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Battery Tender Issue

Started by theroadglide, November 18, 2019, 08:49:33 AM

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Coyote

Sorry, having re-read this I think I'm the one that misunderstood.  What I posted in correct but it has nothing to do with when you plug the charger in the wall.

Plugging the charger in after connecting the battery might eliminate the connection spark...IF your charger will allow it. Many will not.

Hossamania

My Tender will work either way. Never noticed a spark at the plug on the bike when connecting "hot".
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

vetteandharley

  Thanks to the OP for posting this up. Had a battery tender that was not charging just giving a flashing red light.  After reading this thread gave the female portion of the connector a little pinch and all is well.   :up:

Jim Bronson

Mine is permanently plugged into an outlet with a switch. I've never had a problem connecting it first, then switching it on. It is easier for me that way. I wish there were an icon for 'lazy.'  :teeth:
Going down that long, lonesome highway. Gonna live life my way.

Boe Cole

Not perfectly related to the discussion, when i was working as a mechanic in a garage, one of the mechanics down the street had a car battery explode in his face when he was either connecting or disconnecting it.  I was told at the time that the safest way to handle a battery is to disconnect the negative terminal first as if the wrench/pliers/whatever touched anything on the car, there would be no sparking.  After the negative terminal is disconnected, then undo the positive as there won't be any sparks either because you don't have a complete circuit.  When connecting a battery, do the positive first and then the negative for the same reasons - no sparking.

Have always lived by that rule and have never had a problem even though people do it wrong all the time and don't have a problem - but it only takes one spark and battery gas to ruin your day.
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

hattitude

Quote from: Boe Cole on December 03, 2019, 02:00:01 PM

I was told at the time that the safest way to handle a battery is to disconnect the negative terminal first as if the wrench/pliers/whatever touched anything on the car, there would be no sparking.  After the negative terminal is disconnected, then undo the positive as there won't be any sparks either because you don't have a complete circuit.  When connecting a battery, do the positive first and then the negative for the same reasons - no sparking.



This is the way it SHOULD be done....

I had the misfortune of doing backwards once back in  my youth... accidentally touched the wrench to metal while removing the Positive terminal 1st.... my ultra quick reactions, fueled by adrenaline and complete fear, broke the connection in a micro second...

I was amazed by the damage to the wrench and metal with only a micro second, direct short from a car battery....  That wa smy wake up call to how powerful 12v can be...

As I shared the story with friends, I one tell about how he saw a wrench almost weld itself to a piece of metal due to a 12v short..

fbn ent

I touched the big stainless ring on my left index finger to the wrench I was using to disconnect the positive cable from the battery (to replace the 30AMP breaker).  :doh: Main Street Sturgis. In the split second it took to realize where the sparks were coming from it turned red hot. Must have been quite the sight me jumping around trying to get it off. Still have the scar.  :slap:
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

Hossamania

I'm glad I've never done anything like that...............     :embarrassed:
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

76shuvlinoff

My wedding band fits snug between the positive post on my 76 FLH and the rear corner of the rear rocker box.
On the plus side it gets hot fast.

Just sayin'
Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place, then come down and shoot the survivors.
 - Ernest Hemingway

jmorton10

Years ago, I ws a Snap-On tool dealer.  I was in one of the stops on my route which happened to be a GMC truck dealer.  The mechanic was unhooking one of the batteries (it had 4 batteries in a metal battery box) when he accidentally touched his wrench from the positive cable post to the battery box.

Next thing that happened was a very loud bang as the battery exploded spraying him with battery acid. There was nothing left of the battery except a small corner including the post still hanging from the cable. He was bleeding from his right eye, his nose & his mouth. His clothes where completely ruined. He spent the night in a local hospital even though he wasn't seriously hurt.

Now, I was standing maybe 4 feet away from him & didn't get a single drop on me.

~John
HC 124", Dragula, Pingel air shift W/Dyna Shift Minder & onboard compressor, NOS

PoorUB

When I was in high school I worked at a Amoco, (Standard Oil), gas station that had a full service shop. One cold winter day I was out jump starting cars. We had a engine powered jump start that sat in the back of the truck. I don't remember the specs on it, but we would jump start semi trucks with it to so it cranked some serious juice. Anyway I was trying to get this car started and it was not going well. I leaned into the engine compartment to look at something and right then the battery exploded. I may have bumped the jumper cable, don't know for sure. The top of the battery nailed me right in the forehead and I ended on my back on the ground. It was like getting a good punch in the head from some really big dude. I remember taking off my stocking cap and jacket as I was soaked in battery acid. I wiped my face off with snow then went into the customer's home, (he was standing right there when it happened), and got washed up with some water and backing soda. Needless to say I didn't get the car started until later with a new battery. My cap and jacket were pretty much done for, full of holes after a good wash. I had some minor acid burn on my face, looked like a sunburn for a few days, but no serious injuries. I was probably lucky I was wearing prescription glasses.
I am an adult?? When did that happen, and how do I make it stop?!

