Battery problems, again

[honda400ex68b]

i have had 2 stock 400ex batteries go bad. just checked the acid and all 6 holes are dry. if i put acid in them all, will it fix it, or will they all go dry again? and what causes them to go dry? need help on this please. thanks to all that respond.

[Pappy]

if you used stock battery's then they should NEVER be opened.

they are agm gell batteries and are not designed to opened after they are sealed, and you can not add acid to them.

[honda400ex68b]

i was told you could add acid to them by ATV Addition and they done it before. if i cant, then are the batteries just throw away's and buy a new one? that seems like a good business to me, use it until it goes bad and sell me a new one for $60. the first 1 i got when it was new did the same thing, took it to the dealer and he said it was ok, until the warranty ran out, then they could sell me a new one. if i had the money, i would sell the quad and buy a kickstart quad.

[Pappy]

lol..well they either have NO clue what they are talking about, or they are selling you a battery that is not for the 400ex or any new sport quad for that matter.

the 400ex, z400, 300ex etc all take a YTX9BS Yuasa battery. aftermarket batteries carry the same numbers but may have a different lettering (i.e. CYTX, TX, or even no letter)

these batteries are filled, then the acid absorbs into the plates (hence the name Abosrbed Glass Matt) after a period of time (something else most places fail to realize) the acid fully absorbs into the plates leaving no liquid acid in the battery. after 12 hours the cap is placed on the battery and pressed into place sealing it. they do not leak, they do not spill.

if you had to remove 6 small yellpw, red or green, maybe even black caps then they are selling you the incorrect battery and that in itself could be an issue with regards to why they are failing.

[honda400ex68b]

the first "wrong battery" i got was on the 2003 400ex i bought NEW 2 years ago, and the 2nd battery has exactly the same number as the first one, all Yuasa batteries. do they need to be charged every so often, or am i getting junk batteries? if they dont leak or spill, then why dont they hold a charge?

[Pappy]

these batteries are small, most less then 10 ah and have a relatively fast self discharge rate. a normal battery at 70 degrees will discharge at 1% per day. add cold weather and it can be dead in as little as 2 weeks, even shorter with extreme low temps.

an electrical drain can discharge your battery, so can a charging system not functioning properly.

it could be as simple as you not riding often enough, or failing to keep teh battery charged between rides. a battery tender works extremely well in cases where keeping the battery above 12.5 volts is needed during extended periods of non use.

how are you determining you have a "Bad" battery? i ask this because i sell over 60,000 batteries a year and return less the 1% to the factory as real life bad batteries:p

[honda400ex68b]

charging it at 2 amps for about 3 to 4 hours and hitting the starter button and having it go from cranking fast to clicking in about 10 seconds. so would you recommend a battery tender? it sat since about october until now without being run or charged. i dont ride in the winter much, if any at all. after i take the charger off and check it with a meter, the volts drop down to under 12.5

[Pappy]

well since you opened it up id say you maybe out of luck with the current battery

but yes, a 3 month sit will usually produce a dead or weak battery depending on the temps etc.

a battery tender will be just what you need, or better yet ride it a few times a week, thats much more fun!

[fitethesystom]

Speak with a certified Honda Dealership. They sell the sealed batteries...

[Pappy]

Originally posted by fitethesystom
Speak with a certified Honda Dealership. They sell the sealed batteries...

LMAO, im the guy they come to when they dont have an answer. dealers are clueless in more areas then just batteries..rotf!

[fitethesystom]

I'd start with a battery tester.... maybe you have a short somewhere.... that'll ruine your battery over and over...

and you have to keep it charged....

[honda400ex68b]

i think that might be my problem, not charging it over the winter, just letting it sit. i do that with my car, just bought another battery for it last fall. i need to get a battery tender for them, i guess. i left it sit with no charger on it over night, checked it when i got home and just 5 minutes ago and it was the same volts, 12.16 still not enough to start it, might try to charge it again tomorrow and see if that works, if not, i will have to get a new one.:grr:

[fitethesystom]

I wouldn't rely on that battery when you start riding again. I would purchase a new OEM honda battery and religiously check & charge it. It's also probably a good time to make it a habbit to start and idle/run it every 2-3 weeks for a bit. Nothing is worse than an engine that's sat for a long time.

Good luck.