Odyssey PC545 Battery conditioning

[Scud]

Thanks Docc, it's nice to have some footsteps to follow in my battery experiment. I really have no need for all these extra batteries, but it's good for learning to work the new charger. I bet I could have saved many hundreds of $$$ had I learned the correct way to maintain vehicle batteries earlier.

 

The LeMans will go on the new charger this weekend (while I take the Husky to the Anza Borrego Desert to make her jealous.) 

 

Discharge first... then 8 amps for a few days... and we'll see if that brings the nearly new AGM back up to 100%

[docc]

Thanks Docc, it's nice to have some footsteps to follow in my battery experiment. I really have no need for all these extra batteries, but it's good for learning to work the new charger. I bet I could have saved many hundreds of $$$ had I learned the correct way to maintain vehicle batteries earlier.

 

The LeMans will go on the new charger this weekend (while I take the Husky to the Anza Borrego Desert to make her jealous.) 

 

Discharge first... then 8 amps for a few days... and we'll see if that brings the nearly new AGM back up to 100%

Oh, wait: discharge first, then your high-zoot AGM charger will take care of the rest.

 

Otherwise (without a dedicated AGM charger), discharge first then apply 6 or more amps until 15v (14.6v for a conventional flooded battery), then float the AGM at 13.5-138v.

 

The thing about the high-zoot AGM chargers is that they are temperature corrected, controlling the amperage and voltage at correct levels through the charge and float phases. SOoooo much easier to use on the AGM. The only requisite is to do the discharge first.

 

Beginning this thread, I had hoped to learn how to use my collection of conventional battery chargers to maintain the AGM. I learned that, yeah, they'll do it, and give amazing service life from the battery, but the AGM may not be at better than 85% at best.

 

I'm banking that my Sport's regulator and stator will thank me!

[Scud]

The BatteryMinder 12248 comes with a substantial manual, which can be previewed/downloaded from a link at the bottom of this page:  http://www.batteryminders.com/12-volt-battery-charger-maintainer-desulfator-12248

 

Seeing you struggle with Odyssey's instructions, then seeing your relief with the AGM-specific charger is what convinced me to spring for an expensive, temperature-regulated unit. Prior to that I was just using some small, low-amperage Battery Tenders.

 

So... when I said 8 amps for a few days... it means I have to choose the "Bulk Charge" rate, which the unit limits to 20 hours, then goes into maintenance/desulfate mode. The only other choice I have to make is battery type. Press 2 buttons and walk away... 

 

Here's a graph from the manual that shows what's the charger does:

 

[docc]

My 5 1/2 year old *TestBed* PC545 held the Ultimizer charge 7 days at ~60ºF/15.5ºC until dropping to 12.66v.

 

Monitor your AGM and discharge/recharge with sufficient amperage before it drops below 12.65v . . .

 

(The one year old PC545 in the V11 is holding 12.83 after twelve days!)

After a second discharge/charge cycle (one week) on the EnerSys AGM charger, I started and ran this machine with my 5 1/2 year old PC545. After sitting nineteen (19) days, it reads an impressive 12.75v (98%). I was just not getting these results with any of my conventional chargers.

 

I'm convinced!

[Scud]

LeMans Battery Test Results:

• Unplugged LeMans (was charging battery while installed on bike, through a connector I ran up to the dash).
• Waited about 90 minutes, measured, 13.01 volts
• Started it (cranked without any hesitation) and let it idle for maybe 30 seconds - then it read 12.95 volts.
• As a reminder, this battery was at 12.74 volts after regular riding and low-amperage Battery Tender supplements.

 

Up next... the Yausa AGM in the Scura. This battery was at 12.58 volts when I plugged it in (just now) - also charging through connecter in dash.

Selected 8amps and AGM... two buttons, walk away... 

[The Monkey]

0max 6a 1b charger is $70 up here, the odyssey PC545 battery is $160 (CDN Peso)

just got both, thanks for the information.

 

Good points re discharge then charge Docc

 

This (with the replacement of the feed wires from me stator) may end the regulator blues Ive had since the original battery packed it in.

 

Interesting times when you have to buy a specific charger for your battery choice. The battery weighs a ton is stainless into brass receiver and fits no issue into the bike.

Haven't been here in awhile but always good to stop by. Happy Goosing

 

thank you

[Scud]

Update - the spare PC545 I had took a charge and still reads 12.7 volts after sitting on my workbench for about a month.

 

This battery came from my parts bike, and it cranked it over without any problems. The sticker has 0811 on it, which I think means it was made in August 2011.

 

The batteries in my bikes are newer and I have no need for this one. Therefore I am offering it for the cost of shipping to whoever needs a battery. I can fit it in a medium size USPS flat rate box. Send me a PM if you want it.

 

 

Edit: battery has been claimed.

