I normally keep a trickle charger on my battery but forgot and it ran down from the instrument panel drain. I put it back on the trickle charger for 48-hours and there was just enough charge to make the headlights dimly glow. After about 50 pulls on the cord to no avail, I called the dealer and was told it takes a minimum of nine amps in the battery to fire the ignition for starting.

OK, I pulled out my battery charger and discovered ten amps is the minimum charging rate, which will, according to my past experiences with quads and bikes, warp the battery case and drastically shorten its life. The King battery maximum charge rate is five amps, so I'm unable to get it charged or started.

Every other ATV and bike I've had will start with a push or tow in gear. Since technology in the form of the King's ignition has grabbed me, I'm open to suggestions. Leave the battery on the trickle charger for a few days and see what happens or search for a battery charger that produces five or less amps?

 

This is the down side to EFI. If the battery runs down, it wont start.

Have you had the battery load tested? Two days on the trickle charger, should be more than enough time for it to recharge, no matter how run down it was. It might be shot. The instument panel shouldn't be that much of a drain on a good battery, but could do in a marginal battery.

Or, you could jump start from your car or truck, and let the quad recharge it. Just remember the donor vehicle needs to be off, when boosting. That way, it wont provide more than 12.6 volts.

 

Thanks. I also discovered I had left the trickle charger switched to one volt maintenance instead of two volts charge/maintain, duh.

 

Georged...I have been going through the exact same thing this year. The dealer told be that it was something to do about an internal clock...Hmmm. Next year...I am going to just pull the battery until I am ready to plow.

 

The clock should not drain the bat. that much,somrthing else is wrong then!

 

Im thinking the same thing, the clock shouldnt drain a battery. If the battery checked out good, then you need to check for how much drain is happening with the key off. Just disconnect the positive cable, off the battery (make sure the key is off, and out of the quad...if its on, itll probably smoke the voltmeter). Hook up the voltmeter (use the amp setting), in series with the cable and battery terminal. The spec in the service manual, says the draw must be less than 2.6 miliamps. Start with the meter on the highest setting, and work it down to the 20ma setting. Just in case theres a bigger draw than 2.6ma, youll want it on the highest setting, to protect the meter.
Again, dont try this with the key on.

 

It was my fault. I put the trickle charger on what was a low battery to begin with, and as it turned out, on the wrong setting. I then removed the charger, put the battery back in the quad and let it sit for three weeks, further draining the charge. When I tried the charger after that session, I still had it on the wrong setting, resulting in maintaining but not charging the already low battery for 48-hours. My own stupidity.

I maintain batteries on other vehicles with trickle chargers without problems, this was just a combination of duh instances on my part. I have it back on the charger at the correct setting and it should soon be fully charged. I'll then post on my findings, my own stupidity as suspected, or a faulty battery.

 

we all make mistakes in life around everthing,but that is how we learn and other people also learn from that.

 

The battery is fine, fully charged, it was my fault for not choosing the correct charger setting. I did check the other vehicles I also trickle charge and hadn't made any mistake with those settings. Duh.

 

trying to find a dry cell battery to replace the stocker in my KQ, something like the yellow, or red top that you can buy for you truck, or car, any ideas? thanks.