[pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)

[Kiwi_Roy]

I started my electrical apprenticeship in 1960 working in a large Railway workshop.  I was extremely fortunate to work with very experienced journeymen from a wide range of trades. I often worked on battery banks, single cells strapped together to form high Voltage batteries, you had to have your wits about you as these had the capacity to do some serious harm.  I also worked on overhead cranes with drum controllers for varying the speed of the hoist and travel motors, these had hundreds of large copper contacts that would wear rapidly if not lubricated.

Fast forward a few years and I was working construction at a major pulp mill expansion and I was told to put a switchgear battery together, from memory this battery was about 100 Volts DC used for opening and closing the main circuit breakers. I got called into the office one day to see the bosses and several of the clients Electrical Engineers standing around, I thought to myself I'm in trouble now, but no they just wanted to find out why the battery I had put together was pristine while several in other switch-rooms were a mess of corrosion. The difference was I had applied a little petroleum jelly as I had been taught as an apprentice.

If you put the leads on a battery without some form of grease it forms an electrical cell Lead to Copper, the moisture from the atmosphere acting as the electrolyte. Also the Oxygen in the air reacts with the lead to form lead oxide which is an insulator.  You can demonstrate the insulation effect of lead oxide (a darker grey  layer), take the probes from your Voltmeter and rest them lightly on the lead battery posts, chances are it will read zero Volts.

I'm guessing 95% of new motorcycle batteries go together dry, but this is not a good idea as Bonaventure found out and showed in his pictures, he caught it early on before anything serious happened. 
An electrical contact is not two perfectly smooth surfaces touching, if you look at a microscopic view it's more like a couple of mountain ranges.

Often the lead oxide will creep in between the metal components and completely disconnect the battery.
I'm sure you have all experienced sudden loss of power with a vehicle battery, usually happens in the middle of winter when the heavy start current fuses the last little bit of metal still making contact, a few cents worth of Vaseline will prevent this.

Don't use anything rather than Vaseline, I'm not saying other forms of grease aren't better just that Vaseline is perfectly adequate. According to others Silicone dielectric grease does more harm than good.

In conclusion if you would rather follow some ill informed advice rather than my 50+ years of experience go right ahead.
Roy

[Chuck in Indiana]

Demar,
           Please take your multimeter on Ohms and poke the two probes into the jar 1/2" apart and tell us what it reads.
Thanks
Roy

 

[Bonaventure]

" Do not use anything to coat the surface between the battery terminal and battery lead. This will inhibit current flow and cause additional electrical symptom problems. If you absolutely have to use something, make sure you apply it only after the connection has been made and terminal is tightly connected.�  Currently we advise against it."

I ordered some of that conductive anti-corrosion stuff, but from an eBay seller for less money.  Will try it and see if the terminals stay clean awhile.  Will also put some in between the battery terminal stud and cable terminal and see if the headlights still work afterwards . . .
 

[Kiwi_Roy]

Be sure to measure the resistance when it arrives.
Between two probes 1/2" apart

[pauldaytona]

with my 2009 stelvio I had that after a year. I cleaned it, put a bit normal grease on, nothing special, and now the same battery still is working, and hasn't given any problem. I Don't tender it over winter and is still going strong.
No sweat!

[Bonaventure]

Be sure to measure the resistance when it arrives.
Between two probes 1/2" apart

How to probe a tiny jar of paste?  Make a thin 1/2" line on wood and probe the ends? 

Your reply #30 is very informative and appreciate the time you took for posting it.   

[Kiwi_Roy]

with my 2009 stelvio I had that after a year. I cleaned it, put a bit normal grease on, nothing special, and now the same battery still is working, and hasn't given any problem. I Don't tender it over winter and is still going strong.
No sweat!

I have used regular grease or in a pinch a few drops of oil off the dip-stick, it's just a bit messier than Vaseline but seems to work fine.
I always say, "Vaseline is good for a babies bum, so it's good enough for your Guzzi"

[93spada]

Interesting reading

http://sw-em.com/anti_corrosive_paste.htm

Paul

[Bonaventure]

UPDATE

Choosing to go with a Motobatt MBTX16U to replace the leaking dealer prepped Yuasa YTX20CH-BS.  Motobatt publishes complete specs on their batteries including internal resistance and everything looks good. 

[Kiwi_Roy]

When you install the Motobatt make sure you get the positive terminal in the correct place (left side)
I helped someone a while back, he had put the Motobatt in backwards so the bike was the reverse polarity.
The Bosch starter cranked ok (Veleo would go backwards) but no spark.
I think the Carc bikes have a safety diode to prevent applying the wrong polarity to the ECU but don't risk it.

And don't forget Gods gift to batteries LOL

[Kiwi_Roy]

I spent some time checking out my new to me 07 Griso for Startus Interuptus potential, although the relay is fed direct from a fuse bypassing the ignition switch  the  wire from Start relay to solenoid was far too tiny, I'm guessing the equivalent of 20 or 22 gauge. I changed it out for 18 gauge now the solenoid engages in about 1/3d the time it did before.
The solenoid pulls between 30 & 40 Amps while it engages the gear.
I suspect your Stelvio probably uses the same size wires.

Note: On your bike the current also has to struggle up to the ignition switch and back, I'll guarantee sooner or later you will be struck by the dreaded click. When it happens cycle the key switch a few times.