✅ How to maintain a gel battery for a scooter

In many ways, a scooter's gel battery is noticeably superior to conventional lead-acid batteries. Due to the thick consistency of its electrolyte, such a battery can be installed at a strong angle (but not upside down), and it is not afraid of vibrations. In addition, the gel battery maintains a consistently high current in the circuit, continues to operate efficiently even at a low charge level, and also has a noticeably longer service life. In addition, the choice of gel batteries is now quite good.

But, due to the fact that this technology is relatively new, many owners of motorcycles, scooters and atvs are wondering before purchasing them: is it possible to charge a gel battery? We answer this question quite confidently – it is possible and even necessary. Moreover, with proper use, one high-quality branded gel battery can withstand up to 1000 recharges. However, we should not forget that gel batteries differ markedly from lead-acid batteries in their operating principle. Therefore, their operation and charging procedure are somewhat different from what we are used to.

Professional tips on how to charge a gel battery for a scooter

Life rushes us more and more. Moving around the area, even in small towns, not to mention big cities and metropolitan areas, is getting faster and faster. Everyone chooses wheeled vehicles according to their taste and family characteristics, both financial and physical. The number of people who choose to travel on two-wheeled motor vehicles is growing significantly every year. And the largest percentage of this equipment is scooters. They have a number of advantages over their larger counterparts in the form of a moped and a motorcycle. Well, and accordingly, an even greater advantage over its brother in the form of a bicycle. Changing from a bike to a scooter will not be difficult. The weight of the most common scooter model ranges from 60 kilograms, so keeping balance with it is not difficult.

Advantages of a scooter with gel batteries

Automatic transmission, electric engine start, ease of getting on the scooter due to the absence of a gas tank in the front, affordable price and operation without a driver's license. All these are quite significant advantages when the question arises of acquiring a scooter. Having become the owner of a scooter, the first thing you should do is remain its owner. We are talking about alarm systems, of which there are sufficient quantities on the motor market today to suit every financial taste.

There are several types of scooters - city scooters, exclusively for short trips on smooth asphalt, scooters with a retro design in the style of the 50s, and cruiser scooters, designed for long rides in comfort. And to ensure constant comfort when driving and starting, it is recommended to install gel batteries on scooters . What is the difference between a gel battery and the most common acid battery?

Appearance of a gel battery for a moped

Which memory is better to use?

When purchasing a scooter or moped, it is strongly recommended to read the operating instructions. It describes which batteries are suitable for the selected model and which chargers to use.

Do not try to charge the battery of a charger that is not suitable for this type of battery.

Do you have a scooter or moped? Tell us in the comments what kind of battery you use and how much you like it. This will help make the site content more complete and useful.

Operating principle of a gel battery

The gel base is created using various additives in the form of silicon added to the electrolyte. Due to this, the electrolyte turns into a thick gel. Considering that when driving a scooter its inclination constantly changes, with the installation of a gel battery, you don’t have to worry that the current supply will be interrupted. The gel better fills the space between the plates inside, which helps to significantly reduce their wear during severe discharge. Studies of a gel battery when driving a scooter showed the result that with prolonged and frequent inclinations, the charge level decreases by 25%. Although many manufacturing companies indicate in advertising information that such a battery will work upside down, this is not the case. Just a publicity stunt. Knowing and following all the rules for using a gel battery, it is quite possible to extend its service life to ten years.

Diagram of the internal structure of a gel battery

Long charging

When this procedure is successfully completed, replace the caps and close everything with the outer cover. It is advisable to place a weight on the lid so that the caps are held by it, because During charging, excess pressure is released through them due to the release of hydrogen.

And now we have smoothly approached connecting the “patient” to recharging. How to revive a gel battery using a charger?

Due to the fact that the electrolyte has dried, the battery will not accept current from the charger, because it has lost capacity. You need to start charging with at least 15 volts. We need the battery to start consuming current, and this usually takes a long time. However, if after 14 hours the ammeter has not changed its readings, we raise the voltage to 20 volts. Don't leave this battery unattended! The electrolyte will be reduced and extremely high current will flow through it, which can lead to heating and fire!

