Battery Tender-- Normal? - Ducati.ms

Kierantaylor · Nov 2nd, 2011, 11:14 pm

After our halloween snow storm I started to stage my bike in the garage (with hopes to ride again this month if temps and wet leaves allow)
Anyhoo
Hooked it up to a Battery Tender (one of the supposed smart ones) and I have noticed that it goes from steady green (all good ready to go) back to a flashing green (80% charged and still charging)

So, is this normal? If so what is causing the battery to dip down go back up and down again? Esp if its just sitting there?

Spensersdad · Nov 3rd, 2011, 12:17 am

I have a Battery Minder. That is the actual name, not a generic description.

If my battery is a little depleted the green light glows solid. Once the battery charge is up the green light flashes, this indicates a float mode.

Ducologist · Nov 3rd, 2011, 12:47 am

I have a Battery Tender Jr. and once mine hits solid green, it stays solid green. Perhaps the battery is reaching the end of it's lifespan.

Bill_Anderson · Nov 3rd, 2011, 3:43 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducologist

I have a Battery Tender Jr. and once mine hits solid green, it stays solid green.

My Battery Tender does the same thing.

Stick · Nov 3rd, 2011, 6:00 am

Be sure that nothing is turned on, like heated grips that can accidentally be left on, if wired direct to batt. IF the battery was low, it's not uncommon for them to cycle from float back to charge for a while, but if it's constantly doing it, I'd be looking for a parasitic drain, or the above.

Michael:
Your Battery Minder, when it's flashing, not only goes into the float mode, but it also goes into the desulphation mode. I have one, and it's the best tender that I've used to-date. I've actually seen a slight amount of that whitish looking crud on the plates of a wet cell battery vanish, while using this Batt.Minder (over a couple of months).

RDuc3 · Nov 3rd, 2011, 8:45 am

As someone else mentioned the blinking green indicates the battery is charged and the charger is in maintenance mode. At some point the green led stays on solid indicating full charge has been met.

tonered · Nov 3rd, 2011, 8:54 am

I believe that I read somewhere that the Battery Tender will cycle every 48hrs. I could be full of it though.

Have a good one.

Stick · Nov 3rd, 2011, 8:58 am

I've had some of the Schumacher brand (Wally Mart) 1.5A tenders do weird things. I use these on a 24 hr. timer. They come on at 4AM, so it's "ready" for me at 5:30.

I think they go off around 8AM. 4 or 5 hrs. of trickle/float works 4 me. My 'vette battery lasts over 10 years doin' it this way!

RDuc3 · Nov 3rd, 2011, 2:24 pm

I have a Battery Tender JR and it does not blink. I also have a couple of older Battery Tenders that don't blink either, just the newer ones do I guess.

**motolectric** · Nov 3rd, 2011, 2:25 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kierantaylor

So, is this normal? If so what is causing the battery to dip down go back up and down again? Esp if its just sitting there?

Yes, it is normal. The ECU draws a few milliamps at all times and eventually that draws the battery down enough to trigger the charger to come back on and top it up.

That's the big breakthrough with "tender" type chargers.

Prior to this type you either had tickle chargers which forced current into the battery at all times (and boiled wet cell batteries dry over time) or chargers that would shut off at full charge but not come back on.

I have a Sears brand charger from +20 years ago which was one of the first of the tender type and it was over $100 back then.

But it still works and does the job well.

But I also have 3 other tender type chargers since some batteries need a charger with specific characteristics (Odyssey etc.).

HTH