ATV starting battery

Just wondering what everybody is using now days for a good starting battery in sub O temps

Tom

Stick with lead acid batteries. Just get the highest cca You can find that will fit. You can get lithium batteries but they loose voltage when it gets cold out.

I have put several of these in the wheelers at the farm and one in my 6×6 at home a couple years ago. Been very happy with them. I get the American made grey case, not the China made one.
Duracell Ultra 14AH-BS AGM

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AGM with charger that is what I am doing now.

no matter what battery you get, make sure you always keep it on a battery tender when not using it…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

no matter what battery you get, make sure you always keep it on a battery tender when not using it…

This ^^^. Discharging by lack of use is the killer. Even an el cheapo battery lasts a long time if it’s kept charged.

I’ve got 3 of the Harbor Freight battery maintainers that I picked up for $6 each. They work great, everything stays 100% charged even in the cold.

If you don’t have power available for a Battery Tender, get one of those little solar jobbies. They work very well, I have 2 of them up at my hunting property where there is no power and they keep the tractor battery and the 4 wheeler up and running in any weather.

Grouse

Odyssey makes some of the best small AGM batteries. Each one of my ATV’s has one in it. The extreme series (PC) is spendy, but well worth the money.

Also another vote for a battery tender. They keep the battery happy and healthy. I’ve never heard my battery complain.

ATV’s are great on batteries with summer use only. Mine last about as long as my autos. My plow ATV on the other hand lasts half as long and I attribute that to the cold and possibly limited winch use. I top them all off occasionally with battery tender. They all have pigtails for quick connection.

X2 on the plow killing atv batteries. We have 2 kingquads with the same batteries, and the one with the plow on it needs replacing much more often. And the pigtails are very convenient as well!

Holy cow guys thanks for all the info, I do keep it on the battery tender JR and use the 5wt syn oil and it seems like it is fine at -0 and above, seems like when it gets below 0 it becomes an issue, my girl friends 2 stroke wheeler started no prob : ) so to save the trip I used a heater cooker on low to get some heat to it kept moving it around for about 15-20 mins and then it started. Just a note here it will start all day after the first run its just that over night cold soak.. I will for sure find the highest amp hr unit I can find, I like the duracell and the Odessey is what I have in my motorcycle, I may be wrong But I’m thinking that its using most of the power to crank and not able to fully energize the ignition circut. For a little extra zing I was also considering one of those Harbor Freight Lith Ion booster batteries, on those sub zero days just plug it in to a pig tail. It seems light weight and small and I could find other uses for it like the Led lighting in my voyager.

Always thankful for comments/info this is a great site.

Tom

My atv is a bear to start when its below zero. Saturday it was -10 when I got up to go ice fishing and even with the trickle charger plugged in it wouldn’t start. I think the relays, etc are more of the problem then the battery alone. I had a trick I was going to try the next morning if it was as cold, but thankfully it was 17 above zero and it popped right off.
I was going to put a big handwarmer pack on top of the relays and see if that made a difference. I have heard others do it and it works great.

Hey thats a great idea, I was out then too and it was -10 I used my heater cooker and kept moving it around, alittle sketch but it worked warmers are alot safer : )

Tom

Hi Merican Eagle, are you using the BT JR on the Odessy battery?

Tom

I have a coolant hose heater low on my plow quad. It sits at the cabin so when I need to clear the drive and its way below zero I just plug it in for a half hour or so and its toasty. I also bring my battery in unless I have a spare sitting in the cabin, which I always do now.

tominblaine wrote:

Hi Merican Eagle, are you using the BT JR on the Odessy battery?

Tom

Good question. I am aware that Odyssey DOES NOT recommend a BT JR to be used with their batteries. I did lots of research on this when I installed my first 925 on my Canam SXS. I came up with dozens of people using the BT JR on their batteries with no problem and a few others saying it will kill it and dry it out. I have been using one for 3+ years on one machine and about 2 on another with zero issues. Would I recommend it? yes. But I am not the manufacturer and I am usually under the impression that the manufacturer knows best, but I took the chance and it’s working for me.

