Battery issue

[knoppers]

I just bought a 2017 sportsman 850SP in late November, all stock. I rode it a few times shortly after, only 3 miles on it, went to start it two weeks ago, and the battery was dead. I put the charger on it for a hour, and it started, I let it run for a good 10 minutes, and the instruments said 14.6 for charge. now I went to start it today, the same thing, battery dead. put a cheap battery tester on it, and it said 20 percent. woundering if I should take it back to the dealer, any thoughts?

[RebelSS]

I would. Lotsa lousy batts out there. It happens. I went through two in row in a brand new F-150. Have them check your charging output, too.

[Walleyehooker]

Sounds like your battery has a bad cell and not holding a charge. Take it out and have it tested.

[Mike89]

new wheeler, take it in the the dealer

[rundrave]

I wonder if it sat too long on the floor with a low battery or someone left key on or something. Those AGM batteries do not like to be run low and its hard on them but they are great batteries. The biggest problem with them is recharging them. If the charging voltage is too high, over 14 to 14.5 volts, it will fry the battery. The battery should be charged at a rate of .75 to 1.5 amps on an auto shut off battery charger. If it's a 15 amp hr battery and is dead, it should be charged at 1.5 amps or less for 10 hrs. Put it on a 6 amp charger and it will charge it toooo fast and kill it.

 

I would take it in to have it tested, should be able to do it right at the counter at most auto stores. If its bad take it back to the dealer I would hope they would swap it out for a good one.

[Mike89]

when that happened to my wheeler the dealer made me bring the whole rig because of the warranty 

[walt501]

I also bought a new Polaris 850 Touring.  I had starting problems almost immediately, but I had the solution.  I took out the stock battery and the spacer that sits under it and installed an Odyssey battery model PC925L.  The "L" is for left hand positive.  The Odyssey battery is over twice the size of the OEM battery from Polaris, takes some doing to get it to fit, but once installed no more battery problems - ever.  I've had an Odyssey battery for 7 years in another quad.  It sits all winter, no charger, no nothing.  Pull it out in the spring and start it up, the Odyssey has plenty of cranking capacity - even after sitting for 6 months. 

 

You can buy a new battery from the dealer, and do the same every 2 to 4 years or buy an Odyssey battery and have a long term solution that won't let you down.

[leech~~]

On 12/30/2016 at 7:30 PM, knoppers said:

I just bought a 2017 sportsman 850SP in late November, all stock. I rode it a few times shortly after, only 3 miles on it, went to start it two weeks ago, and the battery was dead. I put the charger on it for a hour, and it started, I let it run for a good 10 minutes, and the instruments said 14.6 for charge. now I went to start it today, the same thing, battery dead. put a cheap battery tester on it, and it said 20 percent. woundering if I should take it back to the dealer, any thoughts?

 

For a $9-10 grand machine. In a heart beat bring it back. Once the warranty is up then go out and buy a better brand battery.

[Mike89]

excellent reply leech!!!

[knoppers]

so far it seems to be holding a charge after leaving the charger on for 3 hours. I will check the level again after this very cold weather to see how it holds up, if its depleated again, its going back.

my 2011 850 had no issues with the battery at all. my 2002 Yamaha grizz, the battery lasted 10 years, of course that was carbed.

 

[walt501]

On 1/4/2017 at 11:22 AM, leech~~ said:

 

For a $9-10 grand machine. In a heart beat bring it back. Once the warranty is up then go out and buy a better brand battery.

 

Run back 26 miles on a remote Canadian logging road grouse hunting.  Shut the machine off to get a grouse.  Hop back on machine and it won't start.  Spend the night in the woods so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face tending a fire and waiting  for sunrise.  Walk six miles back down the road at sun up.  Become tired and make a pillow out of birch branches and grab a few winks.  Walk another three miles and finally get picked up by some bow hunters. 

