Author Topic: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)  (Read 5988 times)

Bonaventure

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[pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« on: November 30, 2017, 07:51:12 PM »
Haven't had the seat off in a while, went to pull out battery maintainer plug-in and found corrosion on negative terminal.  Pulled the cover to check positive-- clean.  I've not seen a battery get corrosion on the neg and the positive is pristine clean, on my car's its always been the opposite the positive gets the corrosion not the neg.

I'm not cool with this on a three month old bike.








Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2017, 08:36:40 PM »
Take the terminals off scrape them clean and apply a little petroleum jelly aka Vaseline
You will never have another problem,


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Offline Idontwantapickle

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2017, 09:38:29 PM »
Take the terminals off scrape them clean and apply a little petroleum jelly aka Vaseline
You will never have another problem,


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pete roper

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2017, 10:17:25 PM »
A tiny bit of corrosion and the sky is falling!

Sorry, First World Problem. Fix and forget!

Pete

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2017, 10:17:25 PM »

Offline Triple Jim

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2017, 10:42:16 PM »
Not to be an alarmist, but that is a bit odd.  Maybe a tiny bit of acid seepage?
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2017, 01:48:33 AM »
Not to be an alarmist, but that is a bit odd.  Maybe a tiny bit of acid seepage?
I don't think so, it's quite common to see corrosion on an unprotected terminal. it could also be a splash from when the guy removed the fill bottles
The battery on my Griso was quite bad when I picked it up from the previous owner.

I rabbit on about protecting the terminals with Petroleum Jelly aka Vaseline, I have been doing that for well over 50 years and never see corrosion.
Any wet spot on the bike should be protected the same way. I dip wires in Vasilene before I crimp them into lugs
Vaseline� Jelly is triple-filtered, Moms love it for preventing diaper rash.
If it's good enough for a baby's bum it's good enough for your Guzzi

While I think of it there's another spot on the bikes that needs attention that's where the cable comes out of the speed sensor, the cable is soft and it doesn't bond well to the hard epoxy of the sensor. The transition between cable and epoxy provides a perfect path for wicking moisture into the internal components. A smidgin of silicone sealant where the cable comes out will provide a flexible bridge between the soft cable and the hard epoxy.
This would apply to the ABS sensors as well I think.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2017, 02:09:25 AM by Kiwi_Roy »
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Offline pyoungbl

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2017, 02:01:24 AM »
If this 'new' bike has the OEM battery it's just a matter of time before the battery starts to leak acid.  That battery was not designed (nor is it recommended) for installation in a horizontal position.  This is a well documented Stelvio problem with only one solution.....buy a better battery that IS designed for horizontal installation.  Been there and done that.

Peter Y.
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2017, 02:14:04 AM »
Peter may be right, I assumed it was sitting tilted slightly backwards with the terminals at the highest point like my Griso
If the terminals are below try sealing around them with a good silicone sealant, it's good for strong acid.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2017, 02:16:33 AM by Kiwi_Roy »
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Offline guzziownr

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2017, 05:28:12 AM »
My first Griso was a daily commuter and would stand out in the rain on occasion.  When it refused to start one day I pulled the seat and the battery terminals looked like a science project.  I cleaned them up and did the vaseline thing but the green growth came back too quickly.  Now I use a battery spray that coats the terminals in a sticky purple stuff that works much better.  The Griso has the same battery in a more upright position.
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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2017, 05:35:46 AM »
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Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2017, 07:28:09 AM »
If this 'new' bike has the OEM battery it's just a matter of time before the battery starts to leak acid.  That battery was not designed (nor is it recommended) for installation in a horizontal position.  This is a well documented Stelvio problem with only one solution.....buy a better battery that IS designed for horizontal installation.  Been there and done that.

Peter Y.

Yep, it is the factory battery.  By new, I do mean new as in 2 miles on the odometer upon delivery few months ago on August 29th.  Suppose technically it's still not fresh new, since it was a left over 2016 in dealer inventory.

Been researching batteries this morning, since I'm on a V day.  Probably go with a VRLA AGM type.  Actually quite coincidental to discover this yesterday, given that I'd posted an thread here about AGM batteries last week. 

