jumpstart quad

[worr0forr]

i have a 400ex, is it safe to hook the battery up to a charger that plugs into the wall and start it like that?...also can i charge the battery with out taking it out, because its in my airbox and its real hard to take out...thanks

[Glenyzracer25]

yea. just dont use a super big car charger such as a 250 amp. you should use a real small charger like a battery tender which charges at 1.25 amps to charge the battery. you can jump it off with a 50 or 100 amp but just to get it started.

[JDMThoughts]

I bought a battery tender from my local supplier for 30 dollars and it charges very very slow. It took about 6 hours and it was fully charged. However the best thing about the charger is that you can leave it plugged in and not have to worry about over charging. It will temporarily shut down and just maintain a full charge. Best thing I have done to my quad so far.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by JDMThoughts
I bought a battery tender from my local supplier for 30 dollars and it charges very very slow. It took about 6 hours and it was fully charged. However the best thing about the charger is that you can leave it plugged in and not have to worry about over charging. It will temporarily shut down and just maintain a full charge. Best thing I have done to my quad so far.


Thats why its called a battery tender..... not really meant for charging but more like keeping it charged.

[SGARCIA89LX]

i just charged my battery with a trickle charger it was completely dead charged for about 2 1/2 hrs and it's been perfect ever since.

[wilkin250r]

I wouldn't try to start it while attached to the battery charger.

Starting your quad requires a huge power draw that most chargers cannot handle. Any charger that CAN handle it and has a starting-feature on it is likely too powerful for your little battery. Those smaller batteries can't handle more than about 1-2 amp charge, most car chargers put out 6-10amps.

So charge it with a small charger, but don't start it while connected. If you need a boost to start it, you can actually jump-start it with your car. They are both 12V systems, so it's no danger. Just don't leave it connected too long (only long enough to start it). Otherwise, your car will be charging your quad (even if the car engine isn't running), and you have the same problem of charging your little quad battery too fast.

I'm an electrical engineer, trust me, I know these things.

[JDMThoughts]

DO NOT JUMP YOUR QUAD WITH YOUR CAR AS THE ELECTRICAL SOURCE!

[worr0forr]

lol so wtf can i do? im gonna needa do this tomorrow, so can i charge my battery while its still connected tot he rest of the quad???

[SGARCIA89LX]

Originally posted by worr0forr
lol so wtf can i do? im gonna needa do this tomorrow, so can i charge my battery while its still connected tot he rest of the quad??? just take it out it takes 2 minutes to take out:huh

[Aceman]

Originally posted by SGARCIA89LX
just take it out it takes 2 minutes to take out:huh

Why are you telling him to take it out? That's silly.

To answer your question look at the top of the battery. On my 300ex it recommends a 4 amp or less charge. Go buy a charger, preferrably a trickle charger that charges at 1-2 amps and leave it on your battery overnight. Should be ready to go tomorrow morning.

[worr0forr]

i have an alum. airbox...its a tight squeeze, so i have to take off the airfilter and all that...its a hassle

[JOEX]

Originally posted by JDMThoughts
DO NOT JUMP YOUR QUAD WITH YOUR CAR AS THE ELECTRICAL SOURCE!
Why not?

[450rJam]

the alt. on your car will charge it also.
hook up the cables go eat lunch
come back in an hour and fire it up.

I would ride it for 30 min or so to make sure the charging system
is doing its job.

as long as its not a 1948 chevy with a 6 volt system your fine jumping it with an automobile.

[z400roosteR]

Find a good hill or some buddies to push you, have the clutch engaged while the bike is in gear and when you get to a decent speed and dump the clutch and she'll start right up, then run it and ride it to charge the battery back up!

[450rJam]

that works also, if you have a friend and a tie down you can start it easy (use 2nd or 3rd gear when you pop the clutch)

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by JDMThoughts
DO NOT JUMP YOUR QUAD WITH YOUR CAR AS THE ELECTRICAL SOURCE!


Why not?

If you are going to post a statement like this, then you need to some factual basis and information behind your statement, especially when you put it in CAPITAL LETTERS SO IT GET'S EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.