Pros of a gel battery:

Thanks to the gel filling, they produce a high current when starting;
Significant service life, of course, subject to compliance with operating rules;
Possibility of use immediately after purchase, since it is not serviced;
If the case is damaged, the contents do not leak, unlike its lead counterpart;
Almost does not pay attention to changes in the position of the scooter;
Considered one of the safest types of batteries in the world;
Tolerates winter and frost well in general;
Minor disadvantages:
High voltage accuracy when charging;
The price is several times higher than the cost of lead batteries.

Advantages and disadvantages

Gel battery manufacturing technology has the following advantages:

No electrolyte leakage in any position.
Long service life - up to 700 cycles (sometimes up to 1000 or more).
Good current performance even with reduced capacitance.
Maintains functionality in any position: tilted, upside down.
No fumes hazardous to health.
Higher starting current, which is important when operating the machine in winter.
No fear of temperature changes and preservation of properties at high / low temperatures.
Possibility of discharge to zero without serious consequences for the battery.

Minuses:

Strict requirements for operating rules.
The need to use automatic chargers with current/voltage regulation.
High price due to the complexity and high cost of the technology.
Risk of battery damage due to voltage/current surges.

Battery charging rules

To ensure proper use of the battery, you should check its charge from time to time. This is done using a multimeter, an electronic device that combines the ability to measure voltage in various devices. It is necessary to connect it with probes to the battery and switch it to the direct current position of 20 volts. The scooter must not be started. To charge a gel battery at home, you only need to use a charger suitable for it. The charger must certainly have the ability to adjust the voltage.

Charger for gel battery with voltage regulation

Never try to charge a gel battery using a charger designed for car batteries. You should also ensure uninterrupted power supply to the device during charging. Charging occurs in the following way: on the charger, the charging current should be set to 10% of the battery power. If the current is higher, then there is a risk of significantly reducing the service life. The power is indicated directly on the battery case.

How to restore a battery

Now directly about how to restore a gel battery. The gallery below shows the procedure. First, remove the top plastic cover. Then the rubber caps are removed from all cans.

Remove the plastic cover

Remove the rubber caps

The battery is ready to be filled with water

There are also varieties of gel batteries with individual caps over each can. You will have to remove them all and then remove the rubber caps.

Removing plastic covers

The battery is ready for restoration

Do not add a lot of distilled water. Moreover, the plates should not float in it. Water is required to return the gel electrolyte to its normal state and restore the battery. During operation, distilled water evaporates and as a result the gel dries out. It is better to pour a little water into 1-2 “cubes” and leave the battery for 2-3 hours.

The water will gradually be absorbed. Then add more if needed. It is enough just to keep the fiberglass with the gel moisturized. But nothing should float in the water. If there is water bubbling around in the jar, it needs to be pumped out with the same syringe.

Distilled water is easiest to measure and fill with a syringe.

Further recovery involves normal battery charging. Do not forget that the voltage should not exceed 14.4–14.6 volts, and the current is 0.1 of the battery capacity. If the battery is from a UPS, you can install it back and charge it in the case. To do this, simply connect it to the network and turn it on without load. It may happen that during the charging process the battery will accept current very poorly. If charging has been going on for several hours and the current is not perceived, you need to increase the voltage to 20 volts.

After the battery begins to accept current, set the voltage to about 14 volts. In this case, the current should not exceed 0.1 of the battery capacity. Then charge as usual and the battery will be restored. Return to content

How to maintain a gel scooter battery

Gel batteries are a modern type of battery that can be installed on any type of vehicle, but they are most popular among owners of scooters and motorcycles, as they work great during any prolonged and frequent tilting of the vehicle during maneuvers. Manufacturers of some gel batteries claim that the current supply will not stop even if the battery is completely turned over, but here they slightly exaggerate the battery's capabilities, and we strongly do not recommend doing this.

A gel battery is a modified acid battery. The main difference is that due to the addition of certain substances (mainly silicon), the electrolyte changes from a liquid form to a gel form and is also capable of storing energy. In general, a gel battery also consists of six (less often three) cans in which lead plates are placed. Between the plates there is a gel-like electrolyte that stores energy and at the same time acts as a dielectric. When purchasing a new battery, most often the container with electrolyte is located separately and you will need to fill it into the battery yourself; this is quite simple to do.

The latest development from American manufacturers OPTIMA is gel batteries with flexible plates rolled into a roll. A gel-like electrolyte is also located between them. This design of the plates allows you to increase the battery capacity.

