Technical Manual Powersports Batteries
Consumer Products Yuasa 12V, 1 AMP Automatic Battery Charger & Maintainer Part No. YUA1201000 s 3 stage charge cycle s Easy-to-use, simply attach to battery & plug it in s Charges and maintains your battery s 3 color LED displays your charge status at a glance s Reaches 14.4 volt peak then automatically switches to maintenance mode s Designed to prevent overcharging s Includes quick connect adapter and alligator clips Jumper Cables Part No.
Table of Contents 1 . About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 . Battery Basics & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Lead Acid Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . What Does a Battery Do? . . . . . . . . Battery Construction and Chemistry. . Battery Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Battery Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AGM Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 About About Yuasa About This Manual Yuasa Battery, Inc. has been producing batteries in the U.S.A. to uncompromisingly high standards since 1979. Today Yuasa Battery is one of the largest American manufacturers, distributors and original equipment (OE) suppliers of batteries for motorcycles, all-terrain & utility vehicles, snowmobiles and personal watercraft in North America. Yuasa supplies batteries to more powersports OE manufacturers than all other competitors combined.
Battery Basics and Safety capacity. Batteries with less capacity are capable of starting a large displacement engine, but they may not do so reliably, especially in colder climates. How batteries are rated is covered later in this manual. The Lead Acid Battery What Does a Battery Do? Powersports—depending on your interests, the term can bring to mind many vehicles.
Battery Construction and Chemistry Technically speaking, a battery is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. It’s important to understand that a battery does not “store” energy, or electricity, it stores a series of chemicals, and through a chemical reaction electricity is produced. What’s Inside the Battery Case? To understand the process of chemical to electrical energy conversion, let’s take a look inside a battery.
The SG becomes higher as the ratio of acid to water changes back to mostly acid. Measuring SG can only be performed on a Conventional battery because it has filler caps that allow access to the electrolyte. Other types of batteries without filler caps require a different method to determine state-of-charge.
Battery Types Each Yuasa line of batteries has its unique features that account for differences in price and performance. We’ll take a closer look at the two basic types of batteries that Yuasa manufactures. These two battery types are: Conventional and Absorbed Glass Mat, or AGM. Conventional batteries have filler caps that allow distilled water to be added to the battery periodically.
Patented Sealed Post prevents acid seepage, reduces corrosion, extends battery life Thru-Partition Construction provides shorter current path with less resistance than “over the partition” construction to get more cranking power when you need it Heat Sealed Case To Cover bonded unit provides greater strength; protects against seepage and corrosion.
vs. mowing the lawn) all affect battery choice and how well a battery will perform over its lifetime. Battery Ratings Because a battery’s basic job is to power the starter motor while maintaining sufficient voltage to also run the ignition and fuel systems, there has to be a way to rate its ability to perform these jobs. Powersports batteries are rated in ampere-hours (AH) and/or cold cranking amps (CCA).
Battery Discharging and Charging Battery Discharging One of two chemical processes is always occurring inside a battery at any given time—discharging or charging. Here is how the discharge process works. The electrolyte solution contains charged atomic particles called ions, made up of sulfate and hydrogen. The sulfate ions are negatively charged, while the hydrogen ions have a positive charge. When an electrical load is placed across a battery’s terminals (starter motor, headlight, horn, etc.
per week may not keep the battery charged enough to start the engine. The vehicle’s charging system will not be able to keep up with the use of the starter motor and electrical accessories (lights, ignition, fuel injection) over time. To keep the battery’s capacity high enough to operate the starter it will have to be charged with a battery charger when the vehicle is not in use—about once per month for a Conventional battery depending on temperature.
75% 3-6 50% 5-11 25% 13-20 0% 11.5 11.9 12.3 12.7 Time Required to Charge (hours) Percent of Charge (%) 100% battery must be replaced. If the battery is accepting a charge, continue charging. During this process the battery’s case temperature should be checked for excessive heat. If the case temperature becomes too high (about 140° F) charging should be stopped or charging current should be reduced. The process of charging a deeply discharged battery may take up to 20 hours or more.
4 Battery Selection & Activation Selecting a Battery Battery sensors indicate low electrolyte level inside a battery via a warning light. When the light comes on, it’s time to top off the battery with distilled water. AGM batteries do not use battery sensors. Selecting the right battery is an important decision as it will ultimately affect customer satisfaction. Often times battery issues, or problems are caused by the wrong battery f o r a specific application.
battery and are not interchangeable. Even if the battery sensor is original equipment (OE) it must be changed when replacing the battery because it may not match the new battery. This is true even if the replacement battery is the same brand as the OE battery. Sensor plugs that are installed into one of the battery’s cells come in many different lengths and diameters. A sensor plug that’s too long can cause electrical system problems.
to the Yuasa Battery Specifications & Applications guide. Yuasa offers a complete line of chargers to activate and maintain batteries to factory specifications and alll of them are discussed in the next section. 1 AMP Automatic Battery Charger & Maintainer Designed for long term use, Yuasa’s 1 AMP Automatic Battery Charger & Maintainer uses “smart” battery charger technology, is fully automatic and features a three level charge cycle.
