without being charged. This phenomenon is
called sulfation. Once plates have been sulfated, the activity of the
affected area is permanently impaired, and the battery may not be
restored to its original capacity.
Why do the winter months seem to bring more battery problems?
The main reason is that batteries have to work so much harder in
cold weather. Engine oil is thick, so engine cranking effort is much
higher. Also, a battery's charging efficiency decreases in cold
temperatures. In addition, gasoline does not vaporize as readily in the
cold, which means that even more battery cranking effort is required.
How do you determine whether a battery has been charged?
The following characteristics will tell you if a battery has been
properly charged:
1. The specific gravity of the acid is over 1.275 (conventional type
batteries only).
2. Maximum voltage output across battery terminals can be maintained at
constant level for two hours.
3.Open circuit voltage is stabilized @12.7v or higher @ 6.3v or higher
for 6 volt batteries.
What can cause a new battery to fail soon after installation?
If a new battery becomes unserviceable within a few days or weeks after its installation it may be due one or more of the following
reasons:
1. A faulty charging system.
2. A short circuit in the electrical system.
3. Battery terminals are dirty or not properly connected.
4. Excessive ignition off drains or high parasitic drains.
5. Electrical capacity of the battery is insufficient for size of the
vehicle.
6. The battery has been inadequately activated, dissipating its
strength from the outset.
7. The battery, after being filled with acid has been left too long
without initial charging, and has been allowed to become sulfated.
Most of the time that you will end up with a bad battery is when
the batteries are not being properly charged during the
initial set up.
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