Battery Charger

Have I just bought a lemon?

Bought this one from Argos, as my battery was flat again this morning, so was two hours late for my first day at my new job… Rang Halfords to get a battery charger, but totally sold out.

No panic, as the breakdown guy told me to try Argos, so I bougth one, an RAC one (thinking it does exactly what it says on the box). How wrong could I be…

Firstly, the instructions says to be used only indoors, not outdoors. Also, while charging, I need to keep it plugged into the mains! What I need and thought I bought was one that I charge up from the mains, then take it two floors down, and around the corner by about 100m to my bike! So, who’s got an extension cable this long? Or, am I supposed to remove the battery from my scooter, take it home and charge it? In that case, I might as well keep it at home overnight so it wouldn’t catch a cold in the first place.

I now have to get up at bloody 5am to try the battery, so that if the breakdown people take 1.5h (as they did this morning) I won’t be late for work!

So, what do I do next? Is there a battery charger that you can charge up and take to your vehicle, or are they all to be used in the privacy of your own home?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7506679/Trail/C%24cip%3D28884.DIY%2C%2Bgarden%2Band%2Bcar>C%24cip%3D28926.Car%2Bequipment>C%24cip%3D28930.Car%2Bbattery%2Bchargers.htm

Your batt shouldn’t go flat overnight! I’d have that looked at first.

Well, the breakdown guy said it’s not flat, but it’s just too cold for it, poor bloody useless Italian piece of sh1t… Second time in three days I’ve had to jumpstart it (it doesn’t have a kickstart).

Again I have to agree - you shouldn’t have a battery problem. If the battery’s going flat then it needs looked at. No way should it drain overnight. Do you have an alarm/imobiliser on your scoot?

Only the inbuilt immobiliser it came with. The battery is the original, so just under two years old.

If I go and get a new battery, can I put it in myself or do I have to take it into a garage (which won’t be possible until next weekend, so I may have to call the breakdown people in every day until then. What do I do with the old one?

PS - if your world and you looks anything like your avatar - can I jump into it and help you shove it?

I’m up the road in fulham, it’ll be ok, I’m by no means a scooter mechanic, but theyre pretty simple compared to R6’s etc i work on and the electrical basics are always the same. give me a shout if you want help.

Join the club… I am right with you…

your charger involves taking your battery off…

your better off with portable booster pack, you charge it at home, then take it to your ped when you need it.

but even so, you will have to leave your ped running while you travel the 100m and up the stairs to your flat…

Don’t have that prob on the cigar so you’ve got a knackered batt.

Not that hard to change a batt TBH. Failing that ring Mobile Scooters on 02083371123 and they will come to your work or home and fix it for you.

I assumed it was portable, as it’s only the size of a toaster. Grrr, so now I have to leave work early again so I can take it back. And, presumably, to go and buy a new battery, too.

See the thing with these immobilisers is that when it really comes down to it, they’ll immobilise the bike - against you. My experience with bike electrics is to leave 'em well alone. I’ve never had battery problems with any of my bikes, the only real electrical trouble I’ve had was with my last bike as the former owner was messing around fitting a gear change indicator which packed in after about a week.

My point of view is to leave em alone, imobilisers dont stop thieves, nor do alarms. Better to leave the wiring loom to do its original job, then you dont get all that drained battery crap unless your really uncarefull/unlucky.

No doubt some of you other guys have a point of view on this???

st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

900 AMP JUMP START WITH 260 PSI AIR COMPRESSOR

TAKE THE POWER WHERE YOU NEED IT

HEAVY-DUTCH CLAMPS FOR POSITIVE BATTERY CONNECTION

BUILT-IN EMERGENCY WORK LIGHT

BATTERY CONDITION TEST BUTTON

CHARGING LEVEL, BATTERY CONDITION METER

BATTERY RECHARGE CONNECTION WITH INDICATOR LIGHT TO RECHARGE UNIT FROM CAR

LONG CABLES FOR EASY CONVECTION

260 P.S.I AIR COMPRESSOR, SWITCH AND PRESSURE GAUGE ON BACK

AC ADAPTOR FOR CHARGING

12 VOLT CORD FOR CHARGING FROM CIGARETTE LIGHTER

£23.99

Attachments

Booster.jpg

hi paivi…these are on e.bay

So this is more what I’d need, is it? The problem I have is that the thingies you connect the crocodile thingies to are tiny, so I’d need baby crocodiles for it.

Might as well buy a new battery, though.

Does your bike have a kick start ? most scoots do ?

There you go

Hey Paivi is your Scooter new? I’m guessing it is and your probably a bit pissed off with it right now? Rightly so - effin thing should start. With scooters in the past you could kick the life out of them and then if all else fails push the thing untill it starts/doesnt start.

When was the last time you used it? Was it in the wet? Did you leave the ignition on?..dont go mad, weve all done it???

Paivi, sounds like the rac man was useless. He should of tested the voltage output of your bike while the engine was running.

Its true that in this cold weather the battery will disapate charge much faster than normal, but that said < afew days without starting in a worst case scenario would cause it not to start - not overnight!

If u get the rac to come out again get him to test the battery output once he has jumped it…should be in the region of 13.5-14/5 volts. If this isnt the case ure alternator/rectifies/both are broken. If it is the case go anf buy ureself a new battery, should cost no more than 30 quid

However the likelyhood is that if the alternator or rectigfies ir bust that this unit in joined toigether…most times not always.

FYI the rectifier changes the ac voltage generated as the engine is turning to dc, and the alternator actually generates that voltage.

its a fair point, but…

my issue is I am killing my battery trying to start it… normally it starts on the button… but when frosty it will not fire…

Thanks man! I used it last night around 8pm and it was fine, this morning wouldn’t start. No kickstart, unfortunately, these big Vespas don’t have them. Mine’s just under two years old and I love it to bits, but not quite enough to carry it to the second floor to tuck it into my bed to keep it warm.

Will see how it goes tomorrow, if I have to get the breakdown people in again, I’ll get them to check the output.

I may have to take Chris up on his battery refitting service… I work in Canary Wharf and it’s a long way to a garage from there, so can’t nip into one at lunch hour either (well, lunch quarter of an hour, really).