Charging an Odyssey Battery

[Shep]

My battery is dead flat, what is the best way of recharging it, I have a normal but good quality car type lead acid battery charger with a boost fast charge/normal charge function.

The battery seems to draw very little amps on normal charge, so i'm guessing these type of sealed/perhaps gel batteries perhaps need a different charging 'curve'


Is it worth giving it a quick burst of boost fast charge? or will it fekkit up?

Shep

 

[gwigglesworth]

If its dead flat then you need a charger that will take them from dead flat... It could be it will draw a little... then suddenly start to draw lots as it gets some charge...

Other really really bad trick is to charge it on the bike with something left on to drain it... (heavily not recommended as you can break lots but it has been known to work)

 

[Edventure]

Shep, I have a Ctek charger you can borrow. It's the one recommended by Odyssey

 

[Shep]

Shep, I have a Ctek charger you can borrow. It's the one recommended by Odyssey

That sounds ideal, pm me your addy and if I get stuck i'll pop over, cheers

 

[MickDB1]

I dont know if this is helpful
but I got one back from dead by connecting it to an old 12v car battery and put a charger on the car battery - sorted it out by a day later - still running me bike
at mo -- touch wood

 

[(RIP) Proff]

I dont know if this is helpful
but I got one back from dead by connecting it to an old 12v car battery and put a charger on the car battery - sorted it out by a day later - still running me bike
at mo -- touch wood

As Mick sez try it without charger connected for a few hours, let the battery try to equalise itself, then if bike is howing signs of life, put charger on the car battery, whilst leaving it connected to the bike battery...

 

[Kenny]

You can actually charge them with an Optimate but the red/green lights get a little but never-the-less, still charges it up. Motorworks told me this

 

[Shep]

I don't really understand what makes them difficult to charge the charger supplies voltage OK that can alter between battery types but generally it will mean a gel will not reach fully charged (100%SOC) on a standard charger, but 80%SOC will do me for now. Or is there perhaps something more serious happening with the battery when charged with a OLA charger?

If it's only part charged I can always rely on the airheads excellent charging system to top it up

Shep

 

[cookie]

I dont know if this is helpful
but I got one back from dead by connecting it to an old 12v car battery and put a charger on the car battery - sorted it out by a day later - still running me bike
at mo -- touch wood

high potential for disaster here IMO.

a fully charged car battery dumping god knows how many amps, unregulated, into a flat bike battery. what could possibly go wrong?

nothing probably, but i'd be very careful if i was doing it.


i'd be putting the odyssey on a car charger.

 

[(RIP) Proff]

high potential for disaster here IMO.

a fully charged car battery dumping god knows how many amps, unregulated, into a flat bike battery. what could possibly go wrong?

nothing probably, but i'd be very careful if i was doing it.


i'd be putting the odyssey on a car charger.

Been doing it since God was a Lad, no problems ever !!!!








YET

 

[Redboots]

i'd be putting the odyssey on a car charger.

Some chargers, Optomate/Ctek require +2v to power the on-board computer.
So I would just get it to that level with some sort of ordinary charger and then switch to the "conditioner" type charger.

It has worked for me.

John

 

[ianf]

They like a good bit of current to get them going, but the voltage has to stay below 15v to stop them gassing. There was a doc on their webpage about it, but I can't find the link now.

 

[Nobby]

6 amp charger i think you need to charge them that's what there web site said when i checked for my battery on the best sometime back. But check that.

 

[bumpmuncher]

I use whatever charger is at hand (as long as it is for charging 12v batterys) if mine needs charging

 

[toadjam]

gel batteries

i read somewhere that gel batteries should only be charged with a smart charger, ie optimate / c tek . acid filled batteries can be charged with either .optimates can bring back totally dead ones .

 

[MattW]

My Ctek is supposed to be able to charge Odyssey batteries (not that I have one).

But unfortunately even if you revive it, it's probably toast - it'll have severely reduced capacity. Lead acid batteries (which is all an Odyssey is) hate being fully discharged, especially if they stay fully discharged for any length of time

 

[cookie]

i read somewhere that gel batteries should only be charged with a smart charger, ie optimate / c tek . acid filled batteries can be charged with either .optimates can bring back totally dead ones .

How smart is the charging system on your bike?

 

[bumpmuncher]

Odyssey user manual clicky here

 

[cookie]

Been doing it since God was a Lad, no problems ever !!!!








YET

we've all done it, I have when jumping vehicles, but it's not a good thing to send 100+ amps into a dead battery. Just saying.

I wouldn't want to walk away and leave it. I'm sure you'd use decent jump leads, cheap shite could easily melt.

 

[Beemerboff]

Charging it wrongly might not cause any problems at the time , but it might shorten the life , and you end up paying $240- for a battery which doesnt last any longer than a $60- one.

Not a problkem if you are charging somone elses , but you might not want to do it to one you own.

Pity these instructions wern't around when I had an Oddesy years ago - from my experience treat them like a normal wet lead acid battery and the wornt last 2 years.