In any case, gel batteries are maintenance-free and this is one of their main advantages, especially for beginners. Indeed, you buy a battery, install it in a scooter and can enjoy riding without bothering with checking the electrolyte level, refueling and other procedures. However, the concept of “maintenance-free” is still very relative and gel batteries also require little maintenance. A little about how to maintain a gel battery for a scooter:

It is necessary to check its charge periodically. This is done using a special electronic device - a multimeter. A multimeter makes it possible to check the charge without removing the battery from the scooter. We connect the probes and turn on the DC current at 20V. We check the charge both when the engine is not running (it should be about 12V, if less, then you need to charge the battery), and also when the engine is running, the charge should not exceed 15V. If this indicator is exceeded, the gel may boil and peel off from the plates; the most common cause of excess charge is a faulty charging relay. One more nuance: if the indicator indicators are not established when the engine is running, then it is worth replacing the spark plug cap.
Despite the fact that gel batteries retain a charge for a long time in idle mode, the need to recharge remains, at least once a season.
During winter, it is recommended to remove the battery from the scooter and store it at home or in the garage. Despite the frost resistance, at temperatures below minus 25 degrees the electrolyte becomes fragile, destroyed and cannot be restored.

In addition to the fact that gel batteries require virtually no maintenance, they have a number of undeniable advantages:

They work in any position, with any inclination of the vehicle, which is what made them popular among scooter owners.
They provide high current when starting the engine; in fact, such a battery can start any vehicle. This is ensured by plates made of pure lead; thanks to their low internal resistance, they quickly release a charge of up to 1000A (!), when conventional batteries provide a charge of 300-500 A. They work effectively even at a low charge level.
They can withstand really deep discharges (zero), after which they are restored. Moreover, there can be up to 400 such restorations (!), while acid batteries will withstand no more than 20 cycles.
When in idle mode, it is able to maintain the charge at a high level for a long time (in a year, a gel battery loses no more than 15% of its charge).
Safety. The battery case is made of high-strength plastic, but even if it is damaged, there is no leakage of liquid or evaporation of harmful gases.
When used correctly, gel batteries have a long service life (up to 10 years). The disadvantages of gel batteries are, first of all, the high price, as well as sensitivity to voltage surges, which is especially important when charging a gel battery.

Recovery of gel electrolyte

Despite the fact that the batteries in question are manufactured in a non-maintenance housing, in some cases it is possible to restore the electrolyte level. A high-quality product can last the allotted period even without maintenance.

If the plates are swollen or destroyed, the structure cannot be restored; the power source must be completely replaced. Loss of capacity indicates that the gel being used has begun to dry out. If necessary, you can restore the water balance by adding distilled water. Recommendations for carrying out this work are as follows:

The battery is removed from the car.
The top cover is dismantled and the plugs are removed from the holes.
You can add water inside the structure using a regular syringe. In most cases, about 1-2 cubes are required.
Water is poured into each jar.
The battery needs to be left for several hours. They are required so that the gel is evenly saturated.
The structure is assembled and the voltage level at the terminals is checked.
If the voltage reading is correct, the plugs are installed in their places.

Excessive wear of the structure causes severe sulfation of the plates. Desulfation can be carried out using two methods:

Adding the chemical composition of Trilon B. A similar substance can be purchased at a specialty store and diluted according to the recommendations. Before adding the created composition, it is recommended to drain the battery and then rinse it with distilled water. Such work can only be carried out if you have certain skills; making a minor mistake will lead to rapid wear of the plates.
Use of pulse currents with different amplitudes. To destroy lead sulfate, the method of applying pulsed currents is used. Gel-type batteries react extremely negatively to sudden changes. Therefore, the method under consideration does not always achieve the required result.

If the operating instructions are followed, gel energy sources can last for a long period. Their operation is quite simple, the need for maintenance is extremely rare. The main disadvantage is the high cost, which scares off many car owners.

Charging a scooter's gel battery

Modern life requires constant movement. To get everywhere, most people use public or their own transport. In turn, one of these types of transport is a scooter. During operation, the technical condition of the scooter must be constantly monitored. After all, breakdowns and malfunctions occur quite often. One of such malfunctions is the discharge of the scooter's gel battery. In this article we will find out whether it is possible to charge a scooter battery yourself, and consider the design of a gel battery.

