Electrical question(s)

The battery on the Blackbird has gone all sulky.

No charge at all last week, so I stuck it onthe optimate.

Green light. 12.4v

Thursday - fine. Started; ran; everything. Parked it up for the
weekend.

Went to start it last night: nothing. Nada. Zip. Optimate. Green
light. 12.4v.

This morning - fine.

Battery fit for the skip? Or something more sinister? It's not *that*
old. 2 years, at a guess.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SaladDodger

It sounds like *something* is pulling some (small) current somewhere, so
over a few days it drains the battery.

IIRC, you fitted something recently, did you not? Did you use a relay?
If so, is it possible that the relay is powered up with the ignition
off?

I saw this once where a normally-closed relay was held open by current
that drained the battery (it was on my old GL1000).

If you've got an ammeter put that on the thing and see if you've got a
drain.

 

Sounds like what happened to mine. see if it smells of roadkill.

 

I did. A Garmin power lead.

Er. No. At a guess. Plus, I disconnected the lead on Wednesday.

It's now completely stock. Except for the alarm - but that's been
there for *years*.

 

If you dont have a multimeter/ammeter to test the current draw, easiest way
to see if the bike has something thats pulling the battery down is to fully
charge the battery, then disconnect the it,

leave it for the ammount of time it took to flatten it before when
connected, re-connect it and see if it'll start,

if it will start, something on the bike is drawing power and killing the
battery, if it wont start, battery is dying.

 

Makes sense.

 

I did. A Garmin power lead.

Er. No. At a guess. Plus, I disconnected the lead on Wednesday.

It's now completely stock. Except for the alarm - but that's been
there for *years*.

I've encountered this before. Again, you'll need to rest it with an ammeter
ideally, but you could try disconnecting the earth battery lead and leaving
it off for a short while, then watch it very carefully whilst brushing it
against the neg pole of the battery in a darkened garage. you *may* see a
small splash. indicates something may be pulling power.
If nothing else has been changed, then I'd get the meter on the volt reg!
they have a habit of dropping a diode and drawing some current in the off
state.

--
Greybeard

FLHR -03 UK (95 cu-in Stg 2. Big Boy2!)
Trumpet Trophy 1200-03
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Greybeard

1. He's got an alarm . That will pull some power. He needs to know how
much power is being pulled.

2. Sort your fucking quoting out.

 

I know, but the alarm should not cause a splash.
He *needs* a meter, but since he doesn't appear to have one on hand, it was
another suggestion.
Or, leave it for a few days as Gazz has suggested.

No


--
Greybeard

FLHR -03 UK (95 cu-in Stg 2. Big Boy2!)
Trumpet Trophy 1200-03
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

No, but it might get the arsehole about the battery being
disconnected.

How the flying **** do you think I know the voltage across the battery
without having a meter to hand? Divining rods?

FFS.

 

Well then why didn't you just measure the current drawn and then you'd know
for sure!

But that would still mean disconnecting the battery and the alarm may well
get arsey about that if you don't put it to sleep first.

 

SaladDodger scribbled:

It heard you saying you didn't like it and were going to replace it...

OTOH, dead battery.

 

Greybeard scribbled:

Nah, multimeter reading amps (and leads in right holes!), couple of
croc clips on meter leads. Clip onto frame and onto battery neg
terminal, then remove lead from neg terminal.

Multimeter will keep current flowing and show you how much is being
drawn.

Alarm is happy.

 

It's not the battery: the new does exactly the same.

 

Right, got it running: 11.8v. Revved it: 11.8v. Lights on: 11.6v.

Got "Reg/Rec" written all over it, hasn't it?

Ho hum. No sign of current drain AFAICT.

Heh. Git.

 

Possibly. Measure the output from the alternator before it hits said
reg/rec. But OTOH it's a Honda. And I'd stick that battery on the
charger ASAP unless you want to end up with another useless piece of
lead.

The 11.8V most likely come from the fact that you're running the starter
motor and the ignition off the battery without recharging it. Good way
to kill a battery, as I found out when Carole Nash's Recovery Muppets
"fixed" my VFR.

Which meant I had to get it recovered to a proper Honda dealer the
following week, get it sorted properly and pay for the second battery within
two weeks.

 

It's charging atm.

 

They ain't cheap, either, by the look of it.

 

Ta. £65 plus P&P plus VAT. I'll do some more tests tomorrow[1], then
order one.

Now that I've located my workshop manual.