mad73 Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 hi all. i fitted a new battery about 3 weeks ago went to start bike today and dead, jump started the bike it ran but when i touched the reglator/rectifier it nearly burned my fingers ,,,, is the normal to b that hot or is it duff or could something else b causing this ? or could it b where the battery is so dead, really need help on this 1 as i wana get it back into mot soon as pos so i can ride it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlydan Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 hi all. i fitted a new battery about 3 weeks ago went to start bike today and dead, jump started the bike it ran but when i touched the reglator/rectifier it nearly burned my fingers ,,,, is the normal to b that hot or is it duff or could something else b causing this ? or could it b where the battery is so dead, really need help on this 1 as i wana get it back into mot soon as pos so i can ride it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cheers Sounds like the reg/rect is burning out, usual cause is over-charging. You need to get this checked, if you have a multimeter put it on voltage & check the charge across the terminals (should read 14.5 volts with the bike running). A better way is doing a ampage check but i wouldn't advise doing it if you are a novice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cy Welch Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Sounds like the reg/rect is burning out, usual cause is over-charging. You need to get this checked, if you have a multimeter put it on voltage & check the charge across the terminals (should read 14.5 volts with the bike running). A better way is doing a ampage check but i wouldn't advise doing it if you are a novice. Regulator rectifier is going to get hot especially if the battery is dead and the charging system is working. Sitting for 3 weeks is likely to cause a dead battery all by itself in some cases. If it's going to sit more than a day or two you should get a battery maintainer to keep the battery fully charged. Make sure the battery is fully charged before checking the voltage running as it WILL be low otherwise in most cases, even if it's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlydan Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 I don't know what sort of charging systems you have in the usa but if the reg/rect is getting so hot you can barely touch it, then trust me it points to over charging (or other electrical problem)! As for checking with a fully charged battery, it makes no difference as the charge should be constant as long as the system is working properly. As for a battery maintainer on a new battery, waste of money imo coz I leave my bike 1 week to the next & it always starts without a hitch (to the point that it's been left 3 months & started 3rd turn of the engine). Mad73, have you checked for electrical shorts in your wiring? This would allow the battery to discharge when turned off if there is a completed circuit to earth (short). Just another possibilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad73 Posted August 25, 2008 Author Share Posted August 25, 2008 I don't know what sort of charging systems you have in the usa but if the reg/rect is getting so hot you can barely touch it, then trust me it points to over charging (or other electrical problem)! As for checking with a fully charged battery, it makes no difference as the charge should be constant as long as the system is working properly. As for a battery maintainer on a new battery, waste of money imo coz I leave my bike 1 week to the next & it always starts without a hitch (to the point that it's been left 3 months & started 3rd turn of the engine). Mad73, have you checked for electrical shorts in your wiring? This would allow the battery to discharge when turned off if there is a completed circuit to earth (short). Just another possibilty. thats for the advice i will get it checked out soon as , i dont have any thing to check it out so will have to take it some where . cheers mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 This is kind of off your topic, but does anyone know if this is possible? I have an old battery that is completely dead, if anything it drains electric like a black hole.... anyways- I called NAPA Auto Parts yesterday, and they said that if i bought a new battery off the internet and it shipped "dry" with no electrolyte and no charge that they could get it ready to go for a small fee ($5.00). But then I was Thinking, if they can do that, why wouldn't they be able to recharge and refill my old battery? IS it worth it to buy the new one? The old one isn't physically damaged on the outside or anything, no cracks or leaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlydan Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 This is kind of off your topic, but does anyone know if this is possible? I have an old battery that is completely dead, if anything it drains electric like a black hole.... anyways- I called NAPA Auto Parts yesterday, and they said that if i bought a new battery off the internet and it shipped "dry" with no electrolyte and no charge that they could get it ready to go for a small fee ($5.00). But then I was Thinking, if they can do that, why wouldn't they be able to recharge and refill my old battery? IS it worth it to buy the new one? The old one isn't physically damaged on the outside or anything, no cracks or leaks. What they're saying is you buy a brand new battery that is dry charged when made & they will fill it & charge it for you. If you're going to do that you may as well get it sent to you, open the battery & you will find a row of transparent phials of electrolite. Cut the tops off (very carefully as it is acid) then pour it into the battery (put the battery holes to the phials 1st, then turn it upside down so you don't spill any) then you will find the battery getting hot (this supposed to happen). Then put it on charge til fully charged. You can leave it 20mins & there should be enough charge to start the bike but i often find it cheaper (& better) if you charge it for a couple of hours 1st. As for your battery, it may look ok but the cells inside are likely to be warped from constant charging which happens over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cy Welch Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 What they're saying is you buy a brand new battery that is dry charged when made & they will fill it & charge it for you. If you're going to do that you may as well get it sent to you, open the battery & you will find a row of transparent phials of electrolite. Cut the tops off (very carefully as it is acid) then pour it into the battery (put the battery holes to the phials 1st, then turn it upside down so you don't spill any) then you will find the battery getting hot (this supposed to happen). Then put it on charge til fully charged. You can leave it 20mins & there should be enough charge to start the bike but i often find it cheaper (& better) if you charge it for a couple of hours 1st. As for your battery, it may look ok but the cells inside are likely to be warped from constant charging which happens over time. IIRC a dry charged battery when filled with electrolyte should be about 80% charge, so if your going to ride for a bit, just start it up and ride, if not then yes, put it on the charger. I recommend anyone with a bike that is not driven at least a couple of times a week should have a battery maintainer and hook it up when not riding the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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