My scooter battery keeps cooking!

[spazfishy]

Guys, I have a problem and hoping an expert can help me. I have a CFmoto glory and it is cooking batteries. I have literally gone through 4 batteries now and each one of them are completely drained of acid also leaving a nice ruined paint job on the scooter too as the acid was leaving. I have tested to see if the battery is receiving a charge and it is but if I leave the battery connected over a week or two I will come back to a completely dead battery drained of all acid. This is with the scooter simply being stored, nothing running. Does anyone know what I need to replace or test to fix this. I am about to sell it as is cause I cannot continue to buy batteries.. Thank you

[Hersbird]

Are you sure it goes dry just sitting and not while it is running but you don't notice because you don't need the battery once it's running. If it is overcharging it will boil the battery, that would be a problem with the voltage regulator. Also the battery has a vent line that should just be open, if that got connected to a vacuum port it could suck the battery dry. If you see external leakage ruining the paint maybe there is something damaging the case.

[Daox]

In the short term, you can add water to battery cells. You don't add acid to them. The water evaporates and you'll need to add more eventually.

Other than that, I'd definitely check to see what kind of voltages you see while running because like Hersbird said it could be overcharging and boiling the water out. In that case, the regulator is in need of attention.

[spazfishy]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Are you sure it goes dry just sitting and not while it is running but you don't notice because you don't need the battery once it's running. If it is overcharging it will boil the battery, that would be a problem with the voltage regulator. Also the battery has a vent line that should just be open, if that got connected to a vacuum port it could suck the battery dry. If you see external leakage ruining the paint maybe there is something damaging the case.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I have gone through 3 or 4 batteries now and all have boiled out every last drop of acid so I don't think it would be anything battery specific. The last battery I purchased I never used to operate the scooter, I never went riding with it. I only maybe started it a few times and i kept on testing it with the vom. Eventually the battery was also dead so i really think something is draining or cooking the battery while it is not operational or being stored. I have no trickle chargers hooked up either, you just let it sit connected to the scooter and after about a month the battery has no more acid and the scooter has more ruined paint. Do you think this would be a short or the regulator? I did check the voltage to see if the regulator was charging the battery while it was running and everything checked out fine. I forget the specifics but it was supplying a normal amount of current to the battery according to my technician friend I had with me at the time. Does the regulator do anything when the bike is not running? To me signs point to the regulator but I dont know if it has any part when it's not running. If not then maybe a short somewhere and what would be the best way to troubleshoot that? Thanks again for both replies thus-far.

[Hersbird]

While it is sitting, even if there was a drain on the battery like say a short or the headlight left on, that shouldn't drain the acid in the battery. The battery would be 100% dead but full of fluid.

[2000mc]

Exactly what voltages do you find when measuring at the battery, at idle? At 2000-3000rpm?

[spazfishy]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

While it is sitting, even if there was a drain on the battery like say a short or the headlight left on, that shouldn't drain the acid in the battery. The battery would be 100% dead but full of fluid.

The acid is draining or cooking till evaporation. I have gone through 3 batteries now, all cooked. Any idea what could cause it then?

[spazfishy]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

Exactly what voltages do you find when measuring at the battery, at idle? At 2000-3000rpm?

I honestly forget but I remember it being normal and providing a proper charge to the battery. I am waiting a new battery from Amazon which i should receive Wed. I will test this again once received.

[spazfishy]

Could anything cook a battery while not running?

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by spazfishy

Could anything cook a battery while not running?

OVER charging the battery...either by (a) too much voltage, (b) too much current, or (c) charging too LONG. All of which are controlled by the battery charger used.

What KIND of charger are you using? There *IS* a difference.

• A "CHARGER" is designed to quickly "re-fill" a depleted battery by applying a voltage somewhat HIGHER than the battery's intrinsic voltage (ie: 14VDC into a 12.6V battery); it should NOT be left connected for long periods of time. Once the proper battery electrolyte acid-ratio has been achieved (indicating FULL charge) the charger should be immediately disconnected. Pumping 14V into an already fully-charged 12.6V battery will over HEAT the electrolyte causing it to "boil" and evaporate away as you describe.

• A "FLOAT" or "TRICKLE" charger is designed to slowly (trickle)& periodically (burp) "top-off" an already "full" battery during extended periods of non-use; it CAN be left connected for long periods of time.