Battery fried!

[fdrdr1]

91 FXR - Comin home from a road trip and pull into my garage when I notice battery acid on the ground. Look into it to find that my battery was steaming hot to the touch and was leaking. I literally mean the battery was too hot to handle. This is a sealed X2 AGM battery that is less than a year old and has never been on a trickle charge. So if I could be overcharging the battery somehow how do I check the stator or regulator using a voltmeter? The battery was under warranty and is being replaced at no charge but I need to find out if my charging system is working properly. Thanks.

Dave

 

[Hoople]

Before you check the regulator output at different RPM's, be sure you have the new battery installed.

It sounds like the regulator has lost it's ability to regulate and is running wide open. Be sure to neutralize any spilled or boiled out acid with baking soda. Especially on wiring cables or connectors. Mix up a slurry of backing soda and distilled water and go to town on the bike frame and components.

 

[TQuentin1]

Before you check the regulator output at different RPM's, be sure you have the new battery installed.

It sounds like the regulator has lost it's ability to regulate and is running wide open. Be sure to neutralize any spilled or boiled out acid with baking soda. Especially on wiring cables or connectors. Mix up a slurry of backing soda and distilled water and go to town on the bike frame and components.

What Hoop said above!!

And when you fire it up, immediately check the voltage across the battery terminals. If it is any higher than just under 15 Vdc. Shut it down right away. At that point, it has to be the VR.

TQ

 

[Jack Klarich]

Very good advice from Hoople here I would add to wear old clothes and glasses around that acid mess, been there

 

[fin_676]

Very good advice from Hoople here I would add to wear old clothes and glasses around that acid mess, been there

And have some water on hand just in case you do get some battery acid on your skin so that you can wash it off straight away
put some barrier cream on your hands and wash them thoroughly once you finish

Brian

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Just a word, baking soda is an alkalye...i.e. SALT so after neutralizing the battery acid with the "neutralizing slurry" wash everything down with clear water, use squeeze bottle w/ nozzle and distilled water to control it and then wipe everything down and finish with hairdryer...if you see white crusty deposits, rinse, wipe and dry again. After a week or so...of dry weather or hot weather (yeah right with Fall & Winter coming up)...do the electronic cleaner and dielectric grease thing for the mating connectors and such while doing electrical troubleshooting that TQ and Hoop suggested. While it is true you are disturbing a lot of stuff and may "cure" the problem that damaged the regulator in the first place (a short to chassis damaging the pass elements inside)...getting rid of the potential acid spray problem is more of an issue right now...else your wiring harness/electricals become swiss cheesed.

 

[fdrdr1]

Finally got around to posting my results with a new battery fully charged. Checked battery voltage at idle and it was 12+ - checked battery voltage at 3000 rpm and it was reading 17 volts. Checked current at stator with a setting of ACV 50 (meter only has settings of 50 and 250) and got a reading of less than 20 volts but rising when the rpm's were increased. When checking the resistance at stator it showed zero resistance - checked leads at regulator with trouble light and found no problem (no light coming on). I am thinking that 17 volts maybe too high at 3000 rpm and I am overcharging the battery so the regulator maybe at fault even though no trouble light came on when checking it. Any input - thanks

 

[fin_676]

Im no great expert here but im pretty sure that 17 volts will cook the battery pretty quickly my guess would be the regulator but other more knowlegable members should be along soon

Brian

 

[Hoople]

Yes, 17 volts is way too high. The voltage regulator is faulty and must be replaced...

 

[fdrdr1]

Thanks for all the input on this - after checking the charging system I replaced the voltage regulator and it is now charging at 14.3 volts @ 3000 rpm.