2 Questions: Over charging battery and random tube?

[lam.i.am]

My battery was completely dead so I placed it on a 10A/12V charger for 12 hours. I've done this with other bikes without problems but when I went to go look at it this morning, there was a lot of heat coming from the battery. (Google says I probably should not have used that powerful of a charger. Oops). Besides possibly damaging the battery, what else could I have damaged? The molex connector circled in the first pic was super hot...enough to have steam coming off it. It got cold last night so I'm guessing it was condensation from hot surface vs cold air.

Second question:
What the heck is this random hose under the tank? (Second pic) I'm guessing crank case breather? But I thought it pointed down?

 

[FinalImpact]

I would begin by discarding the battery and replace it with a new one as I'm sure that one is damaged. If your connection for charging was directly to the battery, its very likely that fuse next to the battery got hot as your Regulator Rectifier (RR) assembly took the brunt of the current from the charger when the battery dried out and tried to dissipate all that current as heat.

I hate to say this, but its very likely you damaged the RR. The RR has several jobs. It takes the stators energy (spinning magnets with coils making AC power) and converts it to DC power but also regulates its voltage keeping it under 14.5V DC.
- What might you see with a new battery in place - When you rev the engine the voltage may reach dangerous levels above 14.5V and harm the 12V components which compose the bulk of the electronics on the vehicle.

So, with a new battery and properly charged per the manufactures recommendations, you want a volt meter on the RR to watch the voltage. Should it shoot over 15V at 2500 ~ 5000 RPM, shut it down immediately or risk damage to the rest of the system.

Click image and follow thread for a picture of the RR.
Battery Voltage can be checked from the RR w/the seat off:
Shown is Cold start, @ 1500 RPM, 14.4vdc

 

[FinalImpact]

The hose is the engines crank case breather allowing air/gases in and out of the engine. It connects to the underside of the air filter box just above the TB inlets. It should have a clamp on it also. And confirm the the two other smaller hoses are connected to the air filter box too. If not connected unfiltered dirty are is entering the Idle Air Control Circuit.

• Lastly - if that battery was boiled dry was it an AGM battery, you might want to scrub the underside of the tank with soap and water as well as anything with a film on it. The acid will remain active for months and decay everything it touches.

 

[ChanceCoats123]

As for the hose, check for any open ports on the air box. It has quite a few tubes going to it, and that one looks vaguely like it is one of them.

 

[lam.i.am]

Well I figured the battery was shot last week when it discharged in about 10 minutes with the head light on so I am planning on replacing that. Then we'll test to see if I fried the RR. Is this the RR I would need to replace it with?

Are OEM batteries AGM? Either way, I'll scrub the tank good. Thanks for the tip.

Looks like i'll be pull the tank completely off. Too bad I just put a full tank of gas in it.

 

[Motogiro]

Yeah a ten amp charger is not a good idea. You may have done damage. The regulator part of your rectifier/regulator is a shunt type regulator. This basically means that when the voltage reaches it's top off the shunt regulator turns the additional current into heat through the heat sink. If the heat sink and shunt are capable of dissipating 150 watts of power your regulator/rectifier may be okay. This is why you felt a lot of heat at that plug. The shunt and the battery were dissipating heat. The battery also took a brunt of the current and you may have damaged it. Start the bike and look at the voltage. Bring the motor to 3-4k rpm. is the voltage below 14.9 vdc? If it's above that 14.9 vdc your regulator is damaged and needs to be replaced. Take your battery and have it load tested.
Let us know what you find.

Also you should see 13.5-14.5 vdc with the engine at 3-4k rpm. Remember the voltage quoted are nominal, meaning between your components, meter and battery state the voltage will vary a little.

Edit: I live with lots of interruptions. Sorry for the late post as I started writing early on this...

 

[lam.i.am]

So...my RR connector doesn't look like your pic.

 

[FinalImpact]

So...my RR connector doesn't look like your pic.

Did you follow the link? The picture above with the voltmeter has probes into the RR which looks like:

Does it have a new battery yet?

 

[Motogiro]

So...my RR connector doesn't look like your pic.

That's your starter relay assembly.... Well you're right there at the battery now so.....

Since you're there can you give us some static. idle and above 2000 rpm voltage readings?

 

[lam.i.am]

OK now that I am looking at this post from a pc, I get it

Went to Walmart and got a battery and 8/2 charger. (8 amp charge and 2 amp trickle). Will this work?