Rules of service

In order for the device to work reliably and without failure, it requires constant maintenance .
This process includes several technological operations. To improve the functionality of the system, you need to thoroughly rinse the housing. Be sure to clean the terminals. As a result, the contact with the connection of the generator wires becomes tighter. Problem areas will not oxidize. Diagnostics of the device is carried out with a multimeter. Before charging, the device is dismantled and washed thoroughly. Further actions are carried out strictly according to the battery manufacturer's instructions.

The battery should be stored at a temperature from +2 to +30 degrees. Moreover, it is necessary to recharge every two months.

If there is no contact between the battery and the power cables during operation of the motorcycle, an internal break in the network is possible. If iron particles accidentally get into the device or traces of dirt appear in the filler, an unauthorized discharge may occur. Proper maintenance will minimize the occurrence of such self-discharge.

The working fluid can begin to flow out only if the device body is chipped or cracked. In this case, you can get out of the situation in two ways. If the battery is filled with liquid electrolyte, the battery will have to be replaced with a new device . In a gel device, it will be possible to get by only by replacing the housing.

The cost of a gel battery starts at $40. It is influenced by the operating principle of the device and the composition of the electrolyte. Today on the market you can choose the right model for almost any motorcycle, taking into account all the features of a two-wheeled vehicle.

How does a gel battery work?

Due to additives in the form of silicon, which is added to the electrolyte, a gel base is obtained. As a result, the base is transformed into a gel. Riding a scooter involves constantly changing the trajectory of movement, due to which the battery is also at an angle. Previously, on older batteries this could lead to a loss of current. Now, in helium batteries, this phenomenon is practically impossible. The wear of the plates inside the battery is not significant, thanks to the densely filled gel inside. The maximum service life of a gel battery is 10 years.

AGM batteries

AGM is a very common glass fiber that is located between the positive and negative lead plates. It contains electrolyte gel. The electrolyte itself is a traditional acidic liquid. But in this case, it is placed in a special fiberglass separator, due to which it does not spread. So, the battery can be used in any position. In addition, these batteries are completely safe for the body. Any vapors and gases that are formed as a result of chemical processes are securely retained in the pores of the fiberglass.

These gel batteries are a budget solution. Moreover, their service life is about 5 years. And this is not the limit - if charging and servicing of gel batteries of this type were carried out correctly, then the battery does not lose its characteristics for ten years or more. A standard battery can withstand up to 200 cycles at a depth of discharge of 100%.

How to charge a gel battery?

Experienced scooter riders strongly recommend monitoring the battery charge level from time to time. This can be done using a multimeter - a special device for measuring voltage. The probes from the multimeter are connected to the battery, set the device to a direct current of 20 volts. Important: the battery charge should be measured with the scooter in a non-working position. The battery should be charged using a special device suitable for it. The charger must have a voltage regulation feature.

Important: Car battery chargers are not compatible with scooter batteries.

What are the disadvantages of gel batteries?

They have much fewer disadvantages than advantages. They can most likely be called characteristic features that should be taken into account when purchasing.

As already mentioned, their price is much higher than that of other batteries - precisely because of their durability and increased safety. They are more demanding on charging conditions and are less tolerant of voltage and current changes than their acid analogues, which are more resistant to them. When purchasing a gel battery, it is important to immediately acquire a charger suitable for it, always with adjustable current.

How to charge a gel battery for a scooter

What are batteries for?

When the engine is started, the current in the on-board network is generated from the generator. The latter is connected to the crankshaft pulley. The more revolutions, the faster the charge. However, if the engine is turned off, the generator will not produce current.

To prevent the on-board voltage from dropping, batteries are used in cars and scooters. It is thanks to them that the engine is started when the generator is not yet running. There are different types of batteries. In the past, lead-acid devices were often used. But recently, calcium and gel analogues have gained great popularity. They are a little different from the classic lead ones, so you need to know how to properly maintain them.

Gel battery: charging and maintenance

There are 2 basic rules for using a gel scooter battery:

It should not be allowed to completely discharge. It is necessary to infect while the battery is still “alive”, otherwise you risk significantly “undermining” its volume. Gel batteries provide amazing efficiency even at a charge level of 20-30%, so you will always have time to get to the recharging point.
You should always monitor the charge level of your gel battery. This is done using a multimeter, a special device for measuring voltage in various devices. If you decide to buy a gel battery, you should also consider purchasing a multimeter.

