Your ATV battery not working could be the worst thing you would ever have to face. If you are at home, you have options. You can charge it with your battery charger. It can be frightful when it does not start, even if you are camping or out on a trail. What can you do when your ATV battery won’t charge? Here is everything you can do.
Troubleshooting ATV battery won’t charge issue
What are the bad ATV battery symptoms? You must first understand symptoms that indicate your battery is not in good health to find causes and treat them.
Symptoms of bad ATV battery
The main signs of a faulty ATV battery you need to watch out for are,
- The ATV won’t turn on.
- There will be power loss, and eventually, the engine will die.
Identifying the battery as the sole offender can be challenging because these are frequent indications of other ATV issues. But since this is a fairly typical problem with ATVs, you need to check the battery first to rule out a charging issue. A visual inspection and a load test are typically used in this procedure to assess the voltage. Low voltage when completely charged, along with external flaws like corroded terminals, dings in the case, or leaks, are all telltale signs of a defective battery.
Check if your ATV charging is the problem.
Determine whether your ATV’s charging system is malfunctioning or if the issue is with the battery itself before you begin troubleshooting. How to test an ATV battery? Use an external battery and try to charge your battery with it.
Use an external battery charger to charge the battery.
When the bike is not being used, or whenever the battery needs to be topped off, use a high-quality, fully automatic battery tender/smart charger to maintain the battery’s health. The benefit of smart chargers is that they will turn themselves off once the battery is full, if there is a shortage, or if there is another problem with the battery. Follow these steps.
- Put the key in the “Off” position.
- Find your battery. It is frequently found high up at the front of the ATV, hidden beneath a plastic panel. However, you can also discover it in less desirable locations, such as the frame’s bottom. On some ATVs, it might even be at the back of the vehicle.
- You should disconnect the battery terminals.
- Remove the bike’s battery.
- Connect a suitable battery charger and leave it connected overnight to charge the battery. Connect the black cable to the ground or the negative terminal and the red cable to the positive terminal.
Check the battery’s voltage.
When the charging procedure is complete, check the battery’s voltage. You will need a simple multimeter for this. Set up the multimeter, then check the voltage reading on display. If the battery is in good condition, you should be able to charge it to a minimum of 12.4V (about 75% charged).
If you cannot get to 12.4V, the batteries are not charging correctly. You should recheck the voltage after letting the battery lie for a day or two. The battery is not maintaining a charge and probably has a problem if the voltage falls below 12.4V. You can tell that the issue is with the ATV and not the battery if it charges when using a charger and maintains its charge after sitting for a few days with no load. When the device is disconnected, you can be sure that the battery is at fault if it does not charge or maintain a charge.
Is your ATV battery not charging while running?
The battery of your ATV won’t charge while running if your stator is damaged. The only way to be certain that your stator has failed is to run a series of tests using a multimeter because several other issues can also cause this.
What could be draining my ATV battery?
You can use numerous, comparatively simple diagnostic procedures to determine and address the potential causes of your ATV battery loss. To pinpoint the issue, you must watch how the bike responds in various circumstances. The moment it drains.
Do you use it when you are riding or store it away? How much time does it take to drain? This allows you to rule out many potential causes quickly. ATV battery that is defective or outdated and will not maintain a charge even when disconnected.
- Low levels of fluid in the battery.
- New batteries can malfunction.
- A ground cable connection that is rusted or loose.
- The battery is being depleted overnight by something (parasitic amperage draw).
- The poor stator or voltage regulator causes a malfunctioning charging mechanism.
The ATV Battery
ATVs and quads typically require 12v batteries, which are frequently acceptable for use in motorcycles as well. Depending on the battery, it may or may not include battery acid.
How to charge ATV battery with a external battery charger?
To recharge the battery of your ATV. Attach your smart charger to the battery terminals after removing the side panel shielding it from the outdoors. 4-5 hours are needed for the charger to finish charging completely.
