| Author | Message | ||
     Jolly |
My 2002 S3T seems to really draw a battery down when not ridden regularly. The only electrical mod to the bike is the PO installed an HID light so it has a ballast. However I don't think that's the issue... I think the analog clock has enough of a draw that it pulls a battery down to where it wont start the bike if its been about 2 weeks or so since I last rode the bike. Anyone else come to the same conclusion? Older corvettes with analog clocks had the same issue.... sit for a long time and that clock would pull the battery down... and tell you exactly what time the battery failed! I like having a clock in a "touring" bike, for commuting and long trips so I would like to keep it. options, disconnect the wire from the back of the clock and plug it back in when I need a clock.... wire in a switch (probably what I will do) just deal with the draining battery (unacceptable) thought I would check to see if anyone else here has an issue with their battery and identified the problem as the clock.... Anyone source a nice digital clock that fits perfectly in the dash panel and draws less amps? | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The battery itself might be tired. Do you have a multimeter that can read current? | ||
| Jolly |
Brand new battery, AGM, HD battery, not HD loyal but they do have good batteries (DEKA?) same issues as before, bike doesn't get ridden on a consistent regular basis... I'm convinced it's the clock since it stays charged for a few weeks but slowly gets pulled down.., | ||
| Hootowl |
Disconnect the clock, and see whether it is indeed the source of your battery problem. | ||
| Reepicheep |
My old HD batteries were great, but some of the new ones I got were less impressive. Don't know if the supplier changed, or the manufacturer changed something in their process, if there was a bad batch, or if my dealer sold me one that was on a shelf for a decade or something... | ||
| Akbuell |
Take your multimeter and put the dial on amps. Disconnect the batt negative cable and connect one multimeter lead to the batt negative terminal, and the other to the negative cable. See what the reading is. Then unplug the clock and see what the change is. Unfortunately, I don't know what the 'static draw' should be, but in chasing a problem like this before, the excess draw turned out to be an internal short in the voltage regulator ( a 4 wheel ATV ), though the regulator functioned properly otherwise. In checking a similar machine, static draw was in the .03 amp range; with the voltage regulator plugged in on the troubled machine the draw was in the .3 range, killing the battery in a week or so. You MAY have a like situation. Might also consider a battery tender, regardless of what you do about the clock. Does wonders for battery life in the long term. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Ratbuell |
I agree - battery tender. | ||
| Jolly |
Got a battery tender, got three of them.... that I rotate from bike to bike to keep everything charged. Unfortunately with as busy as my life is I dont always get things rotated in a perfect schedule so someitmes one bike or the other will sit for more than a few weeks if I forget to plug that one bike in, the S3T is less forgiving than other bikes. The battery tender treats the symptom, I was looking for the problem....  yeah I guess Ive got to do a little trouble shooting, sort out what the drain is but I thought maybe before I start disconnecting and looking for the draw that maybe someone here had already found this annoyance and solved it.. ok, In the morning its out to the garage with a coffee and multi meter! I'll of course take notes... I have found while working on a nice little coupe hot rod that the alternator had a short to ground through a diode, replace diode, fixed alternator, ... no more dead batteries from sitting.... | ||
| Harleyelf |
If the clock is pulling that much current it is defective. Mine ran all winter and the bike started fine when I first tried it. No charger or tender for three months. If your charging voltage is around 14.5V I suspect the voltage regulator has an issue at rest. Could be a short in the stator or its wire harness. | ||
| Buellistic |
"OLD SCHOOL" point of interest !!! When you are not riding you should put your battery on a trickle charger ... Why you ask ??? Since a motorcycle batter is small anything like CLOCKS draw off the battery and what ever else you have hooked up ... Ever notice when you start your car(vehicle) with the "LITES" on THEY GO OUT WHEN YOU START ... On your motorcycle they stay on and that alone PULLS A LOT OUT OF YOUR BATTERY !!! A simple check on your charging system is to start your engine and with a ELECTRONIC VOM check the DC charging VOLTS(13.8 to 15.0 VOLTS DC) at IDLE RPM(1000 RPM)... ANYMORE OR LESS YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR CHARGING SYSTEM !!! This also applies to your CAR(vehicle), "BUT" since the BATTERY is so LARGE it is not as noticeable in that the BATTERY will not LAST as long ... PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR BATTERIES: Keep the battery clean, terminals clean and tight, and the battery tight in its mounting place ... Keep your Motorcycle BATTERY on a TRICKLE CHARGE when not riding !!! "AND" CHARGE your CAR(vehicle)every 6 months !!! YOUR BATTERIES WILL THEN STAND THE TEST AND LAST LONGER THAN THE REST!!! (Message edited by buellistic on June 06, 2015) | ||
| Harleyelf |
I had an issue about eight years ago (had the S3 for 15 years now) with the wire from the voltage regulator to the battery. It runs under the right side of the oil pump and can be routed so that it pinches and gets a worn spot in the insulation. This will drain your battery. Lafayette has a good point. If your battery is low you can pull the headlight fuse to start the motor and then put it back in to ride. I have a toggle switch for it on my Softtail, so that the light is always off when I start up. Interstate batteries last me about five years in either bike. | ||
| Ducley |
Same here. 2002 S3T and did the same on my old 87 Ducati Paso. I still have power for lights and horn after a few weeks but not enough juice to turn the motor over fast enough. I just put it on the charger the night before I go ride. Answer: Trickle Charger... BTW, starter batteries cannot go dead-dead more than a few times before they will not recharge. Deep cycle for that one... (Message edited by Ducley on June 12, 2015) | ||
| Imadog |
Use your multi meter to check amp draw with bike off (remove cable from negative side of battery, set meter to DC amps, put red lead of meter on battery ground cable, black lead of meter on negative battery post). Now one by one start removing fuses. After you have isolated which circuit, you can narrow the drain further by unplugging individual components one by one. Corroded or loose connections, dirty battery, faulty wiring can all cause a drain. Depending on the battery you can loose 1-3% of the battery's capacity per day, even if it is disconnected. This is why it is a good idea to use a battery maintainer. If you try and start your bike with a low battery, it can actually mess up electronic sensors as well as being hard on your starter and solenoid. | ||
| Jolly |
This weekend I plan to do some checking with the multi meter... It could be a less than perfect battery from HD AND a slight static loss AND this bike is just less forgiving of sitting without being ridden regularly. | ||
| Mhlunsford |
I would check your VR could be over charging the batteries | ||
| Harleyelf |
Also, check for shorts in the stator coils. Unplug the stator-to-voltage-regulator connector and check for shorts to ground between each pin on the motor side of the connector Some current will flow between the pins, but it is less than 1 ohm. | ||
| Huck_farley |
My '97 S3T had a faulty ignition/key switch that would go to parking taillight mode when the key was removed in the off position. |