CaptainMusky wrote:

My atv is a bear to start when its below zero. Saturday it was -10 when I got up to go ice fishing and even with the trickle charger plugged in it wouldn’t start. I think the relays, etc are more of the problem then the battery alone. I had a trick I was going to try the next morning if it was as cold, but thankfully it was 17 above zero and it popped right off.

Capt, in another thread recently it was discussed that some ATVs have a relay for the fuel pump that doesn’t work in the cold. Can’t recall all the details and which machines, but it sounds like this might be your issue.

Anyone else recall this thread? I believe it was on the ice fishing forum?

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
My atv is a bear to start when its below zero. Saturday it was -10 when I got up to go <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing and even with the trickle charger plugged in it wouldn’t start. I think the relays, etc are more of the problem then the battery alone. I had a trick I was going to try the next morning if it was as cold, but thankfully it was 17 above zero and it popped right off.

Capt, in another thread recently it was discussed that some ATVs have a relay for the fuel pump that doesn’t work in the cold. Can’t recall all the details and which machines, but it sounds like this might be your issue.

Anyone else recall this thread? I believe it was on the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>ice fishing forum?

Grouse

The replay problem is a known issue with Arctic Cat. If (typically) below about -5 degrees, the FUEL PUMP relay will not function properly. I have learned that when I turn the key on, I listen carefully for the sound of the running fuel pump. If the pump does not run, the engine will not start.
The fix;
(A) pull the seat
(B) pull the cover on the fuse box
(C) pull the fuel pump relay and put it inside my coat where it can warm up for a couple minutes.
(D) reinstall the relay and immediately start the engine

Once the engine has started there will be no issue until the engine is shut off again. You may or may not need to warm the replay again. Sometimes there will be enough residual engine heat radiating upward towards the fuse box to prevent any more issues with the relay.

Again, for me, this only happens when it gets at least -5 below zero or colder.

Thanks Merican for the info, if its working for you it should work for me, I’ll have to check the dimensions on that 925 to see if it will fit my rig. I do have an Oddessey battery and charger for my bike the charger is alittle spendy, with all this great info coming in from everybody I don’t think I’ll have any more issues.

Tom

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
My atv is a bear to start when its below zero. Saturday it was -10 when I got up to go <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing and even with the trickle charger plugged in it wouldn’t start. I think the relays, etc are more of the problem then the battery alone. I had a trick I was going to try the next morning if it was as cold, but thankfully it was 17 above zero and it popped right off.

Capt, in another thread recently it was discussed that some ATVs have a relay for the fuel pump that doesn’t work in the cold. Can’t recall all the details and which machines, but it sounds like this might be your issue.

Anyone else recall this thread? I believe it was on the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>ice fishing forum?

Grouse

I always keep a couple of each relay my machine uses in my emergency box just in case. I can just change it out in moments if needed. They’re only a few bucks each.

the great ideas just keep coming, I can’t thank everybody enough.

Tom

I have a NOCO GB40 that I keep in my ATV glovebox when out riding. I also have a NOCO plug-in jumper cable dongle connected to my ATV at all times so it’s just a quick plug-in and charge/start setup. If your starter battery fails say out in the middle of the lake, you’re screwed trying to hand start it and pushing it in neutral back to the ramp/shoreline…

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Hi Joe, yep thats sorta what I was thinking.

Tom

it’s the best $100 insurance card you can buy for your ATV/Car/etc

I purchased several dongles and keep them on all of my toys (jetski, atv)

was that an online purchase? I never heard of it

Tom

I went to the site but didnt see the dongle

GBC002

You take the clamps off and bolt to the battery terminals

https://no.co/gbc002

thank you JoeMX I got it now thanks for the info

Tom

I have an older Polaris 500 Sportsman when it guts sub zero the battery will turn it over but not start 1 pull on the rope and it starts every time. I think there is just to much drain on the battery for the electronic ignition to work.

My thoughts exactly thats why I’m thinking the booster deal will supply all the voltage and amperage needed to operate all systems in sub zero temps, nothing sucks worse then when I’m ready to roll but my rig says “NO” I understand that once your getting around -15 or colder not alot of machines really want to work well but at -10 i’m good to go.

Tom

This is what I did , adding the second battery in the tool box that never gets used . She pops of instantly at fifteen below!

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