Snowmobile dead battery

[Walleyehooker]

2nd year that Ive got the sled out of storage and battery is dead. I guess I should have disconnected one of the leads as something like the clock? is drawing power. I put charger on overnight and it started today but have to see if it holds a charge. Anyone else have this problem? 

[leech~~]

I pull mine out of everything sled, bike, boat and store them on a charging bench I made in the basement. Then put a trickle charge on a few times during the winter or summer if sled battery and test them from time to time. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by leech~~

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Minnesota is not good on batteries if they're not used.  Even spring and fall after you put them away we have a lot of nights at freezing.  Anything I store gets the battery taken out and put on a tender.  Even if it doesn't have clocks or anything running just sitting out in a cold temp can suck the juice right out of it.

[Walleyehooker]

I have most of my stuff wired for battery tenders and rotate them even in the winter and havnt had any problems. Next spring I will probably just pull the battery before it gets stored. 

[Cooperman]

When ever I buy something that has a battery, I also buy one of these. I must have 10 of them by now. On some of my stuff I don’t even take the battery out like my pontoon and boat, I put them in the garage and hook up the maintainer for the winter. I put them on my lawn tractors, my atv’s utv’s, motorcycles, everything. I was buying batteries all the time, not anymore. I even have to put one on my Toyota Highlander that I keep at the cabin because it supposedly has 26 computers, and if I don’t drive it for 2 weeks the battery will be dead. I’ve even had the maintainers bring suspect batteries back to life. Buy them on sale, there worth it.

 

[RebelSS]

7 hours ago, Cooperman said:

When ever I buy something that has a battery, I also buy one of these. I must have 10 of them by now. On some of my stuff I don’t even take the battery out like my pontoon and boat, I put them in the garage and hook up the maintainer for the winter. I put them on my lawn tractors, my atv’s utv’s, motorcycles, everything. I was buying batteries all the time, not anymore. I even have to put one on my Toyota Highlander that I keep at the cabin because it supposedly has 26 computers, and if I don’t drive it for 2 weeks the battery will be dead. I’ve even had the maintainers bring suspect batteries back to life. Buy them on sale, there worth it.

 

Best idea.  NEVER leave a stored battery hooked up to the equipment. Parasitic drain will deplete them. Clean terminals and top of battery and use a battery tender like LEECH  ( ^ ) and Cooperman said or trickle charge a few times throughout the storage season.

[Pat K]

1 hour ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

Minnesota is not good on batteries if they're not used.  Even spring and fall after you put them away we have a lot of nights at freezing.  Anything I store gets the battery taken out and put on a tender.  Even if it doesn't have clocks or anything running just sitting out in a cold temp can suck the juice right out of it.

Batteries discharge slower in cold temps. Ask any farmer that has a lot of seasonal equipment,  summer heat is harder on stored batteries than winter cold. The only trump card cold temps have is the ability to freeze a discharged battery.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Pat K

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Just now, Pat K said:

Batteries discharge slower in cold temps. Ask any farmer that has a lot seasonal equipment,  summer heat is harder on stored batteries than winter cold. The only trump card cold temps have is the ability to freeze a discharged battery.

Interesting... The number of cars I've seen not start or hard to start in the winter seem like it points to the cold sapping battery juice.  I've seen many batteries go to junk sitting in the winter but have never had an issue with one out on my bench in the summer.

[Pat K]

From C-TEK battery chargers:

Bottom Line on the Effect of Temperature on Batteries

• Cold batteries hold their charge longer than room temperature batteries; hot batteries don't hold charge as well as room temperature or cold batteries. It's good practice to store unused batteries in a cool location.

 

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, RebelSS said:

 use a battery tender like Cooperman said or trickle charge a few times throughout the storage season.

Oh like I didn't say that first!  

2 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 Then put a trickle charge on a few times during the winter or summer if sled battery and test them from time to time.

