Battery help - Ducati.ms

andpopst4 · Jun 21st, 2006, 2:48 pm

Have I got a duff Battery ? I left it on an optimate for a week and it was showing a green light (ok). However it hardly turned the engine and then the selanoid was clicking. With the lights on the selanoid doesnt even click when trying to start. I put a voltmeter on the battery and it read 12.4v and then when trying to start (during selenoid clicking) it dropped to 4.8v. I also noticed the battery top was quite hot from all my starting efforts.
Is it ok to use a car battery with jump leads or will this cause some damage or blow a fuse. Ps- I think its the orginal battery.
Any comments greatly appreciated.

Oilhed · Jun 21st, 2006, 4:06 pm

Thats what happens when the cells are dry. They act like a capacitor - show voltage but drop immediately with a load. Is it a sealed battery?

jack · Jun 21st, 2006, 4:07 pm

Age has a lot to do with battery strength. But I would check all the connections and make sure they're clean and tight at the battery, solenoid, starter, frame and negative terminal. It can be jumped from a car, just match the terminals. If it turns over quickly with jumpers, but barely turns over on it's own, it's probably time for a new battery. Check the connections first.

andpopst4 · Jun 21st, 2006, 5:04 pm

Its not a sealed battery and the levels are between min and max. There is a bit of white furring at the bottom of some plates in some cells.