[sculler2x]

I have an elcheepo car charger that I have sooped up.  I put a digital panel volt meter on it for starters.  I then added a wall mount lamp dimmer, on the high voltage side,  so that I can control the voltage. The dimmer says to use on a resistive load only but it has been working fine for more than 10 years.  There was plenty of space inside the box for everything.  Before I added the dimmer the voltage would go way over 15  but now I can cut it back.

[AZRider]

I have learned a lot from this thread, and I am mainly posting just to share the great experience I have had with Odyssey batteries despite knowing none of this. I'm not saying that conditioning couldn't make it better, and I get that I can fit a PC680 in a California where the PC545 is trying to crank essentially the same engine in your LeManses.

 

The first Odyssey got me from 2001 to 2010 without any maintenance of any kind, the second is still going strong with only a Battery Tender during the snow season. I replaced the first Odyssey as preventative caution because the original reg/rec failed just before I left Connecticut for an autumn rally near Gettysburg, PA. I failed to realize the importance that the charge light wasn't coming on, so I embarked on the trip. I rode to Gettysburg wearing an electric vest, short-tripped around the rally for two days before the charge got low enough that I needed a bumpstart. That prompted me to borrow a friend's newfangled iphone and google around and learn about the charging system, which led to the testing to find out that it was the Reg/Rec that was NFG. I put the battery on a charger for about 4 hours before I had to head for home, so I disconnected the low beam from the headlight and got home, where the battery still had enough juice to crank the starter vigorously.

 

Over that winter, I got to thinking that for the past ten winters, the bike had sat in an unheated shed without a battery tender and still cranked strong each March when I was able to shovel a path through the snow to the driveway. So I ordered up a new battery and installed it right out of the box in the spring.

 

Four and a half years later, I had moved to a house with a garage with electricity and I got the bike that would become the 1100S. That bike still had the giant OEM battery, which fit nicely in the dead lawn tractor, so it got a transfer. When I got far enough on the 1100S project to need a battery, I grabbed the 2001 PC680 out of the furnace room where it had sat in a box for three and a half years, put it on the Battery Tender overnight, and it started the bike in the morning. I used it in the 1100S for a month, but it seemed weak despite a few overnight Battery Tender charges, so I bought a new one and put the 2001 back on a shelf where it sits now. I am curious to try the techniques I have learned and see if that battery comes back up to snuff.

[footgoose]

wow. thanks for sharing that AZ.

[docc]

I had to add this quote from    Kiwi_Roy he posted in another thread:

 

"If you don't grease the battery terminals lead Oxide Forms on them, this is an insulator which will eventually creep in and even disconnect the terminals from the lugs even when the bolts are tight, scraping the terminals and smearing with a little Vaseline coats the metal prevents the Oxygen getting at the Lead., You may have noticed when you touch your meter leads on the posts it doesn't make contact until you jab the points thru the Lead Oxide layer. I find most guys are skeptical about this, I cut my teeth on large traction batteries."

 

And this:

 

MAINTAIN YOUR GROUNDS! Both from the regulator case to the engine and the Negative battery cable able to the gearbox!

[Chuck]

Interesting. I went out to ride the AeroLario, and click, click from the Odyssey. Hmmmm. Read this thread instead of glossing over it.   Ok, I'll try running the lights for 3 minutes. Click click. Checked voltage 12.34. Punched the starter button to see what it read, and it cranked fine, voltage was 11.88. I'll file this in the "some things aren't meant to be understood" file. I may have 2 things going on..

I have Harley Bob's battery charger hooked up as we speak on manual, 10 amps. I'll go out and cane the tits off the Monza for an hour, come back and see what the Lario battery reads. If it's not 13.4, I'll repeat until it is, then put it on the tender overnight.

[docc]

Chuck, if it's an AGM battery, let it discharge statically without the tender. When it falls to 12.65, discharge with the lights a few minutes and apply 6 amps minimum until it reaches 14.8 or so. Follow with a "float" charge of 13.5-13.8v.

Repeat until it keeps a proper SOC (State of Charge) / Open Current Voltage (12.84).

If your tender doesn't float at 13.5-13.8, it is ungood for the AGM. Below 13.2v is damaging.

[Chuck]

Chuck, if it's an AGM battery, let it discharge statically without the tender. When it falls to 12.65, discharge with the lights a few minutes and apply 6 amps minimum until it reaches 14.8 or so.

 

Repeat until it keeps a decent Open Current Voltage (12.84).

 

If your tender doesn't float at 13.4-13.8, it is ungood for the AGM.

Gotcha, I read the thread.. it's sitting at 14.85 as we speak after I pulled the charger.

[docc]

You can assess OCV (Open Current Voltage) after 6 hours.

 

I have found it telling how long the battery takes to drop back down to the 12.65v threshold. Makes me feel good when it takes weeks.