How long do ATV batteries last?
You can expect two to three years from an ATV battery made of flooded lead acid. The typical lifespan of an AGM battery is between three and five years. The other two battery types are inferior to lithium iron phosphate batteries, which perform better and have a maximum life span of ten years.
How many amps to charge ATV battery?
Given that your battery is 12V, it requires a 12V charger, and the charger must be able to deliver a low amp charging rate, generally 1-3A.
How to keep a battery charged when not in use?
A smart or trickle charger will help stop your battery from slowly dying. Both of these charger models can be programmed to keep track of your ATV battery and maintain a full charge while it is not in use for an extended period.
New ATV Battery issues
Why does your new ATV battery wont hold charge?
Alternator or battery problems could be the cause of this. Problems with the alternator arise because the alternator charges the battery while the automobile is driving. The alternator may malfunction if you jump start the battery, which charges for only a little period. But before you make any replacements, make sure your car gets a thorough inspection.
How long to charge a new ATV battery? It will take between three and ten hours to charge fully. But depending on the charger you are using and the battery, this can differ.
ATV Stator
How is the battery of an ATV charged?
An ATV’s battery is charged via a mechanism known as a stator system or magneto system. This technology, housed inside the ATV’s engine, is reasonably straightforward and reliable. The stator continuously generates an electric charge while the engine is running. The many electrical parts of the motorcycles are powered partly by electricity.
How do I know if my ATV stator is bad?
The fact that your battery won’t charge is the biggest sign that your stator is damaged, significantly if your ATV charges when it is on a different charger but not in use. This strongly signals that the battery is not the problem because it can charge. Replaced stator and rectifier and not charging? It could be a faulty alternator, regulator, or wiring.
Recharge A Dead ATV Battery
How to fix a dead atv battery? If your ATV battery is dead, you can try these methods to revive it.
Compression Restart the ATV battery
The ATV is essentially tricked into starting during the compression start. As soon as you start turning the wheels, the engine may misfire. After you switch it on, the battery will start to charge while you drive. Put your ATV in first gear after turning the key or switch on.
You might need to shift it into second gear occasionally if you need more time to get it moving. Get the ATV moving at 10 MPH by lifting the clutch. As the engine tries to turn, let out the clutch and add gas. The engine ought to ignite as a result. Once it has started, engage the clutch to prevent a crash.
Jumpstart the ATV
As you will typically be riding with at least one other ATV, this works well for jump starting your ATV. You should connect the good battery to the cables before the defective battery. Given the limited space on the battery, it usually is preferable to attach the black wire, also known as the ground wire, to the frame when connecting it.
Just be sure that it is grounded. First, turn on the healthy battery and let it run for a while. Then attempt to ignite the damaged battery. Take the just started ATV’s black and red wires out in that order, then repeat for the other. Before turning this ATV off, let it sit idle for a bit.
ATV battery jump starting with a car
Can you jump an ATV battery with a car battery? It is possible to jump start an ATV with a car. As with any other ATV/ATV or car/car setup, connect the cables. Don’t start the vehicle after that. The car battery is significantly more potent than the ATV battery; therefore, if you turn it on, you might damage the ATV battery. Attempt to start the ATV instead. It ought to turn over if the battery was the problem with it not starting. I wrote a full detailed guide about how to jump-start ATV or UTV. You can read it here.
Can you pull start a ATV without a battery?
Some ATVs can still operate even with a dead battery, although it is not advisable to drive with either one. The way the engine works mechanically and the stator will allow you to keep using your ATV if it has a pull start. The likelihood is that the ATV won’t run if it needs electricity to start.
The bottom line
We discussed why your atv battery won’t charge and how you can fix it via making this article. Before shelling out cash for additional batteries or other supplies, you can try the above methods to make it work again. You can resolve the problem for nothing at all. You should take these actions even if your battery is brand new and you are having problems. Even brand-new batteries may develop problems.
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