How to Fix a Dead Motorcycle Battery
A dead motorcycle battery charge usually means that sulfur from the battery acid is adhering to the lead plates inside the battery and is blocking the flow of electric current to the battery. As long as the sulfur doesn’t make any sever corrosion, you should be able to fix the dead motorcycle battery yourself.
Things You'll Need:
- Gloves
- Safety goggles
- Crescent wrench
- Funnel
- Battery charger
- Epsom salts
- Distilled water
- Take proper safety precautions at all times. Since a motorcycle battery contains extreme toxin from sulfuric acid you should make sure you are well protected. Work only in a well ventilated area wearing safety goggles and gloves. Any open flames should be kept away from the battery. Make sure the battery is cooled before you begin to work on it.
- Use a small crescent wrench to remove the battery from the motorcycle. Loosen the battery connectors. Take off the small plastic caps from the top of the battery and completely drain the battery fluid.
- Prepare a mixture of about 8 ounces of Epsom salts and one quart of distilled water. It makes it easier for the Epsom salts to dissolve if you heat them in water first. Make sure you only use distilled water to keep the battery from getting damaged. Fill each cell of the battery with the mixture using a funnel. Shake the battery gently after each cell is filled to make sure the mixture gets well distributed in the battery.
- Put the battery on a charger that has a slow charge option such as a six-volt trickle charger. Make sure to use a slow charge battery, as a power charge could damage them and produce flammable gasses because of their small size. With the charger turned off, hook the positive lead to the positive terminal and the negative lead to the negative terminal. The plastic caps should remain off during charging.
- Turn the charger on low until the battery is completely charged. Turn off the charger, remove the leads, and then put the plastic caps back on. Replace the battery in the motorcycle and secure the connections. Your motorcycle battery should now function normally.