How to seal a battery?

[emason]

This is the second battery in my 2000 V11 Sport, and it's leaking (battery fluid) just like the first one.

(Odyssey PC545)

Yes it's five years old and it's failing, but it shouldn't leak. The first battery started leaking after four years but was still good. Put that in my SP (upright) and it lasted another two years.

Anyway, new battery is arriving tomorrow. Can I seal it with silicon or epoxy? I imagine that I would have to do that every year. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

And another thing. While I was trying to start it I would get that clicking sound letting me know that there was a problem with the battery. BUT, I also got a lot of gasoline leaking out of the right intake manifold where it connects to the airbox. WTF???

 

Thoughts?

[docc]

emason said:

This is the second battery in my 2000 V11 Sport, and it's leaking (battery fluid) just like the first one.

(Odyssey PC545)

Yes it's five years old and it's failing, but it shouldn't leak. The first battery started leaking after four years but was still good. Put that in my SP (upright) and it lasted another two years.

Anyway, new battery is arriving tomorrow. Can I seal it with silicon or epoxy? I imagine that I would have to do that every year. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

And another thing. While I was trying to start it I would get that clicking sound letting me know that there was a problem with the battery. BUT, I also got a lot of gasoline leaking out of the right intake manifold where it connects to the airbox. WTF???

 

Thoughts?

Early Sports often show signs of their seats riding in contact with the battery (ungood). Look for fixes in the archives involving relieving the seat pan with a Dremel and dropping the battery basket under the subframe. An Odyssey shouldn't leak and no attempt to goop it up is likely to help. Try to get your seat pan up off of it so that (as they might say here colloquially), it "ain't squoze."

 

Gas from the intake? Sounds incendiary; also ungood. Maybe time for a good tune-up/throttle body balance with TPS setting?

[emason]

I just went out to take a look at the seat/battery clearance and noticed that I had already addressed that problem by zip tying a piece of thick plastic tubing to the frame rail where the seat pan "feet" rest. However, one side had twisted around so the seat was once again hitting the battery. That is now fixed.

When I install the new battery I will check and adjust as necessary.

 

I need to make better notes when I work on my bikes. I tend to forget things.

 

Thanks

 

ps: Couldn't I rejet the SP instead of adjusting the TPS on the V11? It would be a lot easier.

[docc]

ps: Couldn't I rejet the SP instead of adjusting the TPS on the V11? It would be a lot easier.

[Woody V11]

 

Had the same battery fail on me....Only after a couple years! It ended up being on of the nipplies come off under the cover and let the acid leak out. The design of these batteries I believe is not that great especially for the money involced and the special charger needed. I took it back to my local Odyssey dealer and he was like never seen that before???? I am not so sure about this one. Bought another one and ended up selling that bike. Bought a Scura this year and still has the original bettery from 2002 and works flawlessly....I want another Guzzi battery next time

[The Monkey]

Yuasa YTX15LBS no issues, no special chargers, just a battery that does the job.

[thumper]

I had the same leaking battery problem, the voltage regulator was bad. It was sending 17 volts to the battery all the time

and cooked it. New regulator and battery all is fine

[luhbo]

I experienced the same with my bike. Regulator got wet inside, voltage rised to 17 and more (the second bulb in one week made me susipicious), and the Odyssey pissed its tray. After baking up the regulator (120°C for one hour) things are fine again. Even the battery doesn't seem to be too hardly damaged (it's a long time problem probably )

 

Hubert