if a gel battery doesn't charge

[azguzzirep]

My step daughter has a Virago and it has a gel battery in it. The battery was weak from setting all winter. She used a trickle charger on it but it only showed 11v after charging over night.

I told her to charge it some more. If that doesn't work, I guess it's shot, huh?

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Shock it with a 6 amp charger for one night then trickle charge it. if that doesn't work it mean it has retired.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Sometimes when a battery is really flat a smart charger doesn't know what to do so it just sits there doing nothing.
Jumper it from a charged battery for a few minutes, then the smart charger will realize it's a 12 Volt and take over.

I have a charger I made from a 12 Volt wall-wort it's dumb and always works.

[AJ Huff]

I had an Odyssey that I thought was dead, doing the same as you describe. Took it to an automotive battery shop. Guy told me I needed to hook another battery to it and charge them together. It works. Might give it a try.

-AJ

[azguzzirep]

This is why I hang wit youse guys!😆😆😎

Thanks,  good stuff!

[BMCMOTO]

I have been able to rejuvenate a couple of Odyssey batteries that wouldn't take a charge and/or hold a charge by discharging them completely using a small light bulb and then recharging using a charger capable of at least 10 amps to charge them. Constant monitoring of voltage and battery temperature is necessary, hourly or so. Voltage needs to remain right around 15 and temp should not rise above what's not uncomfortable for your hand around 100*F or so. With beginning voltage so low they may need a jump from a good battery to get the charger started. Once voltage on the charger stabilizes, disconnect and allow to rest overnight. Check voltage, if over 12.6 you're done if not charge again till it holds. Odyssey's don't like to sit discharged or even partially discharged.
I have not had this procedure fail as yet and both batteries are over ten years old now. I do keep them on Battery Tender brand name chargers when unused for any length of time.

Brian