Optimating a very dead battery?

At the weekend, I tried to charge up the battery on a friend's bike
which has been parked up in my garage for several months using the
Optimate. Only the green power light came on and after 24 hours none
of the charge lights came on.

So, tried a bog-standard charger instead which originally didn't seem
too hopeful either but when I checked it just now after another 24
hours its meter was showing signs of life. Just changed back to the
Optimate and now it is showing the first couple of charge lights.

So what do you reckon the chances of saving the battery are? The
battery was brand new last summer.

 

gomez wrote

Slim if it has been a day to just show signs of life on a normal
charger.

Still if you don't try you will never succeed will you, so it was well
worth the very small effort it cost.

 

gomez explained on 04/04/2005 :

As a last resort if that fails, try _fully_ discharging the battery,
recharging it with the + to - and - to +, discharging it again followed
by a recharge with the correct polarity. That should remove the
sulphate buildup on the plates and (perhaps) restore it back to full
health.

 

Harry Bloomfield wrote

What!!!

I am not so sure that particular piece of advice is correct given the
competency level and ability to understand risk that the majority of
this newsgroup possess.

Not one of your strong point presumalabley.

 

If the battery isn't a sealed for life or gel type, you might want
to check the fluid levels in each cell. I had a similar problem
last month on my R80GS and recovered the battery by filling the
cells up using distilled water.

Mikey

 

Not sure I am going to risk that that. It will be my friend's call,
so if she wants to try it, she can wheel the bike outside as far away
as possible then I will stand well back with 999 on speed-dial.

 

gomez wrote

Nah I wouldn't if I were you, stick to what you know eh, prolly safest.

She?

Did I mention that I do on site training as well, not just this distance
learning stuff.

 

It is a gel type.

 

She is probably a bit out of your league

 

There is absolutely no difference in the design of the cells, other
than one of the poles having one more plate than the other. A fully
discharged battery, is a fully discharged battery and it can be
recharged either way, except that it is designed to work a little
better (due to the layout of the plates) with the correct polarity.

Now does anyone want to know how to recover/repair neglected NiCads

 

most chargers will pick up the incorrect connection and shut down , unless
of course the battery is showing no voltage whatsoever , if its this far
gone then it will be fucked anyway

 

gomez wrote

There isn't a woman who isn't a virgin in one of the biblical senses
been born wot is out of my league.

What does seem to be out of my league though is convincing them that I
ain't.

 

If you can ride hard all day and party hard all night and still be
fresh as a daisy then you might stand a chance. GSH essential.

 

gomez wrote:

Kipling?

 

gomez wrote

Kin trademark mate. Friction burns an optional speciality.

I like a good joke, as much as any man. Some things, obviously and
there is no real need to mention the details here, I get a bit sensitive
about but then doesn't everybody.

This for example, mailed to me today by one of my window licker mates:

Q. How do you make an Iranian Girl pregnant?

A. Spunk on the floor and let the flies do the rest.

How offensive can you get? Were it not for that fact that he would just
dribble back at me I would give him a good telling off.

 

She might be persuaded. She is up for most things.

 

Can you do two hours sitting in a pool of petrol? ( I only lasted
twenty minutes).

LOL. Mind if I use that on her tomorrow?

 

Oh yes, You must know her well. Our mutual friend, perchance?

 

The lights on the Optimate show no change from when it was first
switched on so things are not looking good. It might be worth putting
the other charger back on and see what happens before trying out your
tip.