starter clicking

[QuadTrix6]

Hey i rode one day with my lights on in the snow and i was lugging around and not goin to fast and idleing a lot. Well the lights killed the battery or so i think. I noticed the nuetral light was real dim. so i shut the quad and went to start it again and It would crank extremely slow and then just go zzzzzzz. I figured i would pop start it to charge up the battery and it would be fine. I popped it let it warm up then rode while accelerating up to third gear and then stopping then doing it again a couple of times. rode for like 15 - 20 minutes. Wanted to see if i got any charge out of it and i went to start it and the same thing. it just cranks extremely slow and then goes zzzzzzzzzz like a grinding noise. What is wrong? The battery, starter, connections, or does it take longer to get a charge. One time the battery died cuz i didnt ride in a couple weeks and when i pop started it it charged it up in like 2 seconds... Thanks

[Pappy]

the temperature and amount of discharge the battery is in can play alot into why it wont fully charge once you pop start it. the charging system charges at to high of a rate on a discharged battery and heats the top of the plates and doesnt fully charge the battery. i recommend fully charging the battery and then having it tested. letting your charging system charge a bad or deeply discharged battery leads to premature charging system failure.

[QuadTrix6]

what shoudl i use to charge i heard regular chargers will fry the battery even on 2amp trickle charge...is this true ? thanks

[Pappy]

they will fry them if they are allowed to overcharge the battery

i think its like 2 amps for 1 hour at activation (when its new)

the 400ex battery is i believe a 9 amp hour battery...so if its fully discharged it needs 9 amps. 2 amps of charge x 4 hours would get you close and wont fry the battery. i prefer to use the self maintaining chargers for bike/quad batteries....but ya gotta go with what ya got

after charge time is complete...allow the battery to sit for 12 hours and check with a multimeter. it should read between 12.55 and 13.4 volts. if its below 12.55 place back on charge for a period of time based on the actual state of charge which is converted from the volts reading:confused2

if the batter shows 11.2 to 9.8 volts after the intial charge...chit can the mofo cuz its toast

[QuadTrix6]

i will give it a shot tomm, but if the batterys toast i wanna gewt one of the street bike batteries with more cranking amps, i remeber hearing that you can get it ? and just wondering how much they are

thanks for the help..again

[nastynotchback1]

or a quicker way to do it is charge it and load test it.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by nastynotchback1
or a quicker way to do it is charge it and load test it.

you wont get a real good reading on a standard variable load tester...you run the risk of torching a terminal end. we use midtronics testers so no fear most testers parrot clamps are too big to clamp on the terminals and they wont allow a setting of 1/2 the cca rating...which would be roughly 27 cca's.

i just got the higher cca units in...part # YT12A-BS they sell for $68 shipped. if you have trouble finding it loaclly let me know. one is reserved for 4punks...if he ever comes home from pushing snow:blah

[Ralph]

i use a surecharge battery maintainer, its like a trickle charge except it wont overcharge, or damage the battery in any way. it was like 20 bux too...

[QuadTrix6]

pappy is that the one that they use in the huyabusu street bikes ?

[Pappy]

no, this is the one that actually fits the stock battery tray and has about 35% more capacity...which is alot for a small battery. we have been using them on the cannondales and they work great, and they are a b!tch to start and flat trash batteries.

the bike battery that some were using is actually a bit lower in cca ...but not much. i just didnt like the idea of having to mod the battery holddown.

465stroker....oynot400 and a few others with high compression motors swear by this battery.....i geuss thats a pretty good group to give a recommendation