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Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:00 pm
by HPetrino
My TT has been parked and not started for a few months. Everything worked fine when I parked it. I tried to start it this morning and the battery is stone dead. It's a 12V with an alternator, no starter. I just use the battery for starting coil voltage and the lights.

I put my charger on it, made sure the connections were good, and nothing. The meter on the charger should read 6 amps, then diminish as the battery charges. It reads 0. The battery is 4-6 years old, I don't remember. I'm thinking the battery is toast. Can anyone confirm of contradict that assumption?

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:10 pm
by Scott_Conger
I would expect it would be toast, at that age. The alternator continuously pulling current didn't help.

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:31 pm
by George N Lake Ozark
Should be a date on the side of the battery. Is your alternator switched ???

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:16 pm
by HPetrino
Well, this whole thing turns out to fall in the category of, "I was only wrong once in my life, and that was one time I thought I was wrong and it turned out I wasn't."

I decided to try starting it on mag. I had believed the battery was dead because when I turned on the turn signal (it has electric turn signals) nothing happened. Intending to switch the ignition switch to MAG out of habit I turned it to BATT instead. BUZZZZ. What the heck? Darn thing started right up.

The reason the charger was not showing any amps is because the battery has a full charge, not because it's dead. So now I need to figure out what's wrong with the turn signals.....

Dang. Sometimes I think old age is punishment for past sins.

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:17 pm
by HPetrino
Thank you for your replies. Sorry to have wasted your time.

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:25 pm
by Scott_Conger
It's always something...

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:50 pm
by tonny
easy fix

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:34 pm
by Marv K
-Henry-
It's at those "Duh-Oh!" moments that we can be thankful we're still alive!

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:10 pm
by JEC
Not relevant to your problem but my battery tender(charger) requires some voltage present in the battery to function.

Re: Battery Question

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:43 pm
by T&a2015
Like John said, "battery requires some voltage" for the Tender to work properly. I must have atleast 2 dozen Battery Tenders operating w/some being diesel engines which takes alotta juice to turn over, and everyone worked perfectly. We have had record snowfall up here in WI this winter and near record cold this season (40-50-60 degree below zero chill factor) as Marv can verify. Those Battery Tenders work, best $40.00 a piece I've ever spent !!

Another "tid-bit" of advise, don't buy cheap grade batteries. Look for lead cell batteries, you'll know them when you go to pick them up !! Interstate, Excide are good brands. Optima is top of the line but very pricey.