P500 When to change battery

[William]

I have a 2015 p500. Bought September of 2014. Stock battery still in it... I’m getting worried it’s going to crap out on the trail. Thinking I might should just change it due to age... what y’all think?

 

[rocmar]

I keep battery tender..on
mine..in winter months...
This is my rule...
every 4 yrs...I change Battery
...& anti freeze..
been riding over 40yrs...
& my rule has stayed true
...to me
....everybody got there own.....
deal

 

[jphunter55]

I have a 2015 p500. Bought September of 2014. Stock battery still in it... I’m getting worried it’s going to crap out on the trail. Thinking I might should just change it due to age... what y’all think?

Maybe carry one of these to ease the worry of the battery dying on the trail. Schmacher lithium-ion battery pack

 

[HUCK]

Like jp said carry a small jump start box rather you replace the battery or not if you ride alone .

 

[oldfortyfive]

12 hours after you have charged (or run the machine) check your voltage with a digital voltmeter. If it reads under 12.35vdc change the battery. Waiting 12 hours allows the static charge to dissipate so you can get a good reading. At -20 that may not be quite good enough. All batteries lose capacity with every charge (very tiny amount) and over time it adds up and the next then you know you are needing a jump. A fully charged lead acid battery should read 12.6vdc and a dead one 11.9vdc. If you check it every your you will find the fully charged reading less than last year. Of course, if a cell fails or some other defect show up all bets are off

All this applies to any lead acid battery and is a handy way to keep an eye on your car batteries.

 

[allgm1]

Its not like the battery is likely to just stop working one day under normal use while your out for a ride. If you use your pioneer frequently you may notice the batterys preformance dropping off indicating that it is dying or if your concerned then change it.

 

[oldfortyfive]

By the time you notice battery issues in normal use your odds of being stuck just went up dramatically. If you don't monitor it occasionally you probably won't notice until it's too late.

 

[gullyjumper]

Like a couple others said use a battery tender and that will make a battery last a lot longer, I dont have one but planning on getting one of those jump started kits.

 

[alloutdoors]

Agreed with much stated, a tender is a great way to go and on all my equipment. However, there is value in a "peace of mind" and if that means a new battery, then I would go shopping.

 

[Mudder]

Have a jump pack as those have really come down in price. Also use C-tek MUS 4.3 smart charger for tactors, atvs, lawn mower. Recondition mode for extended life. A little expensive, but for mutiple machines that don’t get run often, it was worth it. Guessing 3 yrs is life, those with 2015 models might chime in.

 

[William]

Bought a volt tester and it read 12.87 volts. Been sitting for 24 hours without use...
Also I turned the lights on for a few minutes and it still read 12.5. When I crank it it drops to 10.20 volts. I would say it’s fine... we have a jump box going with us this weekend just in case!!!

 

[TheBob]

I would also suggest a "de-sulfator" Battery tender or battery minder, to keep the battery viable as long as possible. I don't know if they are selling snake oil or not, but they seem to work on my tractors, Jeep and motorcycles. Batterystuff.com has them, as does that Amazon thing..

 

[William]

I have had a battery tender on it most of the time since new...

 

[oldfortyfive]

Bought a volt tester and it read 12.87 volts. Been sitting for 24 hours without use...
Also I turned the lights on for a few minutes and it still read 12.5. When I crank it it drops to 10.20 volts. I would say it’s fine... we have a jump box going with us this weekend just in case!!!

What you're seeing is normal for a good battery.

 

[SRury]

What you're seeing is normal for a good battery.

I bought a pair of Honda 420 Auto's in 2010. I replaced one battery 6 months ago and the other is still maintaining it's charge.
The important point about 12Volt batteries is state of charge and buying high quality batteries. Honda uses AGM YUASA batteries.
My 420 Autos both came with YUASA batteries. These are Great batteries. I recently bought a 2017 Deluxe 700-4. It too came with a YUASA battery.

 

[SXSHP500CO]

Battery tender has my vote. Not to expensive as well

 

[AlR]

I had a 2004 Honda Foreman from new. Original battery. Never had it on a tender. Last year I was out riding and the starter stuck on. Just cranked and cranked till the machine was pouring out white smoke. I turned it off. The battery was so hot I couldn't hold it without gloves. I wasn't sure what was wrong at that point (hadn't diagnosed a bad starter) so took the battery out. It was burning hot. I stuck it in a stream. Took 5 minutes to cool down. Think that battery was toast? Think again. It was fine after a proper charge with a good CTEK charger. Put a new starter in the ATV and that battery continued to give good service. All this to say that a couple of years of service on that SxS battery ain't nuthin'.

Now I am hedging my bets and keep the machines on high-quality tenders when not run every day.

My 2 cents.
Al

 

[Gassygordo]

I have a 2001 Rubicon that I bought new in the Summer of 2000. It has 13,000 miles and only on the second battery. I have never used a tender.