Battery issue

[Rockburner]

On the JAPton, my father installed a small 6V battery simply to serve as a power source for the brake light and horn (there's no charging circuit).

This is the battery he fitted : https://batterygroup.co.uk/batteries-by ... y-monobloc

Obviously the bike hasn't been run or used or maintained for a few years, so the battery is pretty discharged.
It's reading about 1.5(ish) v across the terminals, so I'm thinking it's not completely dead.....

So - I buy this charger: https://www.allbatteries.co.uk/lead-aci ... p3208.html, which I'm assured is going to do the job by the customer service reps at 'allbatteries'.

I'm also assured that it will turn up with a UK plug fitting.


it turns up with the EU plug fitting.

No matter, I've got plenty of adaptors - so hook up the battery, and plug it in.

The instructions say that if the charger is plugged in with an open circuit, or whatever it's hooked up to is not 'recognisable', the indicator light for 24v will simply stay on, otherwise one of the other indicator lights will come on to show that the charger has recognised the battery voltage and will do it's thing.


The 24v light comes on and stays on.

I leave it for 5 minutes - no change on the charger indicator lights.

I take the battery off the charger and check the levels... it's gone up to about 2.5v.
Ok, I think. the charger notification isn't working (not great), but the battery is taking a charge. yay!

But then I check the battery again... the charge is down to about 2 v... and as I watch, the level drops and drops 2.1, 2.0, 1,9, 1.8.... and levels off again at about 1.5(ish).

My thinking is that one of the cells in the battery is fubared - would that sound right? Would I get that behaviour of seeming to take a charge but then losing it quickly?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The battery is fucked, buy a new one.

[Rockburner]

The battery is fucked, buy a new one.

Clear and erudite.


I was leaning that way myself.

[dern]

If you know someone with a noco charger then they have a force mode that ignores the initial voltage test. If you know someone who has one you could try that. They're more expensive than the battery though so cheaper just to buy a new one if you don't.

If you live anywhere near Berkshire you're welcome to drop it off an try leaving it on my charger for a day or so.

[Rockburner]

If you know someone with a noco charger then they have a force mode that ignores the initial voltage test. If you know someone who has one you could try that. They're more expensive than the battery though so cheaper just to buy a new one if you don't.

If you live anywhere near Berkshire you're welcome to drop it off an try leaving it on my charger for a day or so.

I think the charger I have 'is' putting charge into the battery - but the battery simply isn't holding on to it.

Whereabouts in Berkshire are you? I'm up in Bracknell every fortnight so could possibly drop it off and pick it up later if it responds?

[dern]

If you know someone with a noco charger then they have a force mode that ignores the initial voltage test. If you know someone who has one you could try that. They're more expensive than the battery though so cheaper just to buy a new one if you don't.

If you live anywhere near Berkshire you're welcome to drop it off an try leaving it on my charger for a day or so.

I think the charger I have 'is' putting charge into the battery - but the battery simply isn't holding on to it.

Whereabouts in Berkshire are you? I'm up in Bracknell every fortnight so could possibly drop it off and pick it up later if it responds?

Cold Ash near Newbury. Quite a way out from Bracknell.

[Rockburner]

If you know someone with a noco charger then they have a force mode that ignores the initial voltage test. If you know someone who has one you could try that. They're more expensive than the battery though so cheaper just to buy a new one if you don't.

If you live anywhere near Berkshire you're welcome to drop it off an try leaving it on my charger for a day or so.

I think the charger I have 'is' putting charge into the battery - but the battery simply isn't holding on to it.

Whereabouts in Berkshire are you? I'm up in Bracknell every fortnight so could possibly drop it off and pick it up later if it responds?

Cold Ash near Newbury. Quite a way out from Bracknell.

It's a bit off my route. Many thanks for the offer though, I'm pretty sure it's borked so will order a new one - but I may have a go at rekindling this one - might be useful to have 2 batteries for the bike.

[wull]

Just fire a UK plug on to the charger so you don’t have to fart about with an adaptor.

[Rockburner]

Just fire a UK plug on to the charger so you don’t have to fart about with an adaptor.

It's a complete unit.

[wull]

Can’t see the pic but know what you mean.

[wull]

Just looked at the one you bought, any reason why you bought that over something like the Noco Genius 1 which is pretty much the same price, even states EU plug on the listing for the one you purchased.

[Rockburner]

Just looked at the one you bought, any reason why you bought that over something like the Noco Genius 1 which is pretty much the same price, even states EU plug on the listing for the one you purchased.

As I said, it was recommended by the seller.

I know nothing about battery chargers so no idea who the market leaders are. Obviously also complicated by the fact it's 6v.

[wull]

That’s a shame, the Noco does 6v batteries as well.