Offline toma nova

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2017, 07:39:48 AM »
I replaced my OE battery with a MotoBatt, $95 on Amazon.  Separate lugs for accessories, won't leak, etc.  This after the OE Yuasa leaked just a bit - keep an eye on yours, it will leak eventually.

Unfortunately, the MotoBatt is now getting weak after 26 months (with a 24 month warranty).  Tender, lots of riding, 14.2 on the dash while running - it drops overnight and struggles to turn over.

I'll probably replace with the same.

Tom
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Offline Kent in Upstate NY

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Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2017, 10:12:26 AM »
Read this from Moto International. http://www.motointernational.com/blog/news-and-events/post/moto-guzzi-battery-cable-cleaning

That is excellent info from none less one of the the PNW's most trusted dealerships.  Thank you sir.  Was going to hit the terminal with a corrosion preventer or just silicone grease after cleaning, but Moto Int'l advises against it in that guide so I probably won't.     

Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2017, 10:26:00 AM »
P.S.  The OEM battery is apparently a YUASA YTX20CH-BS, which appears to be (not 100% sure...) an AGM type. 

I thought AGM's were okay for tilt mount and don't leak. 


For now I'm going to clean and keep an eye on it.  However upon close inspection I noticed moisture glinting in the seams of the seal strip over the cell/acid port on top of the battery.  Swiping w/ a q-tip confirmed there was moisture there (bike not been in rain or washed).  So apparently I'm well advised to start shopping for a different battery.  Probably an AGM that's been proven reliable in the Stelvio's slanted install.  Lithium-Iron is tempting but seems to bring some drawbacks as well. 

Offline Wayne Orwig

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2017, 12:35:16 PM »
P.S.  The OEM battery is apparently a YUASA YTX20CH-BS, which appears to be (not 100% sure...) an AGM type. 

I thought AGM's were okay for tilt mount and don't leak. 

I true AGM is OK to tilt. But Yuasa is pushing the terminology here. That battery is shipped dry, and the dealer has to add the acid. Just like a wet cell.

A seen in the photo on the web site. www.yuasabatteries. com/battery.php?bID=B186&vID=1014
And page 16 here: http://www.yuasabatteries.com/pdfs/TechManual_2014.pdf

If the battery is not filled just right, it will leak. And a lot of them leak.

Scientist have discovered that people will believe anything, if you first say "Scientists have discovered...."

Offline Kiwi Dave

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2017, 01:01:43 PM »
I dip wires in Vasilene before I crimp them into lugs

Wouldn't it be more prudent to dip them in Vaseline after they were crimped?

Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2017, 04:12:20 PM »


So.... I had it apart this afternoon.  There was a ton of corrosion underside of the neg terminal and although the positive term looked good attached, taking it apart it had significant corrosion on the underside as well.  This all starts to make sense with how the bike was cranking longer and slower which I attributed to cooler/cold weather arriving.  I don't know what the battery was charging at while riding because I'd not pulled that up on the display.  But it was showing 12.2v on the LCD display, parked, engine off today before I pulled the [corroded] terminals off. 



Underside of the positive terminal was not quite as much, maybe 75%.   Didn't do any happy snaps after clean-up, but used the baking soda method from Moto Int'l guide on their site then just a lot of working on them with ultra fine emery paper until the corrosion was gone.  Coated them with some DeoxIT (red oily electrical contact cleaner) and let sit for a few minutes before wiping off. 

Hooked it all back up and went riding (sunny 57 F out...).  14.3v riding and 12.7 parked back in the garage afterward. As expected she cranked faster and turned over quicker.  Also ran better. As would be expected.

So when I chose Moto Guzze after lurking and posting here this past summer, I knew with one dealer 90 min away and another 3.5 hrs away that I would be my own warranty on small stuff.  Like this.   So I'm shopping for a replacement battery effective immediately ... One that won't leak !!! 

