CTEK killed my bike battery
Discussion
Last summer I put a new AGM battery in my motorbike. I also bought a new XS 0.8 charger by CTEK. It’s the smallest one they do and in the instructions it’s says it’s fine for AGM batteries. It’s been left connected for months and all the lights on the charger were green saying it’s fully charged. However when I tried to start the bike it’s as dead as a dodo. Anyone else had this happen?
I've a CTEK on one of my cars, and suffered something similar. The CTEK had been on for months, the car wouldn't start, leave the CTEK on for an hour or two and it started fine.
The CTEK seemed to get "reset" by the car attempting to start... and then saw it's job to charge it.
I've now taken to disconnecting/turning them off for a few minutes every few weeks.
I can't prove it was the CTEK, may have been a loose wire, sticky starter etc... but since I've been restarting the charger I've not had any problems. That could still be coincidence.
The CTEK seemed to get "reset" by the car attempting to start... and then saw it's job to charge it.
I've now taken to disconnecting/turning them off for a few minutes every few weeks.
I can't prove it was the CTEK, may have been a loose wire, sticky starter etc... but since I've been restarting the charger I've not had any problems. That could still be coincidence.
Hmmm I assumed the charger had over charged the battery and knackered it. Managed to bump start the bike and even after a few miles riding and stopping for petrol it still wouldn’t start. Bike was on its way for a service so I asked them to put another new battery on it. I’m wondering if the charger itself is faulty although it appears to be functioning as it should. Perhaps it was just a duff battery although I know AGM batteries can be fussy and are easily overcharged.
I thought it was the battery at first, but was told otherwise when it was serviced.
If you read here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?465219-Ct... you'll see others with CTEK chargers looking like everything is ok, but not actually charging.
So yes, your battery may be dead, it may be a bad battery, but evidence suggest there's also a reasonably chance it's the charger. I like the idea of the timer, may look into that, save me remembering.
If you read here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?465219-Ct... you'll see others with CTEK chargers looking like everything is ok, but not actually charging.
So yes, your battery may be dead, it may be a bad battery, but evidence suggest there's also a reasonably chance it's the charger. I like the idea of the timer, may look into that, save me remembering.
I’m in the business of automotive batteries and although I use conditioners for convenience when storing a vehicle for short periods we need to be clear that using them long term will shorten the life of the battery compared to the alternative, which is...
... remove the battery from the vehicle. Fully charge. Store in a cool dry place and ensure it is off the floor (a sturdy shelf is excellent). Stored like this a battery can have a top up charge once every six months and they will last a long time. Not convenient obviously, but that’s the optimum.
... remove the battery from the vehicle. Fully charge. Store in a cool dry place and ensure it is off the floor (a sturdy shelf is excellent). Stored like this a battery can have a top up charge once every six months and they will last a long time. Not convenient obviously, but that’s the optimum.
Julian Thompson said:
I’m in the business of automotive batteries and although I use conditioners for convenience when storing a vehicle for short periods we need to be clear that using them long term will shorten the life of the battery .
interesting, why is this?i've taken the path of using a conditioner on a daily timer. 6 hrs a day for .8amp seems plenty for maintenance and avoids these issues that continually come up about long term use. i 'appear' to have suffered killed batteries, although maybe the ctek was just masking a problem.
CABC said:
Julian Thompson said:
I’m in the business of automotive batteries and although I use conditioners for convenience when storing a vehicle for short periods we need to be clear that using them long term will shorten the life of the battery .
interesting, why is this?i've taken the path of using a conditioner on a daily timer. 6 hrs a day for .8amp seems plenty for maintenance and avoids these issues that continually come up about long term use. i 'appear' to have suffered killed batteries, although maybe the ctek was just masking a problem.
So, each vehicle is somewhat unique.
If you consider a situation where there is *some* current usage by the vehicle then that effectively means that there is a load on the battery that will eventually flatten it. Charging (or loading) battery in any way creates a chemical reaction inside the battery which can not continue to take place forever. Technically, charging a battery forces ions from the cathode to the anode. Using the battery reverses the flow. Eventually the cathode gets worn out.
Depending on the load/charge profile presented the battery has a finite life. It even has a finite life without any load, of course, but the reality is that the life is longer when left steady state fully charged and without load/charge applied.
Edited by Julian Thompson on Tuesday 28th May 18:23
CABC said:
makes sense. charging a connected battery wears it out.
so for an occasionally used bike where removing would be a pita, it's best to disconnect and maybe have the ctek on for an hour or so each week.
Makes common sense Id say..so for an occasionally used bike where removing would be a pita, it's best to disconnect and maybe have the ctek on for an hour or so each week.
Once a week?l....you can reliably get away with charging a battery once a month over Winter , at most, ive never had to charge a battery( fitted to a bike in regular use) at all over Summer...
CABC said:
makes sense. charging a connected battery wears it out.
so for an occasionally used bike where removing would be a pita, it's best to disconnect and maybe have the ctek on for an hour or so each week.
As podman says, you don’t need to be quite as dedicated. Charge it fully, disconnect it. Depending on the condition of the battery and the garage temperature and temperature variation you can get away with several months like that. Then just charge up and off you go.so for an occasionally used bike where removing would be a pita, it's best to disconnect and maybe have the ctek on for an hour or so each week.
Conditioners have a great use where you want a car or bike on the button that you’re using once a month or whatever and it’s too much of a faff to disconnect.
They also have a use where the vehicle manufacturer has badly/maliciously designed the vehicle where disconnecting of the power source results in disruptive behaviour.
Julian Thompson said:
I’m in the business of automotive batteries and although I use conditioners for convenience when storing a vehicle for short periods we need to be clear that using them long term will shorten the life of the battery compared to the alternative ...
Very useful info!It's a shame the marketing for trickle chargers infers that you can (should?) use them long-term
Julian Thompson said:
I’m in the business of automotive batteries and although I use conditioners for convenience when storing a vehicle for short periods we need to be clear that using them long term will shorten the life of the battery compared to the alternative ...
Out of curiousity how long on average should a bike battery last?I just replaced the original factory one on the Honda after it stopped holding a charge 5 years from new. I cover maybe 1500-2000 miles p a & had it on an optimate-type thing continuously when standing.
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