Scotty

Quote from: Hossamania on December 14, 2019, 09:38:02 AM
I'm glad I've never done anything like that...............     :embarrassed:

:bike:  :hyst:

72fl

 did you happen to Start the Bike with it on the Tender ? I did that ONCE :emoGroan:

Lone Ranger

Quote from: 72fl on December 24, 2019, 05:22:17 AM
did you happen to Start the Bike with it on the Tender ? I did that ONCE :emoGroan:

So have I, it did unplug when I took off and fortunately didn't hurt anything. :oops:

IronButt70

All this reminds of the guy I saw trying to hook up a battery charger to an old positive ground Mack truck. He couldn't figure out why sparks went flying and the charger would shut down.
No one else put you on the road you're on. It's your own asphalt.

thumpr54

When I lived in Tucson I was working on the battery on 71 F250 and got an expandable watch band between battery + and ground...melted the band into my wrist in a millisecond...ouch...got my freaking attention
growing old is mandatory-growing up is optional
355 AMS(TAC)DMAFB 73-76 VFW6774

Hossamania

I usually tape up my wrenches and screwdrivers when working around power and batteries.
No rings or watches when working. No rolled up pant cuffs when grinding or welding. No ties or loose clothing when working around moving equipment.
Of course, these haven't always been the rules I followed. Gaining knowledge is expensive and painful sometimes...
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

fbn ent

'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

kd

Quote from: thumpr54 on December 24, 2019, 09:51:40 AM
When I lived in Tucson I was working on the battery on 71 F250 and got an expandable watch band between battery + and ground...melted the band into my wrist in a millisecond...ouch...got my freaking attention


:crook:   Wellll ..... I wasn't going to admit to this but the very same thing happened to me in High School auto shop.  We had engines on stands that we worked on and would run them after.  The shop teacher used to say "All jewelry off lads".  Well watches aren't jewelry are they?  He laughed like crazy at me and thanked me for the class safety demonstration.  :dgust:  It's 53 years later and I look at that scar and think of him laughing.  I don't suppose he figured out who locked him in the tool crib and why until I told him about 5 years ago.  :hyst: :hyst:
KD

Hossamania

December 24, 2019, 12:01:43 PM #44 Last Edit: December 24, 2019, 12:14:13 PM by Hossamania
Back to the topic of Tenders, I have an ATV that hasn't been run since last winter, the battery is about 4 or 5 years old, the battery wasn't dead, but it wasn't charged either, no start of course. I put the Tender on it, it went to green overnight, but still didn't quite have enough juice to turn over cold oil, cold motor. I put my 50amp charger on it and got it running, took it for a ten minute ride, it didn't really want to start when I got back, so I put the Tender back on overnight. Again went to green, again didn't want to start, I figured new battery time.
But, I have a unit called a BatteryMinder Plus, looks like a Tender Junior, it has a maintenance button on it, it is supposed to bring dead batteries back to life, I think by going into a prolonged de-sulphate mode. In the past I've had varying degrees of success with it, hadn't used it in years. I figured what the hell, give it a try. I left it on for a day and a half, just went out to give it a try, and it fired right off. I'm not sure the battery will last much longer anyway, but the Minder did what it was supposed to do for now.
Just wanted to pass on the info about the BatteryMinder. I learned about it from a co-worker who used it on his mother's old dead car battery and said it worked for him, so passing it on here.

[attach=0,msg1327680]
If the government gives you everything you want,
it can take away everything you have.

1workinman

Quote from: PoorUB on December 23, 2019, 04:05:21 PM
When I was in high school I worked at a Amoco, (Standard Oil), gas station that had a full service shop. One cold winter day I was out jump starting cars. We had a engine powered jump start that sat in the back of the truck. I don't remember the specs on it, but we would jump start semi trucks with it to so it cranked some serious juice. Anyway I was trying to get this car started and it was not going well. I leaned into the engine compartment to look at something and right then the battery exploded. I may have bumped the jumper cable, don't know for sure. The top of the battery nailed me right in the forehead and I ended on my back on the ground. It was like getting a good punch in the head from some really big dude. I remember taking off my stocking cap and jacket as I was soaked in battery acid. I wiped my face off with snow then went into the customer's home, (he was standing right there when it happened), and got washed up with some water and backing soda. Needless to say I didn't get the car started until later with a new battery. My cap and jacket were pretty much done for, full of holes after a good wash. I had some minor acid burn on my face, looked like a sunburn for a few days, but no serious injuries. I was probably lucky I was wearing prescription glasses.
I had a battery explode on me when I worked for GM many years ago and the acid got in my eyes , flushed them with water for several minuets and lucky no loss of eye sight or damage . Lucky I guess but I have not forgot the experience . There is a reason to land the jumper cable on the negative on the last connection on the  engine I think to minimize the change of causing a explosion of the hydrogen gas of the battery . That was a long time ago when safety was not as important as it is today thank goodness lol

Rockout Rocker Products

1967 Yamaha 100 model YL2/C battery test procedure:

Assemble screwdriver from included tool kit.

Remove side cover exposing battery.

Bridge positive terminal of battery to frame & check for spark

Lay patiently on your back while parent pours a gallon or so of Canada Dry ginger ale in your eyes

Ride as passenger in Rambler American to local army base, blow through guard station & screech to a stop in front of hospital, get dragged inside

If you can still see at this point, battery was defective


www.rockout.biz Stop the top end TAPPING!!

1workinman

Quote from: Rockout Rocker Products on December 24, 2019, 07:47:08 PM
1967 Yamaha 100 model YL2/C battery test procedure:

Assemble screwdriver from included tool kit.

Remove side cover exposing battery.

Bridge positive terminal of battery to frame & check for spark

Lay patiently on your back while parent pours a gallon or so of Canada Dry ginger ale in your eyes

Ride as passenger in Rambler American to local army base, blow through guard station & screech to a stop in front of hospital, get dragged inside

If you can still see at this point, battery was defective
Lol damn I need a beer lol

cbumdumb

Going from mech / millwright to parts man ....long story .....I have many batteries go pop on me . I don't care how big or how small I respect them all