Dead Battery!!!???

[Ransom82]

Hey Everyone, I am a new Vmax owner. got a 2005. the battery that was in the bike was the stock battery and was going dead. I replaced it a week ago and everything was going fine until i tried to start it about an hour ago. The thing was so dead, my lights wouldnt even come on. i checked it with a meter and it read 1.1V??? Nothing was left on, on the bike. I rode it two days ago and everything was fine. Any ideas on why the batt. could have been drained so bad?

 

[gamorg02]

Hey Everyone, I am a new Vmax owner. got a 2005. the battery that was in the bike was the stock battery and was going dead. I replaced it a week ago and everything was going fine until i tried to start it about an hour ago. The thing was so dead, my lights wouldnt even come on. i checked it with a meter and it read 1.1V??? Nothing was left on, on the bike. I rode it two days ago and everything was fine. Any ideas on why the batt. could have been drained so bad?

slow drain..? get a multimeter and check the voltage with the power off and take off all your fuses. slowly plug them back in and see if you get anything.

i've never had to do it but thats how i understand you check.. someone else i'm sure will add to it

 

[Ransom82]

So you think i should see a drop in voltage when and if there is a drain point within the electrical system?

 

[naughtyG]

yes make sure to fully charge the battery again first!

You must have a short somewhere, unless someone added an accessory or some dodgy wiring somewhere. Is your bike entirely stock? Are there any electrical mods?

If no, then charge, take off the fuses, put your volt meter on and watch what happens as you add each fuse back. That should give you an idea as to where to look.

Another way would be to turn your meter into amp (intensity) metering, disconnect the + cable from the battery and connect the meter between the battery + and the red wire. With the ignition off you should get no reading, if you do there's something wrong.

Finally, and I know it stoopid, but are you totally 100% you switched the ignition off 2 days ago?

 

[gamorg02]

yes make sure to fully charge the battery again first!

You must have a short somewhere, unless someone added an accessory or some dodgy wiring somewhere. Is your bike entirely stock? Are there any electrical mods?

If no, then charge, take off the fuses, put your volt meter on and watch what happens as you add each fuse back. That should give you an idea as to where to look.

Another way would be to turn your meter into amp (intensity) metering, disconnect the + cable from the battery and connect the meter between the battery + and the red wire. With the ignition off you should get no reading, if you do there's something wrong.

Finally, and I know it stoopid, but are you totally 100% you switched the ignition off 2 days ago?

good write up NG..

also, going along with the key off thing, i cant' tell you how many friends leave their keys in and put it in (parking) instead of (off) and leave it. that turns the brake light running light on and isnt' always noticable esp in daylight.

 

[Ransom82]

Im not at my bike now, but is is it possible to put it in parking and remove the key..thus leaving the tail light on?

 

[naughtyG]

Yes. Although you have to push the key in and turn in anticlockwise first - pretty unnatural but you never know..

 

[dkw0417]

I am guilty of doing that with my last bike. Learned the lesson the hard way, looking for someone to give me a jump at 11:30 at night after getting out of work.

 

[gamorg02]

yea, its unnatural, but doing things quickly sometimes things are overlooked....

 

[Ransom82]

Ok, so i charged the battery on a 2-amp slow charge for like 5 hours and the charger showed fully charged. I went and rode the bike for about 20 minutes, then when i got back to my garage i killed it and tried to start it back up. The battery was dead. I took a potential on the battery with no power and with a load (starting the bike), and the voltages were 12.7V (no load) and 9.3V with a load. When the bike was running the potential was 13.7V. Is this about right? for the charging voltage? Should it be in the 14's? Any input would be great. I am hoping that the charging system is working fine....

:ummm:

 

[gamorg02]

so you're saying that after riding it, it was dead? that doesn't sound right at all..

off chance u bought a bad second battery? can you return it saying it wouldn't hold a charge, get a new one? i've heard many reports of bad new batteries... that way we can rule that out beofre u go diggin ginto the eletrical.

 

[red98vmax]

Ok, so i charged the battery on a 2-amp slow charge for like 5 hours and the charger showed fully charged. I went and rode the bike for about 20 minutes, then when i got back to my garage i killed it and tried to start it back up. The battery was dead. I took a potential on the battery with no power and with a load (starting the bike), and the voltages were 12.7V (no load) and 9.3V with a load. When the bike was running the potential was 13.7V. Is this about right? for the charging voltage? Should it be in the 14's? Any input would be great. I am hoping that the charging system is working fine....

:ummm:

Either the new battery is DOA (can happen) or the charging isn't getting to the battery. I'd run a heavy wire from the R/R directly to the battery or take a big soldering iron to the crimp. If you follow the R/R positive wire to the battery, you'll find it buried in some black tape. Your numbers for no load and running sound good, not sure about the load number, does sound low which would point to the battery. After the wiring fix, I'd take the battery to get it tested at a place that can test with a load and get a replacement, if it doesn't pass.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[Ransom82]

Well, I left it on a trickle last night and it started up fine today. Rode it back to work at lunch and around town for a couple of errands... started up every time like nothing was ever wrong. I am going to go in and fix the wire crimp problem tonight, and i'm gonna pick up a tender tonight also.

What would you guys recommend? There is a tender plus which is a 1.5a charger.. Is it safe to leave it on there all the time when i am not riding? It says it goes into float mode automatically... I'm guessing that is an idle of some sort? Dont think i'm stupid... I'm just new to vmax and bikes and i am learning and want to do everything right the first time.

Thanks, Trey



:band:



unk:

 

[tfisher65]

Sounds like your charging system is ok but the battery is pooched. It won't hold a charge and therefore has no cranking amps. If you don't have a load tester take it to a garage for a quick load test, that will tell you.