Keeping in mind this is all on a bike I got the end of this past August with 2 miles on it, a left over 2016 new inventory.  I still love the bike though.  But honestly this is slightly annoying. 
« Last Edit: December 01, 2017, 04:16:29 PM by Bonaventure »

pete roper

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2017, 04:22:50 PM »
If the battery is leaking or has leaked it's probably because it wasn't put into service correctly. You can't just fling the acid in, stick it in the bike and fire it up to ride. Unfortunately many shops seem to be incapable of reading the instructions in the box. Likewise many owners! If you buy a new battery, whatever the type, RTFB!

Pete

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2017, 05:05:46 PM »
As Pete says- spend a day and do it right.
And use Vaseline on the terminals, I don't give a shit what MI say###


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Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2017, 07:30:15 PM »
I'll definitely RTFB on whatever I get to replace this battery the dealership installed when they did the initial setup of the bike.  Looks like a choice between VRLA AGM sealed maintenance-free, or LiFEPo4 lithium-iron.   :cool:

pete roper

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #21 on: December 01, 2017, 07:34:30 PM »
Mark runs a LiFe battery in his Griso and swears by it. I've got a Yuasa factory sealed AGM in mine, its only a 16 but has bulk CCA's. I had a bad run of YTX20CH-BS's last year. No idea why. Previously I'd had no problems and my original battery for my '08 Griso lasted seven or eight years. Then I had two go weedy within a year. Go figure?

Pete

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #22 on: December 01, 2017, 10:15:01 PM »
If this 'new' bike has the OEM battery it's just a matter of time before the battery starts to leak acid.  That battery was not designed (nor is it recommended) for installation in a horizontal position.  This is a well documented Stelvio problem with only one solution.....buy a better battery that IS designed for horizontal installation.  Been there and done that.

Peter Y.

 :1: Peter is right. My Stelvio neg terminal was completely covered in blue fuzz after 6 months.

I use this stuff on the battery terminals instead of vaseline...... the no-ox-id is conductive. Seems like the perfect stuff for battery terminals.

https://www.amazon.com/NO-OX-ID-Special-Electrical-Contact-Corrosion/dp/B00HDF9EXE/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_tr_img_1/130-8579810-1774542?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SARECENM6GNGPNTSPWRK
« Last Edit: December 01, 2017, 10:20:57 PM by Demar »
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2017, 09:01:19 AM »

I use this stuff on the battery terminals instead of vaseline...... the no-ox-id is conductive. Seems like the perfect stuff for battery terminals.
Demar,
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Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #24 on: December 02, 2017, 09:33:04 AM »
:1: Peter is right. My Stelvio neg terminal was completely covered in blue fuzz after 6 months.

I use this stuff on the battery terminals instead of vaseline...... the no-ox-id is conductive. Seems like the perfect stuff for battery terminals.

https://www.amazon.com/NO-OX-ID-Special-Electrical-Contact-Corrosion/dp/B00HDF9EXE/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_tr_img_1/130-8579810-1774542?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SARECENM6GNGPNTSPWRK

Hey thanks, that stuff looks like the ticket.  I like that the company made it to be electrically conductive as an add'l property to being a sealing grease and corrosion inhibitor. 

Many people think dielectric grease (silicone grease) is a conductor but it is not, it is an insulator.  Not good to put on 12v battery terminals.  I'm going to order some of that NoOxId off Amazon though, it is a unique product and I'll be putting it on the batt terminals of my car and fiancee's car as well.  Good find and thanks again !!   :cool:

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #25 on: December 02, 2017, 01:12:13 PM »
Where in the ad does it say conductive?
I guess I have been doing it all wrong for the last 50 years, damn.


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Bonaventure

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #26 on: December 02, 2017, 01:51:02 PM »
It doesn't in the amazon ad but if you go to the company website their claim is that it's conductive.   

http://www.sanchem.com/electrical-contact-lubricant.html

Offline Tom

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #27 on: December 02, 2017, 03:02:39 PM »
" 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."
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #28 on: December 02, 2017, 03:23:45 PM »
Who are you quoting there Tom?


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Offline Tom

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Re: [pics] Battery Terminal Corrosion on New Stelvio ... (!)
« Reply #29 on: December 02, 2017, 03:51:51 PM »
Micha from Moto International.  Hey....that's what's in the link.
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