docc Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'm more than a little embarrassed to post this, but it looks like I made a stupid mistake. As many of you know, I am *meticulous* about monitoring and maintaining my AGM battery. After my Speedhut gauge installation, my battery would not take a charge from the dedicated EnerSys charger. My >testbed Seems I violated Rule#1 of electrical work: -> Disconnect the Negative Battery Terminal. -> First. -> Before Anything Else. There, I feel a little better knowing that you won't do what I screwed up . . . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 $100 problem, bummer. But reminds me of something I learned in a business class a long time ago. Any problem that can be solved by paying money is not a problem, it's an expense. And now I guess Swampee the Lawn Tractor will have to wait a while longer for the next hand-me-down battery. But thanks for the reminder. I finally had it explained to me why you disconnect negative first - it cuts the circuit. Then if you accidentally connect a wrench between positive terminal and frame it will not spark. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Thanks for the kind encouragement, Scud. I'm working at *reconditioning* the AGM (2 1/2 years old). If it won't respond, I'll put my 7 year old >testbed Swampee-the-man-eating-garden-tractor-from-Kirkland. What I know most about reconditioning batteries: cycle them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi_Roy Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 Don't feel so bad, I've done it too, what went wrong? Sent from my shoe phone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Don't feel so bad, I've done it too, what went wrong? Sent from my shoe phone! I'm guessing it is a combination of it sitting for 30 days, turning the gauges on and off some, and not disconnecting the battery while unmaking and making connections? That last part is what made me think I should have disconnected the battery while doing the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 We learn as much from our mistakes as our successes. So if we only post our successes we're only learning half as much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 We learn as much from our mistakes as our successes. So if we only post our successes we're only learning half as much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It's that kind of attitude (along with a sprinkle of greenie attitude) that makes this forum such a great place. "When you lose, don't lose the lesson." - generally attributed (although perhaps incorrectly) to Dalai Lama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi_Roy Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 When I'm playing with stuff I power it from a current limited bench power supply set to about twice the current I need that way it's hard to damage anything. As an apprentice we had a 100 Watt 230 Volt lamp connected to a pair of probes, it was great for powering up small loads but a bit nasty if you accidentally made personal contact When you are working with a motorcycle battery you have a significant source of energy, it can do lots of damage if it gets shorted out. I like to use a bulb in series with the battery. When the lamp is cold it has almost no Voltage drop so will provide 12 Volts to the load but if you create a short the lamp lights up and the Voltage drops to next to nothing. Something like the Speedhut gauges could be powered through a tail light bulb, for heavier loads go to a headlight bulb or one with both filaments in parallel. At the very least you should have an in-line fuse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 We learn as much from our mistakes as our successes. So if we only post our successes we're only learning half as much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It's that kind of attitude (along with a sprinkle of greenie attitude) that makes this forum such a great place. "When you lose, don't lose the lesson." - generally attributed (although perhaps incorrectly) to Dalai Lama. Quotes are never incorrectly attributed on the internet. Ever. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMDL Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 We learn as much from our mistakes as our successes. So if we only post our successes we're only learning half as much. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It's that kind of attitude (along with a sprinkle of greenie attitude) that makes this forum such a great place. "When you lose, don't lose the lesson." - generally attributed (although perhaps incorrectly) to Dalai Lama. Quotes are never incorrectly attributed on the internet. Ever. Quotes are never incorrectly attributed on the internet. Ever. - Jimmy Hoffa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 When posts move, the topic drifts. - Lao Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 "Enjoy thy topics as well as thy posts." - Desiderata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Actually, more on the battery and proper procedure while working on an electrical system. If I am understanding Kiwi_Roy's method, it is to disconnect the vehicle battery and use a separate power source to power a system while it's being worked on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi_Roy Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 No I would use the battery and a lamp if on the bike, I use the power supply when working on the bench Which brings me to another topic, I have an old Sears battery drill that requires 12 Volts, the battery gave out years ago but it works great clipped to the bike battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 The PC545 is slowly recovering. The float charge is now 13.26 (looking for it make 13.4-13.8). When I first tried to restore its state of charge, it would only float at 12.7, which is about 90% of an AGM full charge and the charger would terminate. I have been wondering if I damaged one of the terminals internally overtightening . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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