 

[Motogiro]

OK now that I am looking at this post from a pc, I get it

Went to Walmart and got a battery and 8/2 charger. (8 amp charge and 2 amp trickle). Will this work?

You need a charger that has a monitoring circuit that will just put a maintenance charge after it initially charges the battery.

It will sample the battery and will not charge at all until the voltage has dropped and it senses a charge is needed. Car type chargers are not really used for motorcycle anymore because the MC has a different type charging system. You can use a car type charger to get going provided it doesn't brute force overload the regulator but it stops there. Be safe and get the right charger.

Here's one: Battery Tender | Deltran 12v Waterproof Battery Charger Tender

They also have MC charger units at Cycle Gear. Battery Charger at Cycle Gear

You don't need 8 amps....

 

[lam.i.am]

Or should I go buy a Battery Tender?

 

[FinalImpact]

^^ ++5 to [MENTION=2579]Motogiro[/MENTION] post

Usually it states what initial rate is needed right on the battery but as a rule of thumb on these smaller batteries you want to charge them slowly like at 20% of their rated capacity.

10Amp Hour battery could be charged with 10 AMPS in ONE HOUR but this GETS THEM HOT AND WILL DAMAGE A NEW BATTERY.

On the other hand 1 AMP for 10 HOURS is too slow for ideal chemical reaction.

BEST IS 2 AMPS for ~ 4 to 5 HOURS or a rate equal to 20% of its rated capacity. 10A/hr * 20% = 2.0 Amps

Take your time and charge it slowly (LESS CURRENT {AMPS}) and it will serve you well!

EDIT: my OEM Battery from 2008 has this on it (doesn't jive with my own advice tho!!)
1AX5~10(h) = Which translates to 1.0 Amp for 5 to 10 hours. They expect you to be there and monitor it!

Its from a Yuasa battery marked GT12B-4, no spill battery.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Most of the regular battery tenders (for motorcycles) automatically charge at 1.25 amps.

I have several BMW MC chargers (look the same as the battery tender) but definitly different inside, is also 1.25 amp charge rate. That charger, on the same battery, takes considerably longer to get a GREEN, "done light"..

The 1.25 is what's usually used for the initial charge on a NEW battery. A brand new battery comes 80% charged, a topping off with the charger will get you longer life out of your new battery..

Once its charged, you can use the .8 amp waterproof charger as your just topping off/maintaining.

I also have the Deltran, waterproof .8 amp charger attached to my boat lift to maintain my group 27 (MUCH larger than a typical car battery) marine battery.

 

[iviyth0s]

Psssh, riding is my battery charger/tender

 

[lam.i.am]

Question: The PO had the Power Commander wired directly to the battery. Had an inline fuse. I haven't checked it yet to see if it blew but did I damage the PC?

FYI: Sears as the Battery Tender Plus for $29.99 right now. Pretty good deal.

LINK

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Q

FYI: Sears as the Battery Tender Plus for $29.99 right now. Pretty good deal.

LINK

Very, very good deal!

 

[lam.i.am]

Update on this:

Finally got the correct battery (Yuasa 12B) and let it sit on the correct charger (Battery Tender) for almost 24 hours.

I got it in the bike and started it. First off, wow! What a difference!

Second: I checked the voltage on the RR. At idle, I was around 12.5 ish. I revved it to about 4k and it got up to about 14.5 ish. Turned off and repeated. Same results.

Does this mean my RR is fine?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Update on this:

Finally got the correct battery (Yuasa 12B) and let it sit on the correct charger (Battery Tender) for almost 24 hours.

I got it in the bike and started it. First off, wow! What a difference!

Second: I checked the voltage on the RR. At idle, I was around 12.5 ish. I revved it to about 4k and it got up to about 14.5 ish. Turned off and repeated. Same results.

Does this mean my RR is fine?

14.5 volts revving is good.

What is your idle at when your getting 12.5 volts? That's a bit low...

Make sure your idle is around 1,300 or that at your idle, your putting about 13 volts back into the battery... Give a couple of seconds of steady RPM's to let the VR come up and even out the voltage...

 

[lam.i.am]

14.5 volts revving is good.

What is your idle at when your getting 12.5 volts? That's a bit low...

Make sure your idle is around 1,300 or that at your idle, your putting about 13 volts back into the battery... Give a couple of seconds of steady RPM's to let the VR come up and even out the voltage...

revving as opposed to holding the RPM? Ok, I'll check when I get home since I did the install on my lunch break.