The electrolyte container that is shipped with a dry AGM battery contains the correct amount of battery acid and is more concentrated that the electrolyte used in a conventional battery. 3. Place the electrolyte container with the foil seals facing down into the cell filler ports on the battery. Hold the container level and push down to break the foil seals. Electrolyte will start to flow into the battery and air bubbles will be seen inside the container. Do not tilt the electrolyte container. 4.
a hammer or excessive force. Never remove the strip of caps or add water or electrolyte to the battery during its service life. 1. The battery must be out of the vehicle and placed on a level 6. For batteries with ratings of less than 18 AH, let the battery stand for 20 to 60 minutes. For batteries with 2. REMOVE THE RED SEALING CAP FROM THE VENT higher AH ratings, and/or having the High Performance rating (designated by an “H” in the part number/ name) allow the battery to stand for 1 to 2 hours.
filling. Fill to the UPPER LEVEL as indicated on the battery. NOTE: Never fill/activate a battery installed in a vehicle as electrolyte spillage can cause damage. 5. Fill each battery cell slowly and carefully to the highest level line.
5 Installation, Testing and Maintenance Battery Installation In most applications, batteries should be installed in an upright position, If there is any question regarding a particular vehicle/battery/installation please contact us for our specific recommendations before installation. Yuasa AGM batteries that come with separate acid packs that are used to fill and activate the battery should not be installed in any position other than upright, as possible electrolyte leakage may occur.
There are two types of hydrometers used to measure SG: calibrated float and floating ball. The calibrated float provides an exact SG reading, however due to the amount of electrolyte needed to cause the float to rise inside the hydrometer they are impractical for use on small powersports batteries. The floating ball type hydrometer is much smaller in size and easy to use on small batteries. Instead of reading specific gravity directly, it uses colored balls to indicate state-of-charge.
Battery Testing — Voltmeter Battery Load Testing Unlike Conventional batteries, AGM types cannot be tested using a hydrometer because they are sealed. Instead a voltmeter can be used to perform an open circuit voltage test. The test can be used for both Conventional and AGM batteries. The test is used to determine the following: battery state-ofcharge, ability to hold a charge and shorted or open battery cells.
Yuasa Digital Powersports Battery Tester The previous battery testing methods required the battery to be fully charged before testing. Yuasa’s Digital Powersports Battery Tester (part number YUA00BTY01) can test a battery, in or out of the vehicle even if the battery is discharged. The tester measures a battery’s internal resistance regardless of its state-of-charge. Internal resistance is an indication of a battery’s ability to deliver current, or amperage.
Sulfation and Freezing POINTS TO REMEMBER The two most common reasons that batteries can become damaged are sulfation and freezing. These are not a problem if the battery is properly charged, and for Conventional batteries the water level is maintained. Battery sulfation takes place for two reasons: continuous discharging, or low electrolyte levels. When a battery discharges the lead in the plates turn into lead sulfate.
Glossary Acid—Sulfuric acid, used to describe the electrolyte or liquid contained in a battery’s cells. Pages 6, 7. Active Materials—Materials in a battery that react chemically to produce electrical energy; lead peroxide (positive plates) and sponge lead (negative plates). Activation—Adding electrolyte to a dry battery. Pages 8, 14, 23. AGM—Absorbed glass mat. Page 6, 8, 9, 14, 16. AGM Battery—A battery that does not contain any liquid electrolyte.
Lead Sulfate—A compound that results from the chemical action of sulfuric acid on oxides of lead within a battery cell. Pages 7, 11, 15, 24. MF—Maintenance-Free, VRLA sealed absorbed glass mat battery and AGM are all the same type of battery and do not have fill caps, nor do they need to be filled with water. Page 8. Milliampere—One thousandth of an ampere or amp.
Professional Shop Products s High Output charging current (4 amps) s High Voltage capable (20 volts) – designed to improve recovery of sulfated batteries s Switchable Mode operation – “Fast Mode” – for quick vehicle set-up – “Normal Mode” – ideal for smaller batteries, initial activation, and deeply discharged batteries s Commercial Grade – perfect for Dealer / Shop use s Suitable for all battery types – Conventional, as well as MF (AGM),including YTZ s Automatic Shut-Off s Reverse Polarity Protection / Spa
2901 Montrose Avenue, Laureldale, PA 19605-2752 Phone: 610.929.5781 Fax: 610.929.1295 yuasabatteries.
