If your ATV battery is struggling, there are a few ways that you can bring it back to life. The most popular way to bring your ATV battery back to life is to do something called a compression start.
When you compression start your ATV battery, you are basically tricking the battery back into life, which will in turn get the ATV running. In most cases your battery will not work because it has no charge, but compression starting will ignite the engine, allowing the battery to charge while you drive.
To do this, you will need to turn the switch/key on your ATV and put it into first gear. Once it is in first gear, you will need to pull up the clutch and get your ATV rolling to a speed of 10 miles per hour.
You should then begin to let out the clutch and add gas until you hear the engine attempt to turn. This process should cause the engine to fire, once this happens it is very important that you pull the clutch in once the engine starts running to avoid any accidents.
This should work, but if you are struggling to get the ATV rolling fast enough, you should instead try doing the above process in second gear. Instead of in first gear. Once you do this, your battery should be given a new lease of life, and it will then charge as your ATV continues to run.
Why does my ATV battery keep dying?
ATV batteries die for the same reason as the battery in lots of other vehicles do, and that is lack of use. Batteries are only able to hold their charge as long as they are being used, so if you let your ATV stand still for too long then the battery will die. So, if you want to avoid your battery dying too often, you need to regularly use your ATV.
Sometimes, if your battery does not start immediately, there is a quick way to save it from dying. This does not always work, but occasionally you can smack the battery and this will kick-start it back into life. But this will depend on how long the ATV, and its battery, has stood still.
We said earlier that batteries die due to lack of use, but that is not always the case. Batteries that have been charged, but sit disconnected from the ATV, will often hold their charge for long periods.
This is because there is nothing drawing energy from the battery. When the battery is connected to the ATV then different components of the ATV will draw energy from the battery, even when it is not being used.
Without your ATV being run, the energy drawn by these different components will quickly build up until the battery dies. As the ATV is not being run, it will be unable to build this energy back up. This will result in your ATV battery continually dying.
Related Reading: How Long Does It Take To Charge An ATV Battery?
How many volts should an ATV battery have?
No matter what make and model of ATV you own, they will all almost always have a 12 volt battery. This voltage of battery is pretty much used across all ATVs, however not all 12 volt batteries will contain the same amount of voltage as one another.
The measurement ‘12V’ is a generalized term given to any battery measuring from 12.0 volts, through to 12.9 volts. This is because the voltage is always rounded down to the nearest whole number.
However, most fully charged ATV batteries will hold a voltage of between 12.6 and 12.8 volts. So, if you measure the voltage of your battery, don’t be alarmed if it does measure dead on 12 volts.
It is very important that you measure the voltage of your battery regularly as this allows you to tell if your battery is dying prematurely. If the voltage of a battery usually measuring between 12.6 and 12.8 volts then falls beneath 12.5 volts, then your battery will require charging immediately.
So it is vital that you regularly check your battery to ensure that it is in full working order.
But generally speaking, a 12 volt ATV battery should measure between 12.6 and 12.8 volts when you check the voltage of the battery. If it measures anything below this then your battery requires charging.
How do you know if your battery is bad?
If your ATV battery has gone bad, there are lots of signs that you can watch out for. Noticing these signs early will allow you to fix the issue before your battery dies prematurely. Once a battery begins to experience problems, it is very common for these issues to persist throughout the rest of the battery’s life.
The first sign of a bad battery that you will likely experience is the battery light popping up on the dashboard of your ATV. This is a pretty common symptom of a bad battery across all motor vehicles. So, if you have this light appear, you should immediately check the voltage of your battery for any issues.
But this isn’t the only symptom that you will experience. Other signs of a bad battery include your ATV not starting, the lights of your ATV dimming, a clicking sound when you attempt to start the engine, and the engine cranking slower when it is first starting.
Ultimately, the most obvious sign of a bad battery is the fact that your ATV will not start. This will occur if the battery has completely died, and will mean that your ATV cannot start. If this does occur, you might be able to kick-start your battery by compression starting it which will in turn get your ATV running once more.
What should you do with your ATV battery before storing your ATV?
If you are storing your ATV away ready for the winter months, there are some things that you will need to do to prepare the battery for storage. As we said earlier, if you leave a fully charged battery connected to the ATV then the battery will slowly wither and become damaged as the ATV is not being used.
So, before you store your ATV, it is important that you remove the battery from the ATV. To do this, you should disconnect the battery and link it up using tender hooks. These will connect to your battery and allow you to plug your ATV battery into a standard AC outlet.
This will keep your ATV battery charged and ready to go throughout the entire time that your ATV is parked up. This means that if you ever suddenly need to use your ATV then this can be done easily (without fear of a dead battery).
These ‘tender hook’ devices are available in most auto parts stores, so they are easy to find. They are the best way to keep your ATV battery safe and healthy during the time that your ATV is parked up.
This might seem like a meaningless task, but separating your battery from the ATV will preserve the battery’s life, ready for when you want to use your ATV next.