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In this video we demonstrate how to prepare a brand new dry-charge Yuasa lead-acid battery
for a motorcycle. Here we have the Yuasa YTX14-BS 12 volt battery. This battery is a sealed,
maintenance-free, dry charge battery with an absorbed glass mat (AGM) separator and
valve regulated vent system (VRLA). It has a capacity of 14Ah (amp hours) and 200 cold
cranking amps (ccA) or 200A.
Before we begin make sure you have a clean, cool & dry well ventilated area to work in.
Read all of the instructions provided by the manufacturer. You will need safety gloves,
goggles, water close by and someone within yelling distance who can come to your aid
in case of an injury.
Unpack the battery and set the electrolyte solution aside. Since this is a 12V battery,
there will be 6 cells to fill with the electrolyte solution. The plastic canister will have 6
tubes filled with electrolyte (1 for each cell).
The electrolyte is composed of sulfuric acid so be very careful handling it. If you get
acid on yourself don|t panic. Just quickly wash water over any exposed areas. Never touch
your eyes or mouth during this process especially if acid is on your hands.
Remove the protective seal covering the battery cells.
Unwrap the electrolyte solution. You may need scissors to cut open the plastic bag.
Carefully remove the cap on the canisters and set aside as this will become the cap
for the battery cells.
Do not puncture or remove the seals from the electrolyte canisters.
Carefully align the canister tubes with their corresponding cells. The seals will self puncture.
Keep the canisters in an upright position and apply gentle downward pressure, slowly
adding more pressure until all the seals are punctured. The canister should be even and
self supported. The solution will immediately start to dispense in the cells at a relatively
even rate. You may need to lightly tap the top of the canister to help get it started.
You will see air bubbles in the tubes as it empties. Do not try to rush this process or
shake the canisters. It may take 15 to 20 minutes for the canisters to empty completely.
You may need to gently rock the canister back and forth to make sure all the solution is
dispensed. Once the the electrolyte solution is completely emptied into the cells, you
can carefully remove the canister and dispose of correctly.
Absorb any spilled or excess acid from the battery and tops of cells with a dry paper
towell.
The canister cap now becomes the cap for the battery cells. Since we still need to charge
the battery, it is important you only put the cap on loosely for the first time we charge
it. This allows out-gassing and venting to take place during the first charge.
For demonstration purposes we use a voltmeter to check the charge of our battery after filling
the acid. We get a reading of 12.7 volts. If we had tested the battery before we added
the electrolyte solution, we would get a reading of 0 Volts because the battery would have
no positive or negative.
Before charging the battery, read the instructions on the box or the battery as it will tell
you how fast and how much current you can use. The initial charge is the most important
charge for this battery. This particular battery has a "standard charge" requirement of 1.4A
x(for) 5-10hrs and a "quick charge" of 6.0A x(for) 1.0h. We want to use a slow charge
for the first charge.
In our example we use a Noco Genius 3500 battery charger. We set the mode to "small 12V AGM
battery" with a current of 0.9A. We will let it charge overnight.
Now that our battery is fully charged, we are ready to seal the cap. We can confirm
the charge by testing our battery with a voltmeter. With the charger still connected to the battery
we get a reading of 13.9. This reading will usually be between 13.8 and 14.2 if the charger
has gone into float mode like ours has.
When we remove the charger we test our voltage again and we get a reading of 13.7 which indicates
our battery is fully charged.
Now it|s time to push down the cap since we left it loosely on for the first charge. This
may require some muscle to get the cap flat so that it is perfectly sealed.
Finally, you are ready to install the battery in your motorcycle or intended vehicle. For
best results use the battery immediately for 3 to 5 cycles before storing it for any duration.
You should also use a trickle charger for continued maintenance of your battery when
you are not using it.
We hope this video on filling and charging a dry charge motorcycle battery was useful
for you. You can purchase this Yuasa battery online at www.atbatt.com