Gel Battery Charger

[basketcase]

A-hem ...

And all that official sounding technospeak means ... what?

Rick (the unfortunate battery ignoramus) in AL

 

[kbasa]

Originally posted by Chickenman_26
This reduction in energy density can be a problem in many applications with high electrical demands and limited installation area. Charging voltage also must be controlled and most manufactures recommend a maximum of 14.4v @ 25 deg. C. Many vehicles and battery chargers exceed this voltage. Exceeding the charge voltage can result in thermal damage, which can reduce the Gel electrolyte into a liquid state and result in permanent damage to the battery.

That's probably the pertinent part of a very informative post.

Notice that Chickenman's source is a Yuasa guy.

Nice!

 

[bikegeezer]

Re: A-hem ...

And all that official sounding technospeak means ... what?

Rick (the unfortunate battery ignoramus) in AL

You're in good company, Rick. Most folks don't have the electrical or chemical background to understand that jargon. Rather than attempting to give you a battery primer, I'll gladly provide answers to any specific questions you might have on the subject. Here's a link to a short article to get you started, though it applies mainly to conventional and AGM batteries.
http://www.yuasabatteries.com/motor_battery.asp
BTW, I've written a short article to put the Yuasa verbage into layperson's terms. With any luck, it'll appear in a future issue of ON.

CM

 

[globalrider]

Charging voltage also must be controlled and most manufacturers recommend a maximum of 14.4v @ 25 deg. C. Many vehicles and battery chargers exceed this voltage.

I would assume that is what most chargers cut-off at before going to flaot mode.

In any case, the e-mail I recieved from YUASA stated that their 12V 900 mA Hot Shot battery tender is acceptable.

As for the 14.4V limit, give or take 0.1V isn't going to make any difference.

As for the statement above "many vehicles exceed this voltage", it was the fact that the BMW voltage regulators used, both prior to the use of gel cells and after, have the same part number, so there is hardly any reason to panic with respect to "special gel battery chargers".

I've been charging and monitoring my battery while using the YUASA Hot Shot. Works well, and for a lot less money.

Thanks for the informative post.

 

[bikegeezer]

In any case, the e-mail I recieved from YUASA stated that their 12V 900 mA Hot Shot battery tender is acceptable.

You're correct; I was mistaken. I thought I remembered the Hot Shot attaining 14.8 volts. But checking my test notes, I found it was only 14.48. Regarding the engineer's statement about "many vehicles" exceeding a critical voltage, that statement was general in nature, not specifically addressing BMW motorcycles.

The information I'm currently getting indicates the proprietary Gel charger may be a CYA thing. Those using automatic motorcycle battery maintainers shouldn't experience problems. But some folks are still using trickle chargers or car chargers...or no chargers. This bulletin gives fair warning and gets BMW off the hook (IMO) for cooked or sulfated Gel batteries.

CM

 

[LORAZEPAM]

I am going to install a chargeX on my bike. It is safe for gel batteries, and stays attached to the bike all the time. Just pull the cord out and plug it in when you need a charger.
http://www.kisantech.com/kisanWeb3/chargeGuardSpecial.htm