 

Edited October 27, 2017 by leech~~

[Moon Lake Refuge]

6 minutes ago, Pat K said:

From C-TEK battery chargers:

Bottom Line on the Effect of Temperature on Batteries

• Cold batteries hold their charge longer than room temperature batteries; hot batteries don't hold charge as well as room temperature or cold batteries. It's good practice to store unused batteries in a cool location.

 

cold or frozen?  I did a little research and it looks like stationary batteries do last longer cold, didnt know that.  But from what I have found a battery with any kind of connection to the terminals leaches much faster in cold to frozen weather.  So maybe just disconnect and your good.  

[Big Dave2]

I've never owned a snowmobile with a battery so usually things that I am storing in the summer don't have a battery. The toys that I am storing in the winter that have a battery I remove and keep them warm and charged.

I used to have a boat that I wanted to maintain the batteries on so when I finally got to use it it would be ready. I installed one of these little chargers similar to this right on my boat so when not in use I could just plug it in. I would think this might work well on a snowmobile with a battery.

 

[Walleyehooker]

Well battery seemed to take a charge and is working now but will let it sit a day or 2 and see if it holds the charge like it did last year. Otherwise it will be a $100 for a new one.

[LoonASea]

Just went out and check to see if mine would start being the same engine and mine fired right up ,,, You have the better gauge system then mine so that may be drawing some current when stored ,,, I've never had a charger on my sled yet

[Walleyehooker]

I have a few battery maintainers that I swap around from the motorcycles to the 4 wheeler to the lawn mower etc. And the boat has an on board charger to take care of things. I used to remove the boat batteries in the winter but as long as they have a good charge they wont freeze.

[Walleyehooker]

4 minutes ago, LoonASea said:

Just went out and check to see if mine would start being the same engine and mine fired right up ,,, You have the better gauge system then mine so that may be drawing some current when stored ,,, I've never had a charger on my sled yet

Maybe because I have only started and rode it a few times in 2 years. Looked at the speedo 229 miles on it. Maybe I will get it broke in this year.

[LoonASea]

Well you may have to travel north pretty soon,,,, We got 10.5 inches of snow today and its not looking like any warming trends in the future ,,, warm ground will take some snow down but its gonna be white here for the season ,,, I hope 

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, Walleyehooker said:

Maybe because I have only started and rode it a few times in 2 years. Looked at the speedo 229 miles on it. Maybe I will get it broke in this year.

Got you beat. The used one I just picked up only has 122 miles on it! 

Do we need to haul around jumper cables this year for the 4 strokers?

Edited October 27, 2017 by leech~~

[Walleyehooker]

58 minutes ago, LoonASea said:

Well you may have to travel north pretty soon,,,, We got 10.5 inches of snow today and its not looking like any warming trends in the future ,,, warm ground will take some snow down but its gonna be white here for the season ,,, I hope 

Keep us posted on the trails and Ill be up when they are ridable.

[Walleyehooker]

35 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Got you beat. The used one I just picked up only has 122 miles on it! 

Do we need to haul around jumper cables this year for the 4 strokers?

No problem I have room for my jump box in the trunk. And I may bring it till I'm sure the battery is OK.

[RebelSS]

5 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Oh like I didn't say that first!  

 

 

6 hours ago, RebelSS said:

Best idea.  NEVER leave a stored battery hooked up to the equipment. Parasitic drain will deplete them. Clean terminals and top of battery and use a battery tender like LEECH  ( ^ ) and Cooperman said or trickle charge a few times throughout the storage season.

[Big Dave2]

20 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Oh like I didn't say that first!  

 

What do you want, another sweatshirt? 

[RebelSS]

6 hours ago, Big Dave2 said:

What do you want, another sweatshirt? 

 

'That is an obtuse statement.  He's going for a matching HAT. 

[leech~~]

7 hours ago, Big Dave2 said:

What do you want, another sweatshirt? 

Dave still has to find away to Persecute me. No matter what the topic is? 

[RebelSS]

Lotsa that going around on here. I wouldn't hold my breath on that hat...or shirt...or anything, for that matter.