Dead or dying Battery thread

This one is for the clever buggers who know more than me like Doc Cox but anyone with knowledge please chip in. 
Got a battery that is only at 12.4 volts  when fully charged & will let me down if the motor is not started for a few days cause the voltage drops a bit more and want turn & fire the engine up. 
I know old batteries can sometimes be fixed and Mr Intruder is currently making  a couple of old batteries better and wondered if there is anything I can do or should buy as a preventative medicine for the long term as I have had a good few batteries go tits up over the years but thats cause I cant afford new stuff all the time, I just have to use what I got

I'd say getting time for a new battery BUT possibly Doc will tell you better CC?

I will leave this thread more to Doc as my knowledge is very limited but will say a little.

Most vehicle batteries are now sold as sealed units, that is simply a lie & they can usually be opened.
Randomly check your batteries fluid level, the fluid will evaporate even from so called zero maintenance batteries.
Never top up with tap water, this will often contain impurities that will be harmful to the internal plates.
Try to buy a trickle charger for your bike that has a desulphator incorporated, as a sulphated battery will often be the initial cause of it going bad in the first place. Bad batteries can at times be restored from a sulphated state & bad battery condition to a usable condition via the use of a desulphater.

Battery condition, after full charge and left to rest:


I am have regenerated a couple of batteries with a desulphator that Doc Coc (Nigel) made for me.
I currently have one that I am trying to bring back to life that the trickle charger I have would not even recognise as being there, it is dead so to speak. What I have done is top it up with fluid (it had been left dry) & attached it to another battery with the battery desulphater attached so that i could force some power in with the desulphater attached as it had so little ability to function that even the desulphater would not power up and work, so the desulphator is being powered by the second battery.
I will see what happens to it after the desulphater has started to do it's businesses & try to pop it back on the trickle charger again tomorrow or the next day. I believe it can take a week or more for the desulphater to really work.
We will see, fingers crossed. Nothing to loose.

Here is the desulphater at work an hour or so ago:



I will leave the Doc to say more, as I am just playing it by ear.  

So as I need a new battery charger I would take it from that I should buy something like an Optimate 4 cause that has a built in desulphator? Great for a bike cause they are usually put on the trickle charger while parked up. 
Thing is I dont want to pay out a load of cash for a car specific one so could I just use something like the Optimate 4 on the cars battery as well or can I only use one of those on a bike battery? 
Another thing is would it be worth buying a battery desulfator on its own like you have got there?

Crash I am going to back out of this one as I know very little, all I would say is this.
A bikes 12volt charger can be used on a car battery as it is just a more gentle type of charger I believe. The Optimate 4 would work fine but other types could be more suitable I am out of my league here, Doc is actually making me one that is constantly in position on the bike when he gets a chance, that would ensure the long term batteries condition.
Sorry but we will have to wait for Doc now as I feel out of my depth & usually just take his advice.

Thanks Dave, much appreciated.  I will wait & see what the master (Doc Cox) has to say then. I just dont want to head into another winter with a few shitty batteries and want to sort them if I can before we get here again   No real rush for me, I just realised you guys were upto something and thought it was a good time to pick your brains

Hi Crash, did send a message last night but hit the wrong button   so here goes again, if you get an optimate for a bike that desulphates as well it will be fine for charging car batteries, the one Dave has is put on the battery along with a charger, if you would like to try one with a normal charger I have one you could borrow also have a heavy duty battery discharger this gives a good indication of the batteries charge state, so give me a call, regards Doc Cox.

Nigel your to good to be true. I just spoke to davey and he said he has a battery I can borrow as I am in no rush cause I just want it sorted before next winter as it is starting to go bad and I don't want to pay out if I can keep the cash in my pocket. Well maybe in my wifes pocket.    If its ok with you I will borrow the battery off dave and leave my battery with him as he said he will sort it with your help and that way I aint gotta be borrowing cause I dont like to as I have not met you yet, Davey said he will introduce us in the coming months tho which would be really good.
Thanks again and cheers dave (Mr Intruder) & Nigel (Doc Cox)

Fine by my Crash, with the Doc's assistance we will try to give your battery a new lease of life.   
Failing that you can always cut 2 holes in the floor & do a Fred & Wilma Flintstone.

Crash, it's time to give me my spare car battery back my friend.  

I have had your car battery on my desulphater & trickle charger and it is now sat resting happily at 12.6 volts.
I will leave it on the desulphater until you pick it up, just to give it an extra guarantee of continued health.  

O yes you are the man, yes yes yes. You have just saved me about £70 for another battery, you are a star. THANKYOU
             
To lend and fix a battery is something no body I have ever seen offer even for cash and you did it only cause your a mate
Thankyou davey, my wife has just said thats another cuddle & kiss she owes you. Thanks a lot, your a great mate  

I think Crash Is Happy Happy Happy  

I think you could be right Tex, it would certainly seem that way.    

You are welcome Crash, as my Margaret always says, "it's nice to be nice". I will do anything for a "kiss & cuddle"   

I am so pleased I could scream like a girl, for me over the years if a battery went bad it was just get a new one or more likely a new second hand one but as I have now got my own personal mechanics in Mr Intruder and Doc Cox those days are gone. once again thanks dave and Nigel I will get it tomorrow or sunday if thats ok and I will ring a few hours before I come

No worries Crash.   
Get your battery when you can, it will remain on the desulphater until you pick it up for insurance. All I did was chuck the desulphater and charger on it, Nigel builds the things.
He is actually making me one that is never removed from the bike, so that battery should be good for the life of the bike, well at least while I own it and the desulphater is on there.

I have now got it thanks to dave for doing it for me  

I am just pleased to of been able to help.