 

So I could return the machine to the dealer and get another crappy YUSA battery or I can fix the problem once and for all and have a machine i can rely on in the wilderness.  For about $135 and some of my time, I'll take the Odyssey battery and be done with battery problems forever, thanks.

[leech~~]

7 hours ago, walt501 said:

 

Run back 26 miles on a remote Canadian logging road grouse hunting.  Shut the machine off to get a grouse.  Hop back on machine and it won't start.  Spend the night in the woods so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face tending a fire and waiting  for sunrise.  Walk six miles back down the road at sun up.  Become tired and make a pillow out of birch branches and grab a few winks.  Walk another three miles and finally get picked up by some bow hunters. 

 

So I could return the machine to the dealer and get another crappy YUSA battery or I can fix the problem once and for all and have a machine i can rely on in the wilderness.  For about $135 and some of my time, I'll take the Odyssey battery and be done with battery problems forever, thanks.

Walt, in your case seems to make since. But, why wouldn't you bring an extra if your that far out in the bush?

Down here in the Lower 48. We just wait for the next 10 4 wheelers to roll by to give us a lift back!

Edited January 7, 2017 by leech~~

[Macgyver55]

16 hours ago, walt501 said:

So I could return the machine to the dealer and get another crappy YUSA battery or I can fix the problem once and for all and have a machine i can rely on in the wilderness. 

 Or return the crappy machine for one that doesn't eat batteries!

9 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

Down here in the Lower 48. We just wait for the next 10 4 wheelers to roll by to give us a lift back!

 Not always like that where I ride leech! Last year on our annual spring ride we rode 5 days and 320+ miles and never saw another wheeler.

Just my personal experience, but Yuasa has delivered far from "crappy"performance for me! I have had 13 different ATVs,  all had Yuasa batteries and I've never had one let me down on the trail. Most lasted the life of the wheeler (while I owned it), and most were also used for winching and plowing. The worst things for a battery are heat, vibration and lack of use. If a new wheeler is having problems with a battery that soon when it is being used.......my experience tells me either the machine is defective or the battery is! Even an overpriced, new, super heavy duty, best ever, battery won't solve a problem if the battery isn't the problem. Throwing a new battery in a machine that could potentially have an electrical problem is just setting you up to have another bad day!

If you still have warranty, by all means have it checked out! Either way they should eat the cost, not you. At least you won't be left wondering if the battery was the issue or not..... 

[knoppers]

I will attempt another start tomorrow, and if this is not good, for sure its going back to the dealer. I have had good luck with Yuasa batterys, maybe I just got a drained one put in that was sitting around to long, or its got bad cells.

 

when running, it does say 14.6 volts, so it must be charging

Edited January 8, 2017 by knoppers

[leech~~]

Guys I am all for putting in the biggest gosh-darn power house of a battery you can fit in there.

 

I'm just saying if I spent $9-10 grand on a rig the darn thing better start when it's still under warranty or someones going to be hearing about it and making the issue right!!

[RebelSS]

Knoppers...sounds like you're not alone. There's 4-5 guys on other sites with the same brand machine you have, and the exact same problem...I dunno, you figger it out. I'm going with a bad batch of batteries.

[Walleyehooker]

Batteries don't like to sit idle so getting and putting a battery tender on them ocassionally will usually extend their life. Car batteries usually last a long time because they get used a lot. Also not sure what kind of battery they use but there are better batteries than acid type batteries for all terrain vehicles that are bouncing down the road. With that said I have had bad batteries that didn't make it a year and the same brand battery go for many years.

[knoppers]

it was dead again, even after putting the tester on it that said 90%, it still would not turn over. after trying, the tester said 30%. I called the dealer, and it is going in Tuesday.

[knoppers]

they load tested the battery and said it was bad, everything else they said was fine, they put in a new battery. tried it today after sitting since Tuesday, and it started up fine, problem fixed.

 

I have a 2002 grizz carbed, and that sat for close to 3 months, went to start it this weekend, and it cranked for at least a minute (very cold blooded machine) and it started, it has the same battery that's in the Polaris.