Direct charging of the gel battery should only be carried out with a special charger for 12V gel batteries. Don't try to make this a car charger! This is almost guaranteed death for a gel battery.

During the charging process, the most important thing is to monitor the voltage supplied to the battery. The charging voltage of the gel battery from the charger should not exceed the threshold (most often it is 14.2-14.4 V). If this rule is violated, the gel-like electrolyte will begin to turn into a gaseous state and evaporate. And replenishment of the electrolyte volume in the gel battery is not provided.

You can charge batteries anywhere. The main thing is to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the device. It is recommended to carry out this procedure at least once a season.

Storing a scooter in a warm garage or outside in winter

When storing a moped for the winter in a warm, non-humid room, it is not necessary to carry out all of the above points for preparing and preserving the scooter for the winter. For example, you don’t have to remove the battery, but just disconnect the negative terminal from the scooter and recharge it once a month. We also recommend starting the engine 3-4 times during the winter period and letting it run for 10-20 minutes.

If you do not have the opportunity to leave your horse either in a warm room or in a cold garage, and you are going to store your scooter outside in the winter, then cover it tightly with a tarpaulin cover. Tarpaulin does not allow moisture to pass through, but air does. You should not cover the moped with a film or material that does not allow steam to pass through - condensation will form from the inside and will result in rusting of the metal parts. Of course, everything stated above regarding the proper preparation of the battery, engine and scooter in general for winter when storing the moped in this way must be carried out with double responsibility. But you must understand that it is still not recommended to store a moped in winter in this way.

Following these simple rules for preserving and preparing your scooter for winter will help you enjoy riding a moped during the first warm weather in the spring, rather than having to deal with scooter repairs. Good luck!

Charger for gel batteries

As mentioned above, charging gel batteries requires a special device. Thanks to the fact that this technology is gaining increasing popularity, today it is not difficult to buy a charger for a gel battery (some craftsmen even manage to assemble it at home). Their distinctive feature is the ability to regulate the voltage. Before charging, you must set it to 10% of the battery power (it is indicated directly on the battery case).

How long to charge a gel battery for a scooter

To fully charge a gel battery at home, it usually takes at least 12 hours.

Unfortunately, the use of special chargers for gel batteries is not yet widespread. Even some service centers still don’t know how to charge gel batteries correctly. Therefore, if you decide not to burden yourself with charging yourself, we recommend making sure that the service station specialists use the correct charger.

In what cases is battery restoration inappropriate?

The owner can try to revive the gel battery with intact electrodes and an intact case. If swelling of the casing is noted, then the defect indicates loss of the active mass from the electrode plates. Deformation of the casing is determined by visual inspection; such power supplies cannot be restored. It is impossible to repair power supplies with broken plastic casings; it is prohibited to tape or solder cracks.

An additional way to check the product is to determine the condition of the plates. At home, testing is carried out by shaking the battery. If the elements are destroyed, then extraneous sound will be heard from the housing.

The owner can visually inspect the cavity through the technological holes. If damage is found on the electrodes, it will not be possible to revive the battery. Only devices with a dried out electrolyte layer are restored, which negatively affects the capacity of the product.

How to extend the life of a gel battery

To extend the service life of your gel battery, it is enough to reduce the output voltage on the charger to 0.3 A. Because of this, the full charge period will increase to 24 hours, but the loss of battery volume will be kept to an absolute minimum. It is important that the electrical voltage during the process does not exceed 15 volts (otherwise the gel battery will simply swell from the inside). The same method can be used to resuscitate and restore a scooter’s gel battery after it has been completely discharged (which, as we wrote above, should be avoided at all costs).

How they appeared

The development of these batteries began for a reason. Initially they were used for military equipment, namely in aviation. The fact is that it is impossible to use conventional acid batteries under these conditions. Aircraft technology is constantly changing. The battery is experiencing huge overloads. All this did not have the best effect on acid batteries. And so the US authorities set a serious task for scientists - to develop a battery that could retain all the functions of a conventional battery and at the same time work normally in extreme conditions. Gel batteries were perfect for these conditions. Now they are actively used not only in weapons, but also for absolutely civilian purposes - on cars, motorcycles and scooters.