[DEVINF450R]

why don't ya just bump start the damn thing tom. and get a trickle charger for the future. well unless your quad won't charge the battery while you are riding....then you have other problems

[SGARCIA89LX]

i disconnected mine and charged it with a 10 amp trickle charger for about 3hrs it's been perfect ever since.who says you can't use a car charger?:rolleyes:

[worr0forr]

why dont you guys read the main post, i have a charger that i can select 2a, 4a, or 6a...i was asking if i could charge it while it was still hooked up to the quad...well yes it worked and when i tryed to start it with the charger hooked up it didnt help any, but didnt screw anything up like i thought it might...thanks for all of you that actually responded with something legit

[JDMThoughts]

there is too large of an electrical load coming from a car that there is a potential chance of doing electrical damage to your quad with using a car to jump start it. I had this issue two weeks back and asked the guy at my local atv shop and he agreed that it's not in the best interest to start a quad that way. There is a possible chance, it might not happen but the possibility is there. When there is a more logical way to do something it's just better to do it that way then some of the other hair brained things.

[450rJam]

im a commercial electrician, I work on a/c and d/c systems and the "load" is the amperage that is put on the power suply, the dead item (atv in this case) will put an additional load on the car/trucks battery.

no flame just info.

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by JDMThoughts
I had this issue two weeks back and asked the guy at my local atv shop and he agreed that it's not in the best interest to start a quad that way.

No offense to you, you're just following what you heard from somebody you assume to be an expert.

Problem is, your assumption is wrong. The mechanic at your shop might know how to torque head bolts and gap piston rings, but he's probably not an electrical engineer. I am. Of the two of us, I would say that I am much more qualified in matters of electricity.

The amount of electrical power drawn through a device depends on two things: the voltage, and the load. In this case, the quad is the load, so whether it is drawing from it's own battery or a car battery, the load doesn't change.

So that leaves the voltage. Both the car and the quad are 12V systems, so they are the same. If a battery is too small you could have problems, but that's only because it can't keep up. As long as the voltage is the same, it's impossible to have a battery that is too large. The battery doesn't PUSH power, the load pulls it, and it only pulls as much as it needs.

A car's electrical system could possibly damage a quad's battery by charging it too fast, but that's only if you leave it connected too long. (same as I said in my first post). But for just jump-starting, a car is fine.

[450rJam]

your right it wont matter as long as the battery is more than enough, but it you was to try to start a car with the atv, the battery wont have enough cold cranking amps.

generally speaking the slower you charge the battery the better,
it creates less stress/heat on the battery and charges it more equally. ever use a rechargable battery until its dead, then let it rest for 10 min. and it has a little left ? its because it equalized between the cells.

I dont have an engineering degree but I been doing electrical work for a while.

when a battery dies after age its acctually carbon build up between the plates, you can dump the battery acid out, mix bake soda and water, pour in and shake, dump out (repeat 2 times)
then rinse with water (4 or 5 times) to get all the baking soada out, refill with acid and charge. it will usually last another year or two.

[DEVINF450R]

a guy that races with me has had problems with his YFZ battery and he jumps it with his truck before motos.......has done it MANY times with NO PROBLEMS

[DAVE14]

Ive jumped mine many times over the years without problems once it starts you disconnect it anyway & let the bike charge itself I can see cookin the battery with too many amps if you let it charge off the other vehicle but its still 12 volts the initial start wont hurt it & my only charger i have is a big automotive shop charger & when Ive used that I only use it on its lowest setting , which is enough to boost the bike anyway but I only charge it for a short period of time anyway a light battery tender charger would be great to have , the bike only gets discharged by sitting around too much anyway

[DAVE14]

matter of fact the only battery Ive had to buy in the last 5 yrs. was because I intended to only lightly charge my battery with my big shop charger on low of course & forgot about it overnight rather than 2-3 hrs tops that I was gonna charge it for, that way the battery tender would be great to keep a battery strong but not cooked & you wouldnt have to worry about forgetting it & frying the battery

[interceptorz28]

I just put in a new batt. The new battery says that you are not supposed to use a charger that puts out more than around 5-10 amps or something close to these numbers. My regular car battery charger is 30 amps and is too much for our little batteries. I used a trickle charger that put out 6 amps and charged it for like two hours and all was good.

Thise big chargers will work , but I think they will probably fry the batt eventually, or make it crap out sooner.

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
I'm an electrical engineer, trust me, I know these things.

Pshh, whatever Wilkin, you're not fooling any of us:blah: .

Haha, jk. Good info, I did not know about being able to jump start it off of a vehicle so once again I've been able to learn something new from you!