Is my battery dead?

[Warthog]

When I parked up the TA back in December, I took the battery (wet variety) out and kept it indoors.

I have trickle-charged it twice: once every 6 weeks. I would charge it to about 13 volts on the multimeter, then put it back in storage.

When I did it again yesterday the voltage had dropped to about 10 volts since the last charge (no surprise there).

This time it never really rose above 13.2 volts during the charge but once I took it off charge within about 2 hours it had dropped down to 12.2 volts where it seemed to stay.

However, this morning it was down to about 11.97 volts.

Electrolyte is just on the lower marker.

Is this normal, or a symptom of a battery no longer able to hold it's charge?

[phil w]

Had a new battery last year??? Or does Estonian winters kill them that quick??

[Lutin]

I would top the battery up, with distilled (de-ionised) water, and give it another go.

[Warthog]

Had a new battery last year??? Or does Estonian winters kill them that quick??

Shouldn't be as it was kept indoors.

I'll top up the elctrolyte and try again, as Lutin suggested.

It might just be my charger of the fact the battery is not running of the bike generator. If it is knackered, I'd rather know before the day I try to get the bike running again for spring...

[Lutin]

What type of charger do you have, by the way?

[Warthog]

What type of charger do you have, by the way?

Nothing special: a Gunsons plug-in 6 or 12v charger...

[StumpyFingers]

Nothing special: a Gunsons plug-in 6 or 12v charger...

It could be the charger is not able to give a decent charge rate.

[Warthog]

It could be the charger is not able to give a decent charge rate.

Possibly. It is old. Over 10 years old, I reckon. That said, it had the battery to over 13 volts when connected.

Perhaps an optimate type is in order if I have to do this every winter!!

As long as I can get the bike started a nice long ride should see the battery good, I think.

[StumpyFingers]

Possibly. It is old. Over 10 years old, I reckon. That said, it had the battery to over 13 volts when connected.

Perhaps an optimate type is in order if I have to do this every winter!!

As long as I can get the bike started a nice long ride should see the battery good, I think.

It could hold it there when plugged in but it might not be pushing enough into the battery.
If it is over 10 years old I would suspect it to need replacing, better technology means better control over the charge cycle.

[Warthog]

It could hold it there when plugged in but it might not be pushing enough into the battery.
If it is over 10 years old I would suspect it to need replacing, better technology means better control over the charge cycle.

So.......know any good chargers?