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wacnstac · 04-10-2007, 07:52 AM

I took my generator battery out of my Honda 3000i generator at the beginning of this winter and kept it down my warm basement on trickle charge most of the winter. The battery is 1 1/2 years old. I put it in the generator fully charged this weekend and it wouldn't even turn the gen over. Is this the typical life of a generator/motorcycle battery? Anybody have a source of cheap replacements?

markdoane · 04-10-2007, 08:45 AM

I like Batteries-Plus. Don't use Batteries.com, they have poor security for online shopping.

I'm sure you've done this, but did you try starting using the recoil starter, to make sure it's not flooded?

I replaced two lawn tractor batteries before I found out the carbuerator was leaking down and filling the cylinder with raw gas.

wacnstac · 04-10-2007, 09:22 AM

Starts fine with the recoil starter.

raebaker06 · 04-10-2007, 09:51 AM

Perhaps the trouble might be the starting system try it with a car battery.
I have not had luck with motorcycle batteries. They seem to be poor at any case.
Have a load test done at a service station.

Rae

GetOutDoors · 04-10-2007, 10:19 AM

Please tell us you didn't have the battery stored on concrete . . .

wacnstac · 04-10-2007, 10:39 AM

Nope, up on a shelf.

wacnstac · 04-10-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

I like Batteries-Plus. Don't use Batteries.com, they have poor security for online shopping.

I'm sure you've done this, but did you try starting using the recoil starter, to make sure it's not flooded?

I replaced two lawn tractor batteries before I found out the carbuerator was leaking down and filling the cylinder with raw gas.

Batteris-Plus is just a bunch of links to other battery websites. Is that the site that you meant?

markdoane · 04-10-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wacnstac

Batteris-Plus is just a bunch of links to other battery websites. Is that the site that you meant?

Try it with an 'e' between the i and s. They have a store locator, lots of locations.

When you tried the recoil starter, did it pull real hard on the first pull? Sometimes the first pull will push the gas out and then it will start ok. Try again with the battery after you have run it with the recoil starter.

Fyrzowt · 04-10-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiffy Gem

Please tell us you didn't have the battery stored on concrete . . .

From information I've received, this is no longer an issue with today's battery case materials.

wacnstac · 04-10-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

Try it with an 'e' between the i and s. They have a store locator, lots of locations.

When you tried the recoil starter, did it pull real hard on the first pull? Sometimes the first pull will push the gas out and then it will start ok. Try again with the battery after you have run it with the recoil starter.

I did exactly that. It wasn't hard to pull at all. I let it run for a while with the battery connnected. Then I tried to restart with battery and only got a faint click.

markdoane · 04-10-2007, 11:52 AM

Yep, sounds like a bad battery.

I just wanted to make sure you didn't repeat my mistake with the lawn tractor.

overlander63 · 04-10-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fyrzowt

From information I've received, this is no longer an issue with today's battery case materials.

That is correct. It ceased being a problem when batteries were no longer manufactured with tar tops.
Also, about a year is all a motorcycle battery can be counted on. If you use it regulalry, you may get two years out of them.

GetOutDoors · 04-10-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

That is correct. It ceased being a problem when batteries were no longer manufactured with tar tops.

Have you tested that by placing a new type motorcycle battery on a concrete floor for a few days?

rseagle · 04-10-2007, 02:02 PM

The battery may be sulfated. A Battery Minder Plus (#31590) from Camping World might revive it. $44.99 President's Club price

overlander63 · 04-10-2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiffy Gem

Have you tested that by placing a new type motorcycle battery on a concrete floor for a few days?

I kept my motorcycle battery on a concrete floor in my garage from January 18th of this year, until April 5th of this year. The motorcycle started up with no problem when it was reinstalled.
I also kept an auto battery on the concrete floor of my garage from November 24th of 2006 until April 5th of this year, and my truck started with that one with no problem also.
I kept a deep cycle battery on the concrete floor of my garage from July of 2006 until January 12th of this year, and installed it in our Airstream. It has functioned as intended as well.

Fyrzowt · 04-10-2007, 03:52 PM

Thanks Terry, sounds unanimous. Thats been my experience as well.

ZoominC6 · 04-10-2007, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wacnstac

Starts fine with the recoil starter.

My Yamaha 3000ie battery went dead this Winter as well but it started fine with the recoil starter too. Pulls nice and easy and fires right up. Reading the Owners Manual I find that it takes special charging equipment for the Yamaha batteries. I think I'll stay with the recoil starter.

lewster · 04-10-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiffy Gem

Please tell us you didn't have the battery stored on concrete . . .

Spiffy and others,

Please don't tell me that you still believe that old saw.............

In Tech school, we put 2 batteries on the charger during the 1st day of class. The next day, they were fully charged and we placed one on a table and the other on......CONCRETE. Both were identical.

After 10 weeks, we load tested both and guess what.........THEY WERE STILL IDENTICAL IN CHARGE CAPACITY AND VOLTAGE.

MORAL: store your battery ANYWHERE YOU WANT!!!! EVEN ON CONCRETE!

Wacnstac,

Get yourself an AGM moto battery. They far outlast the wet cells and due to their much lower internal resistance, keep their charge way longer too. I have them in both my motorcycles. One was installed in '03 and the other in '05. You'll be a happy camper if you do..........

TomW · 04-10-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry

I kept my motorcycle battery on a concrete floor ... and... The motorcycle started up with no problem when it was reinstalled.
I also kept an auto battery on the concrete floor ... and ... [all's well]
I kept a deep cycle battery on the concrete floor ... and ... [all's well]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lew

... Please don't tell me that you still believe that old saw.............

In spite of Terry's & Lew's posts, I still can't leave a battery sitting on concrete!

Both of them are right, though.

Tom

GetOutDoors · 04-10-2007, 08:14 PM

Well, I guess you don't have to tip a full cup of water upside down very many times before you begin to believe that doing so will cause the cup to empty and the contents to go elsewhere.

As a young person, I was raised on a farm and got in trouble a few times for placing expensive batteries on the concrete shop floor, because every time I did, it would not work afterward. Yea, that makes you believe concrete is bad for batteries. Maybe they had oil on them, maybe something else caused them to go bad - I don't remember.

At any rate, batteries are too expensive for me to